Clive Palmer insists the free trade deal with China needs to be tweaked to protect Australian jobs and wages.
The Palmer United Party leader echoed concerns of Labor and the union movement about the potential exploitation of Chinese workers and the undermining of Australian workers' jobs and wages.
"In the Pilbara I pay electricians $200,000 a year - the award wage is around $40,000, so they will work for the award wage and undermine the labour market in WA," he told ABC TV, adding that he was also concerned about Chinese qualifications not meeting Australian standards.
Agricultural Minister Barnaby Joyce said the Labor Party is "completely and utterly wrong" about the Chinese FTA.
He said the scare campaign that Labor is mounting on the FTA that workers from overseas will be flown in and take jobs is wrong and he said jobs would be advertised.
"I'd ask them to be really cautious that you don't throw the baby out with the bath water on this one ... if you start saying to your major market that you don't want to trade with them, then what happens when they decide that they'll take you up on the offer," he told Sky News.
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