Clark David: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeClark David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 03 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9378. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of Trade: Does New Zealand’s exception for residential property under the Investment Chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement allow a future Government to implement a ban on non-resident foreign speculators buying any existing residential house flat or apartment?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) on behalf of theMinister of Trade: No the New Zealand - specific exemption that has been included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) preserves the right for a future Government to restrict the purchase of residential property by non-resident foreigners by imposing a discriminatory tax. This I might add was one of Labour’s bottom lines.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a straight question; he answered it immediately. As per last time—Mr SPEAKER: So what is the point of order?Dr David Clark: —on notice he is using that to attack Labour—misrepresenting—Mr SPEAKER: Order![Interruption] Order! It was a legitimate question; it was answered immediately but by a long tradition in this House we allow the Minister to then give some explanation of that answer. That is what he did.Dr David Clark: Did he direct his officials to ensure the right of future Governments to ban non-resident foreign speculators from our housing market like Australia Singapore and others; if not why not?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: No we did not direct negotiators because the Government has no policy to outright ban foreigners investing in New Zealand. We have got no desire to build a great big trade wall to keep foreigners out.Dr David Clark: Does he accept that Viet Nam could adopt “any measure relating to land ownership” and why is this so much stronger than the position his Government has taken?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: I am not responsible for the Viet Namese Government negotiations but what I would say is that this Government has negotiated quite clearly the ability for any future Government to restrict the purchase of residential property and we think that is appropriate. The member opposite is really just trying to justify the unjustifiable which is his failure to support—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The continuation along those lines certainly will not help the order of the House.Dr David Clark: Does the Minister accept that preserving the right to ban foreign speculators is a matter of principle not a matter of price?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: I am puzzled because one of the five Labour Party bottom lines that he referred to as a principle was to restrict the sale of land to foreign owners not to ban it.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I wonder what remedy is available to me if he continues to misrepresent the Labour Party position which has been published in the media—Mr SPEAKER: Order![Interruption] Order! It is very easily solved—he picks up his Standing Orders and looks at Standing Order 359. He will understand and can follow that remedy if he feels it is important enough.Hon Paul Goldsmith: I seek leave to table a document dated 23 July 2015—Mr SPEAKER: What is the document?Hon Paul Goldsmith: It is a Labour Party press release.Mr SPEAKER: No I do not need that. I do not need that.Dr David Clark: Is it not the truth that having negotiated a deal in secret with 605 corporate advisers whilst trading away our sovereignty he is intent on ramming the Trans-Pacific Partnership process through without giving members of the public sufficient time to have their voices heard?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: No that is not true. I do have every sympathy for that member because he is the first trade spokesman of that party not to support free trade. Mr Phil Goff will be turning in his—Mr SPEAKER: Order! We do not need any more.Dr David Clark: I seek leave to table my letter dated 29 February 2016 requesting that the deadline for submissions to the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee be extended.Mr SPEAKER: If it has been presented to a select committee then it is available. [Interruption] Order! It is available to all members if it has been presented.Dr David Clark: It hasn’t come back to the House.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The purpose of tabling a document is not to get it into the public arena. It is to further inform members. If the letter has been presented to a select committee then it is available to all members of this House by going on to the e-committee system. So it is available. If the member wants to—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will hear from the member.Dr David Clark: My understanding is that it is restricted on the system to the members who are on that committee until such time as it is tabled in the House.Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is not. It is available to all members immediately. There was a change made in the Standing Orders at the end of the last Parliament. It is now available to all members.