Parker David: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeParker David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:7801. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) to the Minister of Trade: Does the provision at page 8 of Annex II of the New Zealand - South Korea FTA mean South Korea can adopt or maintain a ban on New Zealand people buying South Korean homes?Hon TODD McCLAY (Associate Minister of Trade) on behalf of theMinister of Trade: Yes.Hon David Parker: Is the reason that Minister Groser would not answer that same question last week that he did not know or was it that it shows up his Government’s incompetence in giving up New Zealand’s right to ban foreign buyers of New Zealand homes while agreeing that South Korea can?Hon TODD McCLAY: No. New Zealand has applied a consistent approach to this issue in all free-trade agreements. I understand that the Minister of Trade followed exactly the same strategy as the then trade Minister Phil Goff used with the China free-trade agreement negotiations. The outcome is exactly the same in both the China and the Korea free-trade agreements. They are both high-quality agreements they both deliver jobs and investment for New Zealanders and they both treat property transactions the same. Mr Parker needs to talk to Mr Goff.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have a point of order from David Parker.Hon David Parker: I seek leave to table the relevant pages of the free-trade agreement with China under which New Zealand can ban foreign purchasers—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Again that information is very available to all members if they want to go and look it up.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Is it a fresh point of order?Hon David Parker: No it is speaking to that point of order.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear very briefly from the member.Hon David Parker: The free-trade agreement with China runs to many thousands of pages as most free-trade agreements do. It is very difficult for members—and obviously the Minister—to find the relevant clause so—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have heard enough. I will accept the member’s first point. I will put the leave to the House and it will be for the House to decide. Leave is sought—the member wants to table the relevant pages regarding the section of the China free-trade agreement. Is there any objection? There is none. He can do so.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon David Parker: Is the Minister saying that the free-trade agreement signed with China stops the New Zealand Government banning the sale of New Zealand homes to foreigners including China?Hon TODD McCLAY: What I am saying is that the approach of the China free-trade agreement negotiation and the Korea free-trade agreement negotiation is the same and the outcome is the same. But in respect of the primary question the Government had a number of priorities it negotiated: preserving sensitive land provisions under the Official Information Act and we were successful in this; ensuring that there were no adverse changes to the foreign investment provisions and we were successful in this; ensuring Treaty of Waitangi exemptions were done; getting a good deal for New Zealand exporters to create opportunities and jobs in New Zealand and grow the economy and that was done; and to ensure the outcome of equal standing to the China free-trade agreement on that issue and this too was successful.David Seymour: Does New Zealand have a history of unilaterally dropping trade barriers; if so to what effect and under which parties?Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Todd McClay—either of those two supplementary questions.Hon TODD McCLAY: One of the challenges New Zealand exporters face is barriers to trade. The high-quality free-trade agreements that have been entered into by successive New Zealand Governments open up access. They level the playing field. They allow New Zealanders to produce and export. They secure jobs for New Zealanders. These are two good free-trade agreements and Mr Parker voted in favour of both of them. He should be proud of that.Hon David Parker: Given that countries like Australia Switzerland and China have bans on the sale of their homes to foreigners why did he not even try to protect New Zealand’s sovereign right to do the same?Hon TODD McCLAY: There are a range of policy options available to the Government depending upon the circumstances but a ban would not be consistent with the Closer Economic Relations agreement with Australia. It would not be consistent with the Singapore the China the Korea or the Taiwan free-trade agreements. This is exactly the same as the Korea agreement. It is a high-quality agreement as are previous agreements that have been negotiated by previous Governments.Hon David Parker: Is he still asserting that the Chinese free-trade agreement prevents the New Zealand Government from introducing a ban on the sale of residential homes to foreigners?Hon TODD McCLAY: I refer to my earlier answers. One thing though that is clear in the text that the member—[Interruption]Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I have asked that question in three forms and he has not answered it—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The way forward is I am going to invite the member to restate that question and then this time we do hope we get an answer.Hon David Parker: Is the Minister still asserting that the provisions of the Chinese free-trade agreement prevent the New Zealand Government from imposing a ban on the sale of New Zealand homes to foreigners?Hon TODD McCLAY: What I am asserting is that the approach to the negotiating of those two agreements and the outcome is the same.