Ross Jami-Lee: Tariff (Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and the Republic of Korea) Amendment Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRoss Jami-Lee: Tariff (Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and the Republic of Korea) Amendment Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 17 September 2015. Volume:708;Page:6824. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany): Following on from David Shearer in this debate can I just say thank you to the Labour Party for the constructive approach that it takes in the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee to trade matters.Hon Nathan Guy: That’s right. Looking forward to TPP support.JAMI-LEE ROSS: Yes. As Minister Guy just pointed out I am looking forward to a similar constructive approach to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Once it is finalised and implemented by Minister Groser and once it comes to the committee I am looking forward to a similarly constructive approach being taken by the Labour Party. I wish all parties on the select committee took such a constructive approach but sadly that is not the case.As has been pointed out in this debate this agreement is very good for New Zealand. Korea is our sixth-largest export market with about $4 billion worth of exports going to Korea—having a free-trade agreement is good for New Zealand. Immediately in the first year we see a $65 million benefit for New Zealanders who are exporting to Korea and right now $229 million in tariffs are being paid by New Zealanders exporting so seeing those reduced over time is very good.I just want to make a point to the House. It is quite ironic that many of the people out there at the moment who are opposed to free-trade agreements like to say that Parliament the people’s House never gets to consider these free-trade agreements because they are signed in secret by those evil Governments. Well I think this is the second or third debate we have now had in this Parliament on this free-trade agreement. This House does consider free-trade agreements. There is a thorough select committee process that they go through in the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee. For Government for Parliament and for New Zealanders to implement any decisions taken in a free-trade agreement we have to have enabling legislation and this is what we are debating right now and will be voting on in a few minutes’ time. New Zealanders through their representatives in Parliament do get a say on these issues—they do get debated thoroughly and they do get examined thoroughly—and they should not be afraid of that.People also should not be afraid of investor-State dispute settlement mechanisms one of which is in this agreement. As Mr Shearer pointed out we require it as do our trading partners that have these free-trade agreements. We require it because it actually protects New Zealanders. It protects New Zealanders so that they can have confidence when they are investing in foreign markets. We should also not be afraid of the potential implications of these agreements because firstly New Zealand has never been challenged and secondly there are over 3000 agreements out there in the world that have these mechanisms in them. The State typically wins more often than it loses and only 25 percent of cases are settled in favour of the investor. So should we ever be challenged there is a high likelihood we will win provided we have good-quality Government policy. We should not be afraid of that because it actually overall helps New Zealanders and gives them protection. This bill is good for New Zealand and it should be supported at its second reading.