O'Connor DamienHon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Associate Minister for Trade and Export Growth): Thank you very much Mr Assistant Speaker. It's an honour to follow my colleague the Hon David Parker who as Minister has introduced this bill and the previous speaker Simon O'Connor who sits on the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee to acknowledge a lot of the good work and the intent of this.It's very timely. We have just embarked upon a programme around the country of trade for all talking to New Zealanders and explaining to them the benefits of trade. One might have thought that that was rather obvious but actually for an increasing number of people who are not directly involved in trade—they live their busy lives in New Zealand—they don't appreciate that we export the vast majority of that which we produce and we open the doors to goods from all around the world and in particular from Pacific nations. They are our closest and dearest friends in many many ways.We've been the beneficiaries I guess—and I hate to say it this way—of the trade in people where good people from the Pacific Islands have come to New Zealand and have helped us build an economy. The least we can do is then take goods from those countries and help them build capability within their own island nations. Indeed we've had an agreement in place: SPARTECA the South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement. It's been in place but this is an upgrade of that. I acknowledge the previous Minister Todd McClay who signed this off and the Government in working through the process to arrive at an agreement. From my perspective I guess as Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth I'm very happy to endorse that good work and ensure that we carry on with not only convincing New Zealanders but actually convincing the world of the value and benefits of trade for all ensuring that benefits flow right through.Some of the issues in relation to trade that are of concern are biosecurity in particular and we do have some risks in trade with Pacific nations. What this agreement does is not in any way diminish or undermine the biosecurity requirements that we have in place and there are some issues that we've got to try and avoid around fruit fly from some of the Pacific nations. What we will do of course is assist them and through the I guess increase in the overseas development aid that Minister Peters announced in the last Budget we will have more money to assist the nations to build their capability to have in place the best customs and biosecurity systems so that in building their trade with our country we don't put ourselves at risk from in some areas simple lack of capacity. And that's why as a Government we're not just taking a one-dimensional approach to this; our approach to the Pacific nations is not just opening the door for trade but building capability and of course encouraging some collaboration.There are 11 members who have signed this agreement—two major players outside the agreement. And we'd welcome and I'm sure that all the members would welcome both Fiji or Papua New Guinea coming into that at any stage. That would add further strength to what is truly a Pacific bloc and trade agreement. I say that we have a real interest in a stable and prosperous Pacific. There is a lot of interest in that area at the moment from nations who understand I guess the sea and marine life. The marine resources of those nations are quite significant collectively and that's why they are of interest to traditionally over the years the French and then the wider European nations the US and now more recently China. But all the way through that New Zealand has been and we must be a friendly neighbour and someone who can assist them to move themselves into what is a challenging world of not only climate change but disruption in world markets and this agreement is a good step down the path to stronger relationships with our Pacific neighbours and building the capability limited as it is in many places to develop industries that will I guess allow them to export to the world.There are technical issues that will be adjusted like the rules of origin that will enable them to I guess better source their products to develop products that might be from a number of their nations and that will then provide access into both Australia and New Zealand. And that's off the back of I guess the SPARTECA which did have that open entry into our two countries. This just provides some more flexibility in that area. I think the objective is of course to go beyond commodities and create higher value-added products and I have to say that not only is it in importing products but actually we have to do the same with ours on the way out. So we'll be sharing knowledge and how we build better value from everything that we do and I think we have some experience but so too there is some wisdom within the Pacific nations that we should take on board as we move forward.I won't talk for too much longer other than to say that as a Government we are very very proud and happy to bring this piece of legislation into the House as a step to assist our Pacific neighbours and repay them I guess in some ways for the wonderful contribution that they have brought to New Zealand by way of people their culture their manual labour sometimes their intellect and their creativity. That's helped us and now this piece of legislation is our turn to repay that debt and to assist in the development of a trade agreement that is an evolution as I said of SPARTECA and is one that we I think should be very very proud of. I'm sure that the Minister of Foreign Affairs will be happy to assist them with their capability building through the additional money that has been provided by this Government in the Budget. This is trade for all a benefit for all and something that we as a nation are very proud to promote.Debate interrupted.The House adjourned at 10 p.m.