AGRICULTURE bosses are urging new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to resolve the spat with unions and the federal opposition over the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA).
Mr Turnbull on Monday called the ChAFTA "one of the most important foundations of our prosperity", and raised it as one of his reasons for challenging Tony Abbott for the prime ministership.
"You only have to see the catastrophically reckless approach of [Opposition Leader Bill] Mr Shorten to the China-Australia free trade agreement...to know that he is utterly unfit to be prime minister of this country and yet so will he be if we do not make a change," Mr Turnbull said on Monday.
Agribusiness leaders welcomed Mr Turnbull's support for the Chinese deal, but hoped he would deliver a promised leadership style based on "advocacy, not slogans".
"It's not a personality thing, it's just a fact; business responds to good leadership," said Paul Thompson, the managing director of Australia's biggest listed almond producer, Select Harvests.
Mr Thompson said the China deal needed to be ratified soon to safeguard Australia's high standard of living. He said Australia needed better access to growing markets such as China and could not rely on the domestic economy.
"There is a big cold reality here for Australian agricultural businesses. If we were as efficient as possible, we couldn't consume everything we grow," he said.
"We have to be export focused, and you're only successful in an export market if you're competitive. Unless we want a massive correction in the quality of our living standards, we need these sorts of things [trade agreements] to help us to be competitive."
Robbie Sefton, a farmer and communications consultant who has just finished a three-year stint on the Reserve Bank of Australia's small business advisory board, said "agriculture more than ever needs leadership at the highest level".
Ms Sefton urged Mr Turnbull to resolve or allay the federal opposition and trade unions' fears about Australian jobs under the Chinese agreement.
Mr Shorten is demanding more protection for Australian jobs, arguing the agreement would allow Chinese companies to bring in their own workers on projects worth more than $150 million, as well as removing mandatory skills assessments for foreign workers.
"Trade access is critical and we mustn't stall on the China agreement. There is no time to waste. Chinese expect outcomes quickly. They are one of ag's most important partners," Ms Sefton said.
Incitec Pivot chief executive James Fazzino reserved his judgement on Mr Turnbull's accession to the prime ministership but criticised Australia's lengthy approval processes for major projects.
Mr Fazzino attacked the Abbott government last year for not making Australia an attractive place to invest and described the lack of an energy policy as a "trainwreck".
This prompted Incitec Pivot to build an $US850 million ammonia plant in the US, which Mr Fazzino unveiled on Tuesday.
The Louisiana government, which Mr Fazzino said applied the same standards as Australia, approved the project in about six months.
"Our plant will be approved, built and operating in about the same time it would take to get a similar project approved in Australia," Mr Fazzino said.
