Abbott urges ALP to listen to Hawke on FTA

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has urged the opposition to listen to "decent" Labor people like Bob Hawke and Bob Carr on the China free trade agreement instead of the "racist lie" being pedalled by trade unions.

Mr Abbott says he can "absolutely" guarantee that Australian jobs will not be at risk from the agreement, blaming unions for pedalling myths about jobs being at risk.

He dismissed calls from Labor that safeguards for jobs be inserted into the agreement, telling ABC radio on Friday it could not be renegotiated.