Patterson MarkMARK PATTERSON (NZ First): It's a pleasure to rise on behalf of New Zealand First and endorse and support this Tariff (Pacer Plus) Amendment Bill essentially of course enabling legislation the technical details to allow the groundwork for the adoption of this trade deal—this Pacific trade deal. Of course in doing so we are embracing—it embodies the very principles of the Pacific reset that this Government has embarked upon under foreign Minister Peters. I also acknowledge defence Minister Mark here as well who has been pretty active in pushing New Zealand's geopolitical interests in this space.This is a mutually beneficial deal and of course as we've heard there're 11 nations that are represented so far within this pending agreement. We have these three nations that are outstanding so far and we do hope that Papua New Guinea Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia will see the merit in joining later because there is genuine interest I think on our behalf and from the Australians and the other members of this deal to make this an all-encompassing all-embracing trade deal. It lowers the barriers to trade and there is a focus—as has been said—on development.One of the issues of course that's very topical at the moment in New Zealand is biosecurity and I do note the emphasis on biosecurity within this bill—the $7.7 million over two years that New Zealand is putting in to help support the development of customs services in the Pacific and customs training. There're things also like helping to expand the trade under that scheme through online portals helping to make the products from Pacific Island nations more accessible here in New Zealand. There are efforts to lift the domestic productivity of Pacific Island nations to offset some of the difficulties they may have. They're also opening their borders to our products and so we are recognising that that is a legitimate concern for them and we're helping them work their way through that process.There's also the $25.5 million over five years for a development fund. So as we can see this is a deal where New Zealand is looking to help develop. It's not just a straight trade deal. It's not just a straight monetary exchange and I think we've found ourselves on the other foot actually. In most of these deals that we're negotiating we are the smaller economy within the deal so we kind of know what it looks like from their end I guess and we're looking to bring that experience into helping make this a really top-notch trade deal for the Pacific. It does advance economic union and it will grow prosperity for all.I note in the submitters' comments in the select committee that there was some concern about promoting gender equality—for example making sure that women benefited from this deal as much as men. This is sort the of theme of this deal. It's not just an economic exchange that we are looking to develop with our smaller Pacific neighbours. This is a generous agreement and New Zealand has offered these concessionary terms over and above what we would normally do in the normal course of a trade deal. It does go with the theme that we like to see ourselves as good international citizens and certainly in this deal we are doing that.It is the catalyst I guess for wider international involvement by New Zealand. Just recently we have had $10 million going into Pacific broadcasting including seeking to establish a Pacific Island TV channel. The Australians—the Australian Broadcasting Corporation—have pulled out of the Pacific and we are elevating our interests in this area.I noted actually in a recent Q+A interview that the US Ambassador Scott Brown was lauding New Zealand and this Pacific reset and the leadership we are showing. He pointed out that in doing so there's a leveraging effect. We have dragged the Australians back into the Pacific. We have got the focus of the UK back into the Pacific and there are those three embassies that they are looking at opening in the Pacific which is great news. He did acknowledge our growing leadership role here and we need to have that.There are wider geopolitical forces at play and the emergence of some big superpower interests in the Pacific strategically—Minister Mark mentioned China specifically in his defence report and this Government is being open about those things. We do know that the Chinese have looked to leverage their influence in the Pacific and they're spending a lot of money up there. So we just can't afford to sit back and expect those old loyalties to play out. We actually have to be proactive in this space and this bill and this legislation allows us to do that.Our trade with the wider Pacific is actually $1.3 billion per annum in the latest figures I have which go back to 2013. We import $100 million worth of direct imports but Australia and New Zealand are also 30 percent of the exports for the Pacific nations so we are an incredibly important source economically for them. There's $41 million of remittances that go back from the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme that Minister Damien O'Connor just referenced before and what a valuable scheme that is to our primary industries. Of course we are also the largest source of tourists going into the Pacific for holidays so we are hugely interconnected.However we're not only neighbours; there is a huge contribution that Pasifika people make to New Zealand—300000 people of Pacific Island origin make New Zealand home and what contributors they are. I believe that in this Parliament there are seven MPs that give Pacific heritage as their primary background and that probably understates it. I know that it wouldn't be widely known but my colleague Darroch Ball actually has Tongan and Kiribati heritage so I'm sure that influence is far greater than that.Of course I don't want to be too clichéd about this but the incredible contribution to New Zealand sport that the Pasifika community play—you know some of the absolute greats. Actually they are not only New Zealand greats but international greats: the Jonah Lomus; the Adams siblings Dame Valerie and Steven; the great Michael Jones—you know I could go on with that list. So the Pacific community make an incredible contribution to our society.I would like to conclude by saying that this is a modern free-trade agreement and it does focus on social issues. The female influence and looking to grow female equality—that sort of thing is part of this bill and I think this is a modern trade deal. That's why New Zealand First are behind it. This is not about big corporations playing off against each other. This improves business. It improves our geopolitical position. It is the right thing to do morally given our history in this area and the huge influence that the Pasifika community have made here.So without further ado I'd like to commend this bill to the House. I'd like to congratulate the Ministers that have been involved in bringing this forward—the former Minister the Hon Todd McClay and the current Minister the Hon David Parker—for their shepherding of this bill through which will be hugely positive for New Zealand and for our region. So New Zealand First has absolute pleasure in commending this bill to the House. Thank you.