Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has moved to allay concerns about Australia's free-trade deal with China after a poll of marginal seat voters in four states panned elements of the agreement.
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union commissioned the poll of 2000 people in the seats of Capricornia and Flynn in Queensland, Gilmore and Macquarie in NSW, Corangamite and Dunkley in Victoria and Hindmarsh in South Australia.
More than 90 per cent of those surveyed were concerned about China being able to bring their workers to Australia for infrastructure projects without first advertising the jobs locally.
They were also concerned that Chinese companies would be able to sue the Australian government over policy changes.
The union's national secretary Michael O'Connor fears many jobs will be sourced exclusively from China.
"What we have here is a radical altering of the labour market in our country," he said.
"We've ceded sovereignty to another nation when it comes to regulating our labour market."
But Ms Bishop said the trade deal was undoubtedly good news for Australia.
"It provides us with unprecedented opportunities to access what will be one of the largest consumer markets in the world," she told reporters in Canberra.
Share
