Muller Todd: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMuller Todd: General Debate[Sitting date: 11 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:7906. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]TODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty): It is a great privilege to be able to stand up on behalf of the Bay of Plenty region one of the strongest-performing regions in the country. The first thing that underpins that is of course the recent free-trade agreement that we announced. I want to acknowledge Tim Groser in particular. He is a phenomenal advocate for New Zealand’s interests overseas—not only has it been the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and it will soon be the EU free-trade agreement but also it has been the Korean free-trade agreement. So well done to Tim Groser—an absolute leader.But as I look across the House and I look at the Opposition—I am going to ignore New Zealand First which is always opposed to connecting ourselves to the world—I was absolutely surprised that the Labour Party particularly which has for the last 20 years held a view that we should be connected in the world and that particularly in respect of trade we should be shoulder to shoulder no longer does under this leadership under Andrew Little. What I find is there is a portion of the Labour Party members I would expect that from: those who are unionists those who are academics and those who have never put a dollar of their own capital at risk to sell anything to anybody who is overseas and actually demands value. But there are four or five in that party—and I am looking at two of them: David Parker and David Shearer but I can add Damien O’Connor Phil Goff and Clayton Cosgrove—who for the last 20 years have said “Look in respect of trade we’re going to be bipartisan because we understand the benefit to New Zealand when you actually drive a decent and strong deal.” which is exactly what Tim Groser has done. Over the last 10 years and indeed when it was in Government Labour was for the Chinese free-trade agreement. In fact Labour sat here on this side supported by Tim Groser when there was only us as part of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement and tried to imagine how we could connect this small country at the bottom of the world with hardly any trade leverage into part of a large economic trading bloc. Labour was part of that thinking and indeed it pursued it with vigour. We managed to get the approval of course of the Chinese for that Chinese free-trade agreement and that has been of significant benefit not only to the country but particularly to where I have come from.To now hear that Labour members are sitting and opposing this is absolutely disgraceful—absolutely disgraceful. They knew and particularly the Phil Goffs and the Clayton Cosgroves knew that from a small position we needed to negotiate hard. Yes we have high principles but ultimately we are just one of many and we had to negotiate from the position that of course we find ourselves in. I believe that they know in their heart of hearts that if they were given the same opportunity to negotiate with 12 other countries they would have landed the same deal and in fact I am sure David Parker that I have heard you say that. So it is absolute nonsense that they now have to swallow their history and their involvement with free trade and be part of a caucus that says: “No we’re not part of the world. We’re not part of the largest trading bloc in the world. We’re going to oppose it.” It is absolute nonsense and they know in their heart of hearts these few good men that this actually has a whole lot of value for New Zealand. The truth of this is that this delivers—particularly the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement; worth $2.7 billion with tariff savings of $259 million and that is all on the assumption that we do not sell any more and that the price we sell at in those markets does not improve. They know the truth of this deal. The problem with that side of the House is that they just cannot handle the truth and they cannot take that argument and win it in their caucus and it is a disgrace bearing in mind their 20 years of free-trade pedigree.In our town in Tauranga and in the Bay of Plenty we know the value of this deal. When we can talk to the kiwifruit industry we are talking about $14000 per orchardist—$14000. Yes New Zealand First you can smile; it is a lot of money. And these are direct benefits to the kiwifruit industry to New Zealand and particularly to the Bay of Plenty. That continues to drive one of the most extraordinary growth stories that is occurring in this country in my area. There have been 4700 more jobs created in the last 12 months—up 138 percent. It is the fastest-growing region in New Zealand and I am absolutely proud to be part of a Government that puts real issues on the table grows the economy from that base and sends decent investment to people who need it. That is leadership and the nonsense we have had to put up with for the last 2 hours from the Opposition members will condemn them to stay there for the next 10 years.