te Heuheu Georgina: New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement Bill — In Committee 
te Heuheu Georgina: New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:648;Page:17379] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 I am very pleased to take a call during this part of the debate and to follow my colleagues and confirm categorically—obviously—that National supports the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement Bill and why would we not? It is the only way our country will move forward. It is the only way we will grow our economy. It is the only way we will trade our way in the world. We live in a global economy and a global economy means free trade. Free trade as my colleague said is also fair trade because both parties find their areas of comparative advantage in any event and that is one of the things that this free-trade agreement is all about. 
This afternoon I raised the issue of Maori business. Clearly this free-trade agreement is a landmark event for the growing Maori economy. That economy as we have seen has developed rather slowly over the two previous decades but it is now reaching its zenith. Given the many assets that have been returned to Maori in Treaty of Waitangi settlements—fish land and areas in terms of the farming enterprises being developed—it is critical since a lot of Maori businesses are export focused that we are able to trade with an economy that is becoming the biggest economy in the world. 
This afternoon I put out a quote from Hui Taumata 2005. They saw that the best way for Maori development to improve domestically and internationally is through economic growth through trade with the rest of the world. My colleague Dr Mapp said that our future is with trade. Well if our past has been with trade which it has been—the ability to trade with the world—our future most definitely is. It is a disappointment to me that members of the Maori Party should see no overall benefit in this free-trade agreement particularly when they are so focused on Treaty settlements and on the return of assets to Maori. As I said those assets are in forestry fisheries and land assets. 
My question to Maori Party members—and I hope they take a call this evening—would be: “What are we going to do once all those assets are returned?” Will we sit on them in our little valleys and do nothing? We will trade with ourselves and do business with ourselves? Where would that get us? It is a nonsense—an absolute nonsense. If we think about the other side of the equation about jobs for our people we see that this agreement is a guarantee of jobs for our people. It gives us the ability to trade to create wealth with our assets to take care of iwi and ordinary individuals and to make sure that their future is guaranteed. It is not guaranteed by sitting in one’s valley with one’s assets and not doing anything with them. Do we achieve anything by sitting on our hands? No; I cannot figure that one out. 
As I said I would be interested to hear from members of the Maori Party about that. Perhaps Te Ururoa Flavell might take a call this evening help me with my predicament and tell me why the Maori he seems to represent would not see this free-trade agreement as a historic agreement that will be a landmark in Maori development. I am very proud to be part of the National Party which supports the Government in what it has done. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Let’s not get too carried away. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: Maybe my colleague Dr Wayne Mapp gave the Government more praise than he should have. 
Our team was led by my colleague Tim Groser who set out admirably exactly why this free-trade agreement is so important to New Zealand. I endorse everything he said. He ought to know; he has worked in this area for—what; 30 or 40 years? 
Tim Groser 
: Too long! 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: It is never too long. He has had a full career in this area and he more than anybody in this Chamber this House this Parliament knows just how important this free-trade agreement with China is.