fight protectionism against our exporters in all its forms. The principle of unilateralism does not oblige Australia to accept trade deals in which other countries can continue to impose high tariffs against us. If so-called free trade agreements that contain ongoing trade restrictions against us are not in Australia's national interest then we should not conclude them. And trade agreements that enable our trading partners to impose high tariffs against our exports of key products are unlikely to be in Australia's national interest. The trade liberalising reforms of the past quarter of a century have yielded very substantial income gains for Australians. A study by the Centre for International Economics found trade liberalisation in Australia had increased real household incomes by an estimated $3,900 by 2008. These gains came not only from exporting more but from being able to buy imported goods more cheaply than they could be produced in Australia. This analysis helps debunk the mercantilist notion that exports are good but imports are bad. Australian consumers have voted with their purses and wallets in favour of imports that are less expensive than domestically produced items. And less expensive imports that are inputs into Australian made goods and services, destined for local and global markets, help boost the competitiveness of those industries. Yet, following the end of Labor rule in 1996, the notion has gradually crept back in that Australia's small remaining tariffs are good, that removing them is bad and that such evil should only be contemplated as