11. Trans-Pacific Partnership—ProspectsRt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Prime MinisterTrans-Pacific Partnership—Prospects11. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements; if so how?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes; and on this occasion by asking the Minister for Economic Development to answer on his behalf. Rt Hon Winston Peters: If the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPPA) was in his words definitely possible" less than 2 weeks ago will he now admit how sad it is that so much that he has endorsed lately—from the flag referendum to the "Stay" campaign in the UK to the Clinton campaign—keeps turning to custard?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: What was the question?Mr SPEAKER: Yes I could not gather the question either so can we have a repeat please. [Interruption] Order! I will give the member one more go at trying to get a question in.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If the TPPA was in his words "definitely possible" less than 2 weeks ago and close to zero this morning will he now admit how sad it is that so much that he has endorsed lately—from the flag referendum to the "Stay" campaign in the UK to the Clinton campaign—keeps turning to custard?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The things the Prime Minister cares about are the fact that New Zealand is growing at 3.5 percent a year the fact that we have added as a country 35000 jobs in the last quarter alone and 350000 jobs since the height of the global financial crisis and the fact that in the last year wages grew on average at 1.9 percent while inflation grew at only 0.4 percent. The member may like to revel in his ability as a prognosticator but even a broken clock is right twice a day.Hon David Parker: Does he stand by his statements that the TPP is critically important to the future of the New Zealand economy and given that that is not now proceeding does he admit that there is a major hole in his economic plan for the country? Hon STEVEN JOYCE: In terms of trade generally yes this Government is in favour—it remains in favour—of TPP—Dr David Clark: Answer the question.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I will answer the question for you you clown—clown over there; "Mr Clown". The reality of it is—[Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: Order! We got that response because of the interjection which in itself is not helpful to the order of the House. Now the answer is being given so members should listen to the answer without the boorish behaviour. Hon STEVEN JOYCE: As I was saying yes this Government remains in favour of free trade because of the benefit it brings New Zealand exporters in giving them the opportunity to sell their goods to countries around the world.Hon Member: Blah blah blah!Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The Opposition members may say "Blah blah blah" and every time they say that their vote decreases in regional New Zealand. Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not believe that the Minister addressed the question and that was what was causing the disturbance. It was a very specific—Mr SPEAKER: Order! We do not need any more assistance. Go back and look at the Hansard when it comes out later on. There is absolutely no doubt that the Minister addressed what he thought was critical to New Zealand's trade opportunity. If the member took less time clapping and more time listening he might have heard the answer.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given that the Prime Minister said this morning that in his words the "$5 billion Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement" referred to by Trump as a "horrible trade agreement" was not going ahead in the short term why did the Government spend well over $5 million of taxpayers' money on the TPPA to achieve a metaphor for his Government—absolutely nothing?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I am intrigued as to why the member does not back New Zealand exporters. I am intrigued as to why he comes here supposedly from the Northland electorate and does not back Northland exporters. Actually it is in New Zealand's interest to develop trade deals and actually not everybody agrees with us internationally all the time but you would think that the member would actually be in favour of New Zealand exporters and in favour of hard-working Kiwi mums and dads and not against them—but then he is a 40-year political insider. [Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: Order! Does the member have further supplementary questions?Rt Hon Winston Peters: I most certainly—Mr SPEAKER: Then we will have them.Rt Hon Winston Peters: When exports are down 12 percent—Hon STEVEN JOYCE: No they're not—wrong.Rt Hon Winston Peters: —yes they are—and when manufacturing is down under 30 percent heading towards 26 percent under National and New Zealand First said earlier this year that he was acting like a card shark believing he has all the aces—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I need a supplementary question—I need a question. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Mr Speaker there is so much noise that I cannot hear myself talk.Mr SPEAKER: Well the problem might be that we have got a very long lead-in to a supplementary question. They must be more concise. So if the member stands and delivers a question—[Interruption] Order! The interjections coming from my right are not helpful. Can we have a supplementary question please.Rt Hon Winston Peters: With exports down and manufacturing down and the TPP agreement having him acting like a card shark—thinking that he has got all the aces and he does not and that is what we said at the beginning of the year—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I want the question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: —can I ask him seeing as you want the question why did you not listen to us?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: He is wrong about exports; they are up. He is wrong about manufacturing; that is up. The Prime Minister is more than willing to back exporters so exports are up. Manufacturing is up. This Government backs exporters and that is probably why we do not listen to the member.Rt Hon Winston Peters: In light of the TPPA collapsing and Washington being more likely to seek a rapprochement with Russia now when will his Government resume from its self-imposed exile and talk about the New Zealand - Russia free-trade agreement (FTA) which would really boost our dairy and meat exports—and Mr Bennett being in love with the Russians would love it as well?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: This Government has shown through trade agreements such as the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement through the Korean FTA and through the way that we have bedded in and ensured the benefits of the China FTA that we have worked on trade agreements around the world. This Government is very much pro - free trade. It is the member opposite who has the approach of being the shark of being the person who does not actually back trade agreements and of course also the badger.Hon David Parker: In respect of the free-trade agreements he says he wants to pursue in the place of the TPP will he undertake to protect the right of future Governments to ban overseas buyers of our farmland and houses—a right that he sold down the drain under the TPP?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I know that Mr Parker is angry but actually his supposition in his question is wrong.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If Ambassador Tim Groser a Finlayson-like self-appointed expert has been the leading architect of the disaster that is the TPPA and is to face a hostile White House what on earth is he doing still parked up there?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I would say the biggest self-appointed expert in this Parliament is Mr Peters."