O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): Sorry I was anticipating more wild enthusiasm to come from the Labour Party who has finally kicked in behind free-trade agreements now in Government which is a tremendous tremendous thing. So I'm very pleased as the chair of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee to speak in support of this Tariff (PACER Plus) Amendment Bill. I might start with the basics and develop from there. I will though be speaking in a sense with two hats on—both I suppose my political hat as a National MP and as the chair. Look PACER stands for the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations but importantly we heard from the member who just sat down Todd McClay that this agreement is fairly unique in so far as it is also about development. I might just say to acknowledge the Minister who has taken this through for the work that he has done and to acknowledge Todd McClay who is also in the House for the work that he did leading the majority of this work. I think this free-trade agreement is a good example of where cross-party cooperation works best and I'm particularly relieved to see that that bipartisan—at least Labour-National—approach has returned to free trade. It's how we as New Zealand are going to continue to grow and become wealthy and it's also I believe how we're going to continue that I suppose multilateral approach towards peace security and stability across the world because it's actually through trade that we end up having conversations and dialogue. I can think just in recent months—with the chairmanship hat on—of the number of groups that come in that you sit down and have meetings with often around trade that turn into much wider wider discussions. I will touch briefly on the disappointment that one party in the House is not supporting this. Obviously it's their prerogative—we are a democracy after all—though I am disappointed. As I say this is an agreement where currently 11 countries are signed up and for the interests perhaps of the House that obviously includes New Zealand Australia Kiribati Nauru—which is obviously very topical at the moment—Niue Samoa the Solomons Tonga Tuvalu and of course Vanuatu. Three other countries at this point in time have not agreed to sign up: Papua New Guinea the Federated States of Micronesia and Fiji. Like Todd McClay I would certainly encourage—as far one country can to another—them to consider signing up. I'm optimistic that we may find agreement with—or rather that Papua New Guinea may find its way forward. The Federated States—I suppose the nature of being a federation adds complexity. Fiji—having lived there for a while—is a wonderful country and set of islands but there's a political complexity that occurs there probably more internally than externally but it's having an effect here. Look the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee well considered this treaty and then the bill to make this come into effect. As I've noted before and it was actually topical today the committee's also been looking at the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). What we're doing here today is bringing about the small but significant piece of domestic legislation to make the larger treaty take effect within New Zealand. Treaties are the prerogative of the executive. Ministers and their teams—their officials—negotiate said treaty; they present it to the House; we go through it have a good look over it make sure we listen hear and report back on what the public say; and then once we're though that part of the process rightly we put a bill before the Parliament. The second thing I'd say is acknowledging actually the members of the select committee and those officials who worked on it. Why I want to do that—if I could start with the officials—is they brought great expertise. I'd like once again to put on the record my thanks to them particularly those within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their expertise and professionalism. But also what was evident was their commitment not only to the Realm of New Zealand but also to the good of their neighbours in the Pacific Islands. But can I thank members of the committee too. We were very conscious that we wanted to get this bill through the Parliament relatively quickly. When I say it was an expedited process we didn't leave any stones unturned. We heard all that we needed to hear from all those who wished to be heard but the committee was keen to make sure that no other obstacles were put in the way and the fact that there was the opportunity therefore in this sitting block for the bill to pass—most likely without presuming the final result—is a positive thing. I'd say that New Zealand is often very keen on in a sense trading statements. In other words we want to be one of the first parties to sign to send a very strong signal about our enthusiasm to those that we're trading with. That's obviously something in mind around the TPP. I know that New Zealand is keen to be an early signatory in that and it's no different—in fact it may be even more so—when we are dealing with PACER-Plus; that New Zealand probably along with Australia are the two major players and want to show their commitment by having this bill done early. Of course the treaty has been ratified—that's already been done—but actually the signing of this legislation helps us progress forward.Look really importantly this is more than simply about free trade and the removal of customs and duties and other non-tariff barriers; it's also about a redirection of New Zealand and Australian aid—I think about $55 million into the Pacific to help our Pacific friends and neighbours develop not just their economies but the systems in the background in order to allow that economy to work efficiently particularly in the trade space. So a very simple example is working with the likes of say Vanuatu the Solomons or the Cook Islands to help them with their customs brokering systems so that they benefit from a more efficient system. That makes a lot of sense to me and the great thing is it makes a lot of sense to them as well because they're happily signing up to this agreement. Over time I think we will see it—obviously that initial relationship where we are helping them—becoming far more organic. In other words as their economies grow become stronger and develop they'll be able to trade more with us which is absolutely fantastic. We'll be pleased about that but similarly we'll be able to trade more with them. So I think it's probably important to say—because I think it's true—this is not a purely altruistic treaty or bill. I suppose no trade agreement ever is out of pure altruism but there is an altruistic element to this: that New Zealand and Australia are keen to focus their trade to focus their aid to help our neighbours develop and that's a really positive thing for the region.One of the other elements—look it's obviously like anything and is a fairly comprehensive agreement—is there's a lot of work around labour exchange. New Zealand obviously depends on skilled workers coming in at set times of the year. One just thinks of the wine industry—for example we get a large number of people actually from Vanuatu who come over. It's a great opportunity to practise one's French or in my case to practise French and become quite embarrassed. But it's an opportunity to continue those positive relationships and the PACER-Plus agreement allows an easier movement of the nationals from across these 11 countries that are coming on board to flit through New Zealand. As I said earlier I'm a little disappointed that the Greens are not supporting this. As always I reiterate it's their prerogative to do so. They are concerned according to their minority view that it may undermine efforts to promote Pacific regionalism and that it's going to create problems like aid for trade and burdens for States. I don't agree with that. I think the opposite is true actually: by New Zealand and Australia strongly committing through its trade and aid to our Pacific neighbours we are affirming that we want to be part of the region. But importantly we want to take a regional role. Not all countries are in a sense the same or completely equal. We are a larger economy we have a larger population and I would argue we have a larger moral duty to work help and trade with those nations.I think we've seen not so much a reset of Pacific aid—the amount of money that New Zealand puts into the Pacific is substantial—it's been certainly a reset of nomenclature: a reset in name; a branding exercise. New Zealand's existing aid to the Pacific is large. I think that's been well noted particularly as other countries try to expand their influence into the Pacific. I think it's particularly good that New Zealand continues to stand up along with Australia and other allies to support those in the Pacific there.It's an excellent agreement. Again my thanks go to the Ministers including of course Todd McClay who worked particularly hard to get this agreement to where it is and to Minister Parker who has brought it through to the end and to all those on the committee and all the officials—in particular those who negotiated this treaty. We're almost at the end. I look forward to it being finally conclude and commend it to the House.