Bennett David: Tariff (AANZFTA) Amendment Bill Customs and Excise (AANZFTA) Amendment Bill — Third Readings 
Bennett David: Tariff (AANZFTA) Amendment Bill Customs and Excise (AANZFTA) Amendment Bill — Third Readings 
[Volume:655;Page:4942] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 It gives us great pleasure to talk about the Tariff (AANZFTA) Amendment Bill and the Customs and Excise (AANZFTA) Amendment Bill this afternoon. This legislation relates to something that will be of benefit to New Zealand for a long time in the future as our country develops and as the economies of the world and our region change to take into account the growing economic importance of the Asia-Pacific region. 
Many New Zealanders will look back on this legislation in a few years’ time and say that it was very important for the future of our country. Essentially New Zealand is becoming part of a host of free-trading countries in a very important bloc that will dominate world trade in the next generation or so and will be of great advantage to New Zealand which is a primary-producing economy and therefore able to fit neatly within the manufacturing economies that make up the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area. 
This legislation is important when we consider that New Zealand is a young country finding its place in the world of economic development and that the other countries represented in this bloc of trading partners are also young countries finding their feet. It represents a commonality not only of economic interest but also of political and geographical interest because New Zealand shares many common denominators with other countries in this group. Not only do we rely on this group to be an important factor in global and regional security we also rely on this group as our friends and neighbours when it comes to advocating on a world stage. So there are a lot of advantages in New Zealand’s going into this economic combination with these other countries. This bill makes New Zealand’s domestic legislation of a nature that allows us to proceed and be successful. 
When we look at the ASEAN countries—that is the countries of the Association of South-east Asian Nations—we see that they represent a very big and growing percentage of our exports. New Zealand exports to this region have increased by 121 percent since the year 2000. This legislation is a starting point and a very successful starting point for our economy. Imports over this period of time have also increased reflecting the trade advantage that these countries have with the New Zealand economy. Within the area we see a market of more than 566 million people and this accounts for more than $1.4 billion of global trade. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Put some passion into it! At least look excited. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: The members of the Labour Party are not excited about this legislation. They do not see the economic gains for New Zealand whereas the National Government does. We see that there is a huge gain to be made. Represented in the association are countries that have a common interest with us and we have many common backgrounds in the sense of having a historical link with many of these countries as well. 
This legislation is part of the free-trade mantra that is important for New Zealand as we look at getting out of this economic recession. If we do not have trade with other countries we cannot grow the productive side of the New Zealand economy. That was lacking under the previous Government which did not grow the productive side of this economy. The tradable side of the New Zealand economy did not grow under the Labour Government and that was not in the best interests of New Zealanders. But this legislation is in the best interests of New Zealanders. We will grow the productive side of the New Zealand economy. That is part of the process we are engaging in through this legislation. 
I think it is important that we recognise the long-term benefits for the New Zealand economy of this trading agreement. We need to ensure that the New Zealand legislature is of sufficient support to enable this agreement to proceed. That is what we are looking at in this legislation today; we support the legislation fully. We look forward to the House passing it in the best interests of the New Zealand economy going forward.