Home topics small-business-resources growth-import-export Growth | Import | Export Growth | Import | Export Changes to export under Federal Labor Ian M August 6, 2008 Ian Murray , executive director of the Australian Institute of Export , takes stock of international trade under the Coalition , and looks at the possible changes to export under Federal Labor . After 11 years of Coalition control our trade agenda has moved to new hands. In its time at the helm tradition was maintained with three Nationals representing the Coalition as Minister for Trade . While holding this important portfolio, both Tim Fischer and Mark Vaile were at the same time Deputy Prime Minister. All three had rural backgrounds, all three were passionate about their task and were avid supporters of the ‘level playing field’ and WTO. In keeping with conservative governments of the past, and I would assume those that may follow, trade assistance policy was firmly based on the philosophy that government provides the structure or the means while industry does the business. This, along with the stagnating Doha Round, was undoubtedly the driving force behind the many and varied Free Trade Agreements we have in place and those currently on the drawing board. Measuring one government’s trade performance against another is not easy and probably not wise. Booms come and go, currencies go up and down, and world economies chop and change. However, I think it can be argued that the outgoing government leaves the trade portfolio in pretty good