Prebble Richard: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Prebble Richard: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:607;Page:4329] 
6.  
Hon RICHARD PREBBLE (Leader—ACT NZ) 
 to the  
Minister for Trade Negotiations 
: In light of the Prime Minister’s statement to Parliament on 11 February this year “we have stepped up our promotion of free-trade negotiations with the United States following the positive reference to New Zealand in the US Trade Representative’s letter to Congress on his intention to negotiate with Australia” what progress has been made on a bilateral free-trade deal with the United States? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Acting Minister for Trade Negotiations) 
: 
 The Government has made sound progress in laying the foundation for a trade deal with the United States. In his letter to Congress in relation to the Australian free-trade agreement the United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick indicated that he would consult with Congress on the possibility of a similar agreement with New Zealand. Since that time such an agreement has received considerable support within Congress and also from the United States business sector. Jim Sutton and our embassy in Washington are working actively and effectively to build on that support. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Will the Minister advise the Prime Minister that US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick’s 2003 trade policy agenda published on 1 March this year—a 17-page report—lists some 26 countries as having trade negotiations with the United States and includes the statement that a free-trade agreement has been launched with “Australia our 14th largest trading partner and a growing economy a key US ally” but there is no mention of New Zealand anywhere in the 17-page report; what is the significance of that—that is the US will negotiate with 26 nations but there is not a single mention of New Zealand? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: As I mentioned to the member Bob Zoellick made mention about the possibility of a trade agreement with New Zealand in his letter to Congress. The United States has a long list of negotiating partners and the member would be surprised to find that a very small number of those are actually in the category of countries that he would regard as being there because of close allied or security arrangements with the United States. 
David Benson-Pope 
: Can the Minister comment on the level of congressional and business support for entering a free-trade agreement with New Zealand? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: Last month 50 members of Congress in the House of Representatives wrote formally to the President to demonstrate their support for a free-trade agreement with New Zealand. Over 250 US companies including many Fortune 500 companies have also signed up to the United States - New Zealand Business Council indicating their support for a free-trade agreement with New Zealand. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Can the Minister confirm that the trade agenda of the administration of President Bush dated 3 March in reference to Australia refers extensively to the free-trade agreement and the negotiations and talks about the allied status but when it comes to New Zealand there is not a single mention of any reference to free-trade agreements; what does that say about the difference between November last year and March this year—where has the Government gone wrong? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The first two questions can be answered. 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: If I can pick up the point about the relevance of New Zealand’s allied status I note that two countries with which the United States either has a free-trade agreement or is negotiating one right now are both members of the Security Council—Chile and Mexico—and both indicated their opposition to the use of force and to a resolution supporting that before the Security Council. I note that Canada which has a free-trade agreement with the United States has consistently held a position very close to that of New Zealand with regard to Iraq. I note a range of other countries including Morocco that have never been allied nations of the United States and never fought alongside it in any war. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Is it not a fact that the slogan used by the Labour Party in its last election campaign that we are “very very very good friends with the United States” and the Prime Minister’s argument that we will tailgate Australia into a free-trade agreement are so much hogwash when considered against the knowledge of the United States in respect of this Government—which goes back many years—and if Morocco gets a free-trade agreement before us what does that say about this Minister and his party? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: In relation to the actual question the answer is no it is not a fact. The member often raises things in his questions that are not correct. The fact of the matter was that it was Colin Powell who described New Zealand as “a very very very close friend”. That was the description used by the United States about New Zealand; it was not a claim made by New Zealand about its partnership with the United States. 
Rod Donald 
: Does the Minister agree that if New Zealand wants to have an independent foreign policy the Government should put a US free-trade agreement on the back-burner especially in the light of the comments from the President of the Cattle Council of Australia Keith Adams who said that the Howard Government’s strong support for the US against Iraq is helping Australia’s efforts in its trade talks thus confirming that the United States does link foreign policy and trade issues? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: No I do not agree. One can have both an independent foreign policy and a free-trade agreement with the United States. I strongly disagree with the sort of comment Lockwood Smith made when he said we should exchange putting the lives of New Zealanders at some risk for some trade advantage. I believe that is immoral and I am pleased to say that the Leader of the Opposition—to whom I pay tribute—disciplined the members of his party who made those sorts of immoral suggestions. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: What is the next step that will be taken in furthering a prospective free-trade agreement with the United States and when will that step be taken? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: The advice given by Bob Zoellick was that we need to work amongst the congressmen on Capitol Hill that we need to work with business and that we need to create a constituency for ourselves. We are doing just that at this very moment with considerable support shown by those whom we have approached on the hill including key chairpersons of congressional committees and by key US industries. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I seek leave to table the 2003 Trade Policy Agenda of the United States. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.