QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE › Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
Senator FARRELL (South Australia—Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) (15:02): I thank the senator for his question. The CPTPP, as it's known, has recently acceded to the request of the United Kingdom to join that group. Only a few weeks ago, that request was acceded to. Senator Scarr: The question was about China. Senator FARRELL: Senator Scarr, it's important that you put these questions into perspective. Having dealt with the issue of the United Kingdom, of course, the next question is: which country might next join the group? As you say, China has put in a request to join that group but so have five other countries, including Taiwan, Ukraine and a number of other countries. Those issues now have to be dealt with. At the next meeting of that group, which will occur next week in San Francisco, I expect that the group will deal with the issue of how to progress future requests for accession to that group. The reality of the situation is that it does require— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator O'Sullivan, first supplementary?