Cosgrove Clayton: Tariff (New Zealand - Thailand Closer Economic Partnership) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
Cosgrove Clayton: Tariff (New Zealand - Thailand Closer Economic Partnership) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:626;Page:21385] 
CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour—Waimakariri) 
: 
 I have said a number of times about that member—and I think it is true today—that he makes very angry and sour speeches. I can recall before I became a member but when I worked in this place when international trade issues were generally—on both sides actually regardless of who was in Opposition and who was in Government—treated in a non-partisan way. I have to say that that was a slightly over-the-top sour speech. I suppose it is no wonder given that it was made by a member who will soon become the former trade spokesperson for the National Party when a certain individual Mr Tim Groser enters this place on the Opposition benches. 
We are looking at the Tariff (New Zealand - Thailand Closer Economic Partnership) Bill 2005. If we look at it in the context of this Government’s track record we note that it is interesting that this Government has a superb track record in negotiating deals to the benefit of this country. [ 
Interruption 
] Hold on! Help is on the way. I am coming to it—taihoa. It seems that somebody over there—Mr Carter—is having a bad hair day. This Thailand agreement is projected to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to this country. I would have thought that that would be a non-partisan unarguable issue for both sides of the House. 
Let us look at this Government’s track record in respect of trade and let us look at the Singapore agreement that has been implemented. I was reliably advised before I came into this place that the then National Government spent an inordinate amount of time negotiating an agreement with Singapore. That is fair enough—good stuff. But I am advised that in reality all the goods involved in that agreement were free of tariffs anyway apart from I am told beer. Beer was the only sticking point that National—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon Mark Burton 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The member opposite made a very unparliamentary comment and he should withdraw and apologise. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I apologise. I was sneezing at the time and missed it so would the member please withdraw and apologise. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It is very difficult in this Parliament to encourage members to tell the truth to the House. I know that you will say that there are mechanisms for doing it and that it is not a point of order to raise this but I have just demonstrated the dilemma. It will go into the record of the House that Mr Cosgrove said that National took a long time to negotiate the closer economic partnership agreement with Singapore. In fact the record will show that it was done in record time—it was done in just a few months. That is the dilemma. When members are careless with the truth there is no way—unless we go through all the rigmarole of personal statements—to bring them back. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The member is right; that was not a point of order. But perhaps it is a matter that the next speaker for National could clarify for the record. I remind members to stick to the bill. 
CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I am obliged that you were sneezing Madam Speaker and not yawning during my speech. 
I come back to the bill and the track record of this Government. The point I was making in respect of Singapore is that I am advised that beer was the only product that could not enter Singapore duty-free. National got hung up and stuck on that—and it took this Government to complete that deal which we have done. We have also entered into the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations between Chile Singapore Brunei and ourselves. We are in negotiations now with China Malaysia and the whole of ASEAN. So I would have thought that if we rack up the report card between Labour and National in respect of our history in trade negotiations we beat them hands down. I invite the next speaker for the National Party in addressing this bill to point to National’s achievements in respect of trade negotiations in 9 long years of Government. If we go back from there we hit my predecessor Mike Moore. His track record in the 1980s stands for itself in respect of trade. 
What does the New Zealand - Thailand agreement do? It opens up yet again hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business opportunities for our people and our businesses. I say to the National members that I would have thought they would agree that this agreement is something we can celebrate. I would have thought they could get beyond politics and not have a sour derogatory and very negative attitude. I think that our diplomatic people who are beyond politics most New Zealanders and most New Zealand businesses are gratified for any sort of free-trade agreement whichever party it comes from because they want to grow their businesses and they want further opportunities. The deal with Thailand will give them those further opportunities. 
It is a little bit rich for National members to stand up and bag an agreement when they belong to a party whose history is one of incompetence and the incompletion of international free-trade agreements. The member mentioned the issue of apples. I recall that National was in Government for nigh on a decade and the question is: what did it do? Well those members have seen some action from us on that issue. I invite National members to revisit their track record in respect of trade negotiations. I am told that the member who spoke before was great at turning up at meetings. Whether he ever got to the green room I do not know. We know that now he will not for two reasons: first he is in Opposition; and second Mr Groser will have his job—and I wonder why Don Brash stabbed the member in the back. 
I ask the member and the next speaker from the National Party to show a little faith and a little bipartisanship and to celebrate what is for New Zealand business for New Zealand jobs and for Kiwis rich and poor old and young and in work and out of work a great opportunity to take advantage of yet another huge market in Asia—a huge market in the world—where we can push our products and services first and earn money for this country. It is a good agreement. I commend the Minister for his work. Let us just get on with it.