aug 07
- Australia's long-term prosperity depends on us competing successfully in global markets. This requires Australia to produce high quality goods and services that the world wants to buy, as well as working hard to remove barriers to accessing overseas markets. In government, Labor will give priority to a new export strategy to ensure that Australia has diverse and value-added markets that can sustain the economy beyond the mining boom. Labor will also pursue trade liberalisation and market-opening opportunities, through the World Trade Organisation and where appropriate, through regional and bilateral agreements.
The WTO's objective, to reduce trade barriers worldwide, will help Australia maximise economic growth and job creation. Labor endorses the full implementation of the WTO's Uruguay Round agreements and the work of the Cairns Group (established by Labor in 1986) to reduce world agricultural protection. Labor supports the timely and successful completion of the WTO's Doha Round. The Doha Round must achieve a substantial lowering of industrial tariffs and improved market access for services. It must also achieve a comprehensive outcome on agriculture including substantial improvements in market access, the phasing out of all forms of export subsidies as already agreed in 2005, and substantial reductions in trade distorting domestic support. The Doha Round must offer major benefits to Australia and to developing countries that face world trading rules denying them access to major markets. Labor supports the re-invigoration of the Cairns Group as a leader in WTO negotiations.
