Clark David: Trade (Safeguard Measures) Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeClark David: Trade (Safeguard Measures) Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 11 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16535. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North):This part addresses really the miscellaneous matters so I shall keep my comments necessarily short. But it is a pleasure to rise and support the Trade (Safeguard Measures) Bill. Labour of course supports trade safeguard measures.Hon Phil Goff: It originated under a Labour Government.Dr DAVID CLARK: As my colleague the Hon Phil Goff points out the bill originated under a Labour Government. We want to build a future for all. We want the kind of economy that works for all New Zealanders we want to have a fair and just society where all can live in dignity an environment that we can protect is something that we all want and we want a nation that we can be proud of. All of those things align with having these safeguards in place. There is nothing too controversial in that respect. We think that the temporary safeguard authorities being abolished with no compensation for loss of office as put forward in clause 26 and following is therefore not something that particularly warrants a great depth of debate.The transitional provision on the other hand is noteworthy I guess for the fact that this legislation has taken a while to get through the House. The existing Act the Temporary Safeguard Authorities Act goes back to 1987 I believe. It was subject to review under the Labour-led Government and the wide consultation that went with that. Of course the bill as we know is the result of that work—for those who have just joined the debate. It produces compliance with the World Trade Organization obligations and it streamlines the process of responding to allegations of dumped subsidised goods on the New Zealand market which is something that I guess will be welcomed by New Zealand manufacturers across the board. I mean it is pretty hard to disagree with that stuff. The transitional measures provision will be enacted to try to make sure that the necessary powers are in place that the temporary safeguard authorities have all the powers that they would have if this Act had not been passed and that that all works into making I guess an orderly transition—the kind that we need as we shift from one set of rules to the other.The bill is timely because it is important that it comes at a time when domestic spending is constrained. New Zealand needs to have the right tools to protect its businesses from globalisation and increasing competition where appropriate. We heard yesterday the fact that non-primary exports are down. The Government produced figures showing that the domestic market is booming and part of that of course is to do with the rebuild after the earthquake. There are some positive news stories there for the Government but all the while our exports in the non-primary sector—you know outside the dairy sector—dropped 6.5 percent in real terms last year and that will be a worry for the Government whether it is up front about that or not. It is a concern for any Government to see manufactured exports dropping.The measures here in so far as they protect against businesses losing out in the trade arrangements have got to be a good thing. New Zealand businesses do need a fillip. They need all the support that they can get particularly in a system and a regime right now where we know that those multinational companies that deal in New Zealand get away with so much. We know for example that Google declares less than 5 percent of its revenues out of New Zealand for tax purposes. Those multinational companies have at their disposal the tools that enable them to leverage their advantage their existing scale and so forth. New Zealand businesses need to have the kinds of provisions that make for a level playing field and that ensure that trade is undertaken in a way that is beneficial to New Zealand. Trade safeguard measures are something Labour will support so it is my pleasure to have had the opportunity to take a call on this bill.Labour wants to build an economy that works for all New Zealanders and a fair and just society where all can live in dignity. This is a small step towards that and that is why I am happy to support this bill.