12. Question No. 12—Trade and Export GrowthJO LUXTON (Labour—Rangitata) (remote) to the Minister for Trade and Export GrowthQuestion No. 12—Trade and Export Growth12. JO LUXTON (Labour—Rangitata) (remote) to the Minister for Trade and Export Growth: What recent announcement has the Government made about signing a free-trade agreement with the United Kingdom?Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister for the Environment) (remote): on behalf of the Minister—SPEAKER: Order! No. The member is not answering on behalf; he is the Minister for the moment.Hon DAVID PARKER: Point of order Mr Speaker. I am the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs not the Acting Minister for Trade and Export Growth. I'm answering this on behalf of the Minister.SPEAKER: I apologise to the member. I'm quite wrong again.Hon DAVID PARKER: No problem sir. On behalf of the Minister for Trade and Export Growth I'm pleased to announce that overnight the Hon Damien O'Connor signed the New Zealand - United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement in London. This premium gold standard agreement secures New Zealand's preferential access to the UK market for the first time since 1973. That is important. It's the fifth largest economy in the world and as the Prime Minister has already said the deal eliminates tariffs on 99.5 percent of our current trade from the time of entry into force. It will accelerate New Zealand's COVID recovery by boosting New Zealand's GDP by between $700 million and $1 billion per annum and exporters will save approximately $37 million per annum from tariff elimination from day one. Of course they'll also benefit from the increased trade which will flow from the increased access. This free-trade agreement sits alongside the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership PACER Plus the China free-trade agreement (FTA) upgrade—all agreements concluded by this Government to help revitalise our trade agenda and I believe I would be speaking on behalf of many members of the House in congratulating the Minister the Hon Damien O'Connor.Jo Luxton: What Trade For All elements have been included in this FTA?Hon DAVID PARKER: The agreement reflects many aspects of the Trade For All Agenda. It includes commitments on the Treaty of Waitangi small and medium sized enterprises trade and gender trade and development and consumer protection. It's our first bilateral trade agreement to include a specific article on climate change. It includes important provisions that were hard won in the negotiation on eliminating harmful subsidies such as fossil fuel and fisheries subsidies. We're pleased that this agreement advances not just economic gains but also wider Government priorities. Rino Tirikatene (remote): What are the benefits that are anticipated for Māori in this free-trade agreement?Hon DAVID PARKER: Recognising the long and important relationship of the British Crown with Māori through the Treaty of Waitangi this agreement contains the broadest set of outcomes for Māori that New Zealand has managed to negotiate in any FTA. Included in the FTA is a Māori trade and economic cooperation chapter recognising the value of increased Māori participation in international trade and investment and promoting cooperation between the parties to the FTA to enable and advance Māori economic and wellbeing aspiration. It also prioritises tariff elimination on a range of products of interest to Māori particularly in fisheries horticulture dairy and meat sectors.