Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 14 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14712. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to theMinister of Trade: Why is he not prepared to release the text of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) on behalf of theMinister of Trade: Because at this present point there is no agreement.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Having regard to the fact that the question was in respect of the text not the finished agreement and New Zealand’s opposition to the intellectual property articles of the Trans-Pacific Partnership—that is protecting New Zealanders’ access to cheap medicine industrial innovation and our native fauna—why does the public of this country have to rely upon WikiLeaks to provide them with the truth of what is going on with this secretive deal and not their elected Government?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I would not rely on WikiLeaks for any accuracy in the information. I would note that when that member was Minister of Trade he did rely on confidentiality.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I was never Minister of Trade. Why does Gerry not do a bit of homework?Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is very much a debating point. Is the member raising a real point of order or a supplementary question? A supplementary question—Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I apologise to the member. He was of course Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was also—Mr SPEAKER: And that equally is not a point of order. Can we ask the Rt Hon Winston Peters for his supplementary question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: They still miss me.Mr SPEAKER: Please proceed with the supplementary question. Otherwise we will move to the next question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Does he still expect the Trans-Pacific Partnership to be completed by Christmas; if so how can he reconcile that with an unprecedented letter—in US history that is—to President Obama by congressmen of his own party and half of the US House pledging to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s fast track through Congress?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Every effort has been made by New Zealand to participate in the negotiations to this date. It is of great value to New Zealand. We anticipate a $5 billion year-on-year boost to our export economy and we would of course like to see the negotiations favourably concluded as soon as possible but there are many parties to this agreement.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can he confirm to the House that the chapter regarding State-owned enterprises is in even worse shape than the intellectual property chapter which was leaked overnight?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: We do not comment on leaked documents have not commented on leaked documents and will not comment on leaked documents.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Does he agree with Lori Wallach of Public Citizen that “All these other countries are like ‘Wait you have no trade authority and nothing you’ve promised us means anything? Why would we give you our best deal?’ Why would you be making concessions to the emperor who has no clothes?”Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I am unfamiliar with whom the member is quoting.Rt Hon Winston Peters: What faith can New Zealanders possibly have that he will not sell out in favour of foreign big businesses over the Trans-Pacific Partnership when that is all he and his Government have been doing for the last 5 years?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Firstly I totally reject that last comment and then I would ask him to reflect on the prospect of New Zealand export businesses gaining a $5 billion a year increase in export values as a result of being part of this agreement. If that is somehow selling out New Zealand business then God help us should he ever get the chance to be trade Minister.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I seek leave to table a very important document that was leaked overnight and is not generally available to the members on the other side.Mr SPEAKER: Is the source of the document WikiLeaks?Rt Hon Winston Peters: Yes.Mr SPEAKER: Well then it is very freely available I assure the member.Hon Phil Goff: Why did the Minister of Trade leave it to WikiLeaks—[Interruption] Mr Speaker is it permissible that somebody—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister is indicating that he cannot hear because of the level of interjection. Would the member please start his supplementary question again.Hon Phil Goff: Thank you. Why did the Minister leave it to WikiLeaks to inform New Zealanders of the critical issues around intellectual property that are being debated in the negotiations rather than informing New Zealanders himself so that they could have a say on what the Government’s stance should be on those issues now when it counts not afterwards when it is too late?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I have to express some disappointment that a man of such experience as the Hon Phil Goff is prepared to swallow hook line and sinker everything he sees on WikiLeaks.Hon Phil Goff: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was straightforward. It was not excessively political and there is nothing in the Minister’s answer—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I invite the member to ask his question again.Hon Phil Goff: Thank you very much. Why did the Minister leave it to WikiLeaks to inform New Zealanders of the critical issues relating to intellectual property that are being debated in the negotiations rather than informing them himself so that they could have a say on what they believe the Government’s stance on this matter should be at a time when that can make a difference not afterwards when it will not?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: As I said before we do not comment on leaks we have not commented on leaks and we are not going to comment on leaks.Hon Phil Goff: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was about why he has not informed the public about the issues that are being debated. It is not—Mr SPEAKER: No no. [Interruption] Order! The question started with: “Why did the Minister leave it to WikiLeaks to inform New Zealanders …”. The Minister has addressed that part of the question. Again that may not be to the satisfaction of the member. The way forward then is to use further supplementary questions.Hon Phil Goff: I seek leave to table the documents informing New Zealanders of what is being debated in the intellectual—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I just clarify that because a member earlier sought to table a dossier from WikiLeaks. Is the member seeking to table that?Hon Phil Goff: That is where it comes from yes.Mr SPEAKER: No. I ruled that that stuff is freely available if members want to go and get it.