McCully Murray: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
McCully Murray: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:632;Page:4276] 
6.  
Hon MURRAY McCULLY (National—East Coast Bays) 
 to the  
Minister of Trade 
: Is he confident that the current visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the United States will have a positive effect on the effort to get a New Zealand - United States free-trade agreement; if not why not? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Trade) 
: 
 Yes I am reliably informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade that Winston Peters had a very successful meeting with Condoleezza Rice this morning. Trade matters of course are not specifically within the Minister’s portfolio but I am told by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade that the meeting was characterised by both sides as being friendly constructive and forward-looking which I believe is very positive for our overall relationship. 
Hon Murray McCully 
: Does the Minister judge Mr Peters’ meeting with Senator McCain yesterday to have been a success; if so how? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I judge that meeting on the substance of the meeting and again I am informed that it was a positive and constructive meeting with a senator whom both Winston Peters and I have met before in New Zealand and who is a very strong supporter of New Zealand’s case both for the resumption of training in military matters and for a free-trade agreement. I judge it on the substance of the meeting not on the spat that might have occurred between some journalist and the Minister because they had a disagreement. 
Dianne Yates 
: How does the Minister assess the level of support within the United States’ political and business sectors for free-trade agreements with New Zealand? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: There is very strong support within the corporate business and congressional sector for free-trade negotiations. If I use as an example Tom Donohue who is the President of the US Chamber of Commerce or Governor John Engler who is the President of the National Association of Manufacturers I can say that both have been strong advocates for such an agreement. Within Congress the New Zealand caucus now has 65 members. Included amongst those members or supporters are Senator John McCain and Senator John Sununu who both on leaving New Zealand after meeting with Winston Peters and myself wrote personally to the President advocating for such an agreement. 
Hon Murray McCully 
: In what way did the decision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Peters to interrupt Senator John McCain in mid-sentence as he was promoting the case for a free-trade agreement between New Zealand and the United States advance the prospect of such an agreement being reached? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I understand that the Minister was advised that this was a photo opportunity only. He has a certain amount of time for discussions with his counterparts and he did not want that time to be taken up with questions from journalists who could have asked those questions after the meeting. 
Dianne Yates 
: What support is there within the administration for starting free-trade negotiations and what is the likely time frame? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: The Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs is Chris Hill. He has been very supportive of New Zealand’s case much more so than I can remember of anybody in the administration over the last 6 years. I have to say that both the former US Trade Representative Rob Portman and the current Trade Representative Susan Schwab have shown some sympathy for New Zealand’s position. It is likely however that major negotiations that are taking place between the US and Korea and Malaysia which are amongst their top trading partners will take up most of the time that is left within the current trade promotion authority. I think our position at the moment should be to position ourselves for the next opportunity to come up when there is a new trade promotion authority. 
Hon Murray McCully 
: If the approach taken by Mr Peters in his discussions with Senator McCain yesterday was as successful as the Minister has just told the House it was can we take it he will be using such an approach as his own model for future negotiations overseas; if not why not? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I think the Minister and I have slightly different approaches in these matters but I can assure the member that the independent reports I have from those who were at the meeting—and neither the member or I were there—were that this was a substantive positive and constructive meeting. The fact that there was a disagreement between the Minister and the media is neither here nor there in relation to his good relationship with his counterparts. 
Hon Murray McCully 
: Does the Minister believe that the earlier statement made by him that the Government’s relationship with Mr Peters is the sort of relationship one has with one’s mother-in-law has any application in relation to events in Washington yesterday; if so what is that application? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: With due deference to my late mother-in-law I had a fantastic relationship with her but I do know that she liked her own space and I like my own space. 
Hon Murray McCully 
: Has the Minister been advised why it was that Dr Cullen was appointed Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mr Peters’ absence rather than himself as a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and can he reassure the House that no adverse conclusions should be drawn regarding his working relationship with Mr Peters as a result of that oversight? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: The member can be absolutely assured of that. The member may be aware that I am frequently out of the country on trade business. For the sake of continuity it is very good to have the Deputy Prime Minister acting in that role.