Tabuteau Fletcher: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTabuteau Fletcher: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 13 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7116. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.FLETCHER TABUTEAU (NZ First) to the Minister of Trade: Will he release the full details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement immediately given that the 12 Asia-Pacific countries have concluded their negotiations?Hon TIM GROSER (Minister of Trade): The Government will release the texts as soon as it possibly can but it will not be a unilateral decision of the New Zealand Government. This is a partnership among 12 countries and everyone has recognised that there is absolutely legitimate and intense interest in some quarters in seeing the whole picture. This is fully understood and we agree that it is a completely legitimate position but we are waiting until our experts can reach an agreement that as much of the text as can be available—and on some estimates we are talking thousands of pages—will be released as soon as is humanly possible.Fletcher Tabuteau: Can the Minister deny that the non-discrimination provision within this agreement will mean that this Government will not be able to protect New Zealand citizens when they are buying New Zealand homes; instead they will forever have to compete with overseas investors from Trans-Pacific Partnership nations?Hon TIM GROSER: It is really very unusual to find people trying to assess a trade agreement in terms of Auckland house prices. The reality has already been spelt out by numerous Ministers. You know where we stand. We want to send a message of connectivity to the rest of the world. We realise that New Zealand First is in a totally different space.Fletcher Tabuteau: Given the most favoured nation provision in the China free-trade agreement can he protect future generations of New Zealanders from overseas investors from this trade partner speculating in our housing market also?Hon TIM GROSER: This arrangement is about strategic gains; it has nothing to do with speculation in housing markets. That will continue so long as both New Zealand residents and foreigners can anticipate a future price change. We are trying to fix a strategic problem for New Zealand.Fletcher Tabuteau: The Prime Minister said: “I’m not saying it’s OK. I’m just saying technically”—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I have the question please.Fletcher Tabuteau: Did the Prime Minister not say “I’m not saying it’s OK. I’m just saying technically any Government can flout any free-trade agreement rules … there will be a process … if someone wants to take a case against them.”; are you comfortable that that process will include a secret tribunal process?Hon TIM GROSER: I do not have the quotation in front of me so I cannot address whether or not it is an accurate or contextual statement of the Prime Minister. But broadly speaking I would say that that was correct. You cannot stop people taking out cases against you under domestic or international law. What you can do is try to frame agreements that are legally tight and make the cases of litigious or badly conceived cases almost impossible to succeed. Our experts have done an outstanding job in this context—as they usually do.Fletcher Tabuteau: Is the Minister not aware that discriminatory actions against the member nations are a contravention of this trade agreement and therefore the Prime Minister’s preferred solution of a tax on foreign land buyers would also come under the investor-State provisions meaning that we will still get sued in a secret tribunal?Hon TIM GROSER: The introduction to the question was completely incomprehensible. I have no idea what he means.