What they said about the China trade deal

WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE CHINA FREE TRADE DEAL

The coalition-dominated treaties committee supports ratification of the agreement:

* Recommend government departments responsible for illegal immigration are adequately resourced

* Recommend Austrade be resourced with dedicated officers to help businesses access the Chinese market

* Safeguards in immigration and employment frameworks will mitigate concerns about local jobs "with the proviso that the government organisations responsible for ensuring compliance are adequately resourced".

Labor MPs dissented, including deputy chair Kelvin Thomson:

* The agreement should not be ratified until several legislative safeguards are put in place

* The deal erodes safeguards for Australian jobs

* Recommend amendments to migration laws to support local workers and deter exploitation of overseas workers

In a separate report, Labor senator Joe Ludwig says the deal should be ratified as soon as possible:

* But first, the government needs to address issues to ensure Australian workers aren't disadvantaged

* Issues can be resolved by legislative changes without renegotiating the deal

Greens also dissented:

* Describe the deal as "lopsided" and "creating a parallel industrial relations system"

* Accuse the committee of being a government "rubber stamp"

* Want ratification delayed with the agreement referred to the Productivity Commission and the Law Reform Commission for analysis.

(Source: Parliamentary treaties committee report)