The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will create new jobs for Tasmania if it is ratified, Tasmanian Parliamentary Secretary for Trade Roger Jaensch says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The TPP is a free-trade agreement between 12 countries.
Mr Jaensch’s comments come in the wake of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s claim on Monday that the federal government would continue to pursue the TPP.
Mr Jaensch reiterated the state government’s support for the international trade agreement, three months after vocal TPP opponent Donald Trump was elected President of the United States.
“This agreement presents unprecedented opportunity for Tasmania to build on an already prosperous relationship with TPP countries,” Mr Jaensch said.
“We need to make sure Tasmanian exports are on a level playing field internationally.”
By saying the TPP was “dead in the water”, Mr Jaensch said federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was guilty of “opposing new jobs in Tasmania”.
Opposition Leader Bryan Green, however, said Mr Trump had “made it very clear that [he’d] scrap the TPP”.
“Labor supports free trade but the Prime Minister needs to be realistic about the future of the TPP,” Mr Green said.
“Labor is always looking for improved trade conditions for Tasmanian exporters and we’ll work closely with our federal colleagues on new opportunities.”
Meanwhile, Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey said a ratified TPP would be “terrific” for Tasmania.
But he also believed it would not be “the end of the world” if the agreement was not ratified.
“Work is happening behind-the-scenes,” Mr Bailey said.
“If [the TPP] doesn’t come off, it really just puts the ball back into the court of the federal government to finalise free trade agreements with countries that are important to us across the region.”