English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:608;Page:5989] 
5.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Minister for Trade Negotiations 
: Does he believe that the statement made by United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in relation to New Zealand that: “There’s been some things done recently that would make (a free-trade agreement) harder to carry” to the United States House of Representatives was a reference to the Prime Minister’s comments about the United States presidency and the war in Iraq; if not why not? 
Hon JIM SUTTON (Minister for Trade Negotiations) 
: 
 As I said earlier ambassador Zoellick’s remarks were his own and I do not intend to interpret them. New Zealand will continue to pursue its interest in a trade agreement with the United States. 
Hon Bill English 
: Has the Minister seen a diplomatic cable dated 21 January 2003 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Washington stating: “New Zealand could suffer economic harm particularly through investment diversion if the US and Australia proceed with an FTA agreement without a similar agreement being negotiated between the US and New Zealand.”; and if he has seen that cable does he believe the advice that Government officials gave him and the Prime Minister? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I do not recall the particular cable but I do accept that a free-trade agreement between our two largest trading partners to which we were not a party would have some potential downside for New Zealand. 
David Parker 
: Has the Minister had any reaction from Washington DC on this issue? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I draw members’ attention to comments made today by the President of the US - New Zealand Business Council Fred Benson for whom I have enormous respect. He is well connected with the US administration and the US business community so his words carry a lot of weight. I was pleased to hear him say that he does not believe that the door is closed to a US – New Zealand trade agreement. His view was that we should press on and do our job to show the case being made by US business for a free-trade agreement. That seems to be pretty good advice to me and I think the Government will follow it. 
Dail Jones 
: What reports has the Minister received from the Prime Minister following the Prime Minister’s recent meeting in Europe with Mr Zoellick with specific reference to the issues raised in this statement: “There’s been some things done recently that would make (a free-trade agreement) harder to carry”? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I have had no report of ambassador Zoellick saying any such thing to the Prime Minister. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Is Parliament to interpret the Minister’s answers to the House today to mean that he—the Minister—and his officials have no idea what is meant by: “things done recently that would make (a free-trade agreement) harder to carry” or does he not care what those “things” are; if that is not the right interpretation would he now tell us what he and his officials believe are the “things” that have been recently done that would make a free-trade agreement harder to carry? What are they? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: The correct interpretation of what I said was that I do not intend to interpret ambassador Zoellick’s words for him. 
Rod Donald 
: Has the Minister seen reports in Australia that claimed gains from a US - Australia free-trade agreement rely on heroic assumptions such as the US abandoning all agricultural protection measures and that without these there are no gains to Australia from a US - Australia free-trade agreement; if so are claims of benefits to New Zealand from a free-trade agreement based on similarly fanciful assumptions? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I have no recollection of seeing the report the member refers to. I will say however there are potential upsides and downsides for New Zealand in this situation. 
Hon Bill English 
: As the Minister is unwilling to interpret what Robert Zoellick said can he give us the benefit of his huge experience as a trade negotiating Minister and tell us his opinion of whether Helen Clark’s remarks about a Gore presidency her remarks about alignment with France and China and her close relationship with Jacques Chirac have made his job easier or harder? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I am a persistent person and I just get on with the job. I am confident that success will eventually attend our efforts. 
John Carter 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The fact that the Minister may or may not be persistent— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No he went further than that. 
John Carter 
: Well he did and he said he would carry on with the job. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: “Confident”. 
John Carter 
: He said he was confident but he did not answer the question put by the Leader of the Opposition. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No I am sorry. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I think I can help. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Hon Richard Prebble. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I think the member should listen more carefully. I think the member really did answer. There was no doubt about his answer.