Wagner NickyHon NICKY WAGNER (National): Thank you very much Mr Assistant Speaker. I too take great pleasure in speaking on the Tariff (PACER Plus) Amendment Bill at its third reading. I'm really pleased to see that this trade bill is finally coming to the House because it's been a long time in the making. The original concept for this bill was part of a previous trade agreement back as early as the 1980s. In 2001 the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations was signed and negotiations began in 2009 and were finally concluded in 2017. This bill is significant and it's all about creating jobs and wealth right across the Pacific region. It's about making it easier for countries in the region to trade together and it aims to make trade transactions across borders easier and to attract investment. I too like the Hon Tim Macindoe have been a Minister of Customs and the New Zealand Customs Service was working on this bill when I was a Minister. They were deeply involved particularly in the transactions across borders and so it's pleasing to see their work coming to fruition.The bill is designed to lower barriers for trade and to provide greater certainty for New Zealand businesses on one hand and on the other hand to try and help raise living standards through creating jobs through increasing exports and stimulating investment in Pacific Island nations. These are Pacific Island nations who want to trade to improve their quality of life and their standard of living. These are Pacific Island nations who are aspirational for their communities and who want to move beyond being mere subsistence economies. It's important to New Zealanders because of course the Pacific Islands are our closest neighbours and we have strong personal ties there. And of course it's equally as important to those Pacific people who live in the Pacific Islands. I think we all in this House across the nation and across the Pacific understand the value of a prosperous and a sustainable Pacific region and that is the underlying purpose of this bill. The agreement sets a common range of trading rules covering goods services and investment and it will also support economic development and growth. It will reduce tariffs it will reduce red tape for exporters and investors and it really will increase the attractiveness of the region for trade.But it is of special benefit to Pacific people because this agreement is a little bit different from a normal standard free-trade agreement. It has specific and actually significant development components. The first is a $25 million fund provided by Australia and New Zealand to help build the capacity of forum islands—things like their customs services their biosecurity management—and to promote their exports and investment. The second is an agreement by New Zealand to commit to spending 20 percent of the total Official Development Assistance—trade for aid—in the Pacific Islands for the first five years after this comes into force and that could be up to $340 million. In addition there is a stand-alone labour mobility arrangement. This is about helping Pacific workers access temporary work and employment in industries in New Zealand and Australia—places where we have labour shortages; places where they can increase their skills where they can be involved in New Zealand and Australia. They can get qualifications and they can take that funding back to their homes.It's an important piece of legislation in terms of lowering barriers to trade supporting New Zealand businesses and it is also about supporting Pacific people and raising their standards of living. I commend this bill to the House.