Street Maryan: Tariff (New Zealand-Hong Kong China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Street Maryan: Tariff (New Zealand-Hong Kong China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:666;Page:13403] 
Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) 
: 
 I rise to speak to the third reading of the Tariff (New Zealand-Hong Kong China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement) Amendment Bill. I suppose that one of the dangers of taking an agreement like this and a bill of this nature through the House under urgency is the temptation to simply repeat what one has said in one’s first reading speech or in the case of today one’s second reading speech. So I will try to say some different things from what I said in my previous speeches. 
First of all I acknowledge all of the trade Ministers who have had a hand in this matter from Jim Sutton through to Phil Goff and now Tim Groser. Each of these trade Ministers has served New Zealand interests well and has got this closer economic partnership to the point where we can now pass its third reading this evening. I commend all of those Ministers for the assiduousness with which they pursued New Zealand’s interests. 
I also recognise officials who have provided a lot of the backbone to the negotiations. I particularly mention Julian Ludbrook as an official who has been intimately involved for many years in the development of this closer economic partnership. His expertise and his knowledge are both legendary and encyclopaedic. It is fitting that this House acknowledge his efforts on our behalf. 
The critical points of this closer economic partnership go to the relationship between New Zealand and Hong Kong. A school of thought abroad that is often given witness to by this Government is that foreign affairs equals trade and trade is foreign affairs. This party begs to differ. Foreign affairs is about relationships. It is about developing the kinds of trusting and constructive relationships that allow trade agreements to be struck. Those trade agreements are never struck in a vacuum; they are always agreed on in the context of ongoing relationships. 
New Zealand has had a relationship with Hong Kong for a very long time. I think it is currently our ninth or 10th largest export destination; it accounted for something in the order of $800 million worth of trade last year. New Zealand imported $199 million of merchandised goods from Hong Kong last year making it the 31st largest source of imported goods. 
Hong Kong is important because of not only the volume of trade that is conducted which has been increasing over time but also its geopolitical significance. This closer economic partnership hopes and intends to capitalise on Hong Kong’s regional and geographical presence in order to smooth the way of businesses into trade in China. More than that Hong Kong has for a long time been a very significant regional presence because it is a hub. It works as a shipping hub a financial transactions hub and a gateway to China. It has a deal of significance on many levels but each of them that I am describing at the moment are particularly practical. They are about facilitating trade not only into China through Hong Kong but also elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region for New Zealand producers and manufacturers. It has regional geographical and facilitating significance which should not be ignored. 
One of our largest exports to Hong Kong is live crayfish. I think that that industry will benefit from the conditions that are contained in this closer economic partnership. As the tariffs reduce to 2016 it will signify a considerable improvement in profit and effectively productivity for our exporters. A small but extremely efficient export business in South Auckland is busy putting out as many crayfish as it legally can to Hong Kong. The crayfish are in a very good state which makes them a highly desirable commodity for Hong Kong. 
Amongst the top 20 imports from Hong Kong into New Zealand are of course machinery parts telephone equipment and computers. That will come as no surprise to anybody who picks up a mobile phone in New Zealand. This closer economic partnership will enhance mutual benefits not only by the reduction in tariffs which align with the free-trade agreement with China and its regime of tariff reduction but also—in the case of this closer economic partnership—with trade in services. We are able to trade a vast array of services with Hong Kong on a regular and an improved basis that will enhance New Zealand’s profitability and wealth and will serve to exchange knowledge and services in a way that can do both parties only good. 
I welcome this closer economic partnership. I pay tribute to those who have contributed to it and I thank the chair of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee John Hayes for his part in shepherding this closer economic partnership through the select committee process. 
We are a trading nation. We have for decades traded in commodities. We are good at it and we need to consider how to add value to our commodities in order to improve the wealth that we can gain from trade. With this closer economic partnership we are seeing a new opportunity something quite expansive in terms of business services communications services and all kinds of services apart from education which already exists in Hong Kong as a substantial service from New Zealand. That makes this closer economic partnership something that I think can be a model or a template for future trade agreements. The concentration on services gives me great heart for the future of our country. There is a limit to how much we can produce in the way of agricultural produce and we should be getting smarter about the goods and services that we export. 
I join with the Minister of Immigration who is acting on behalf of the Minister of Trade tonight and commend this closer economic partnership agreement to the House in its third reading.