Smith Lockwood: General Debates 
Smith Lockwood: General Debates 
[Volume:612;Page:8979] 
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (NZ National—Rodney) 
: 
 In case the public was not aware that was the Minister of Education addressing the New Zealand Parliament. What a pathetic effort by the Minister of Education! He provides no leadership in education just appalling performance and it is just as well that he is leaving the Chamber. 
Just over a year ago— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am just making it clear that members are not allowed to draw attention to members leaving the Chamber. He is actually incorrect. I am here having a discussion with our supporting people making quality representations in a way that Lockwood Smith never does. 
Simon Power 
: On a number of occasions during his contribution the Minister made reference to at least two members of our caucus and their presence or otherwise in this Chamber. We did not interrupt him during his speech and we would appreciate it if the same rules could apply on the other side. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member has made a valid point and I caution the member for interrupting. 
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH 
: Just over a year ago in this House I accused the Prime Minister Helen Clark of not being upfront with the people of New Zealand over the problems of our prospective free-trade agreement with the United States of America. I did not make that accusation lightly. I took the trouble of going to Washington to obtain thorough briefings on why we were making no progress. Helen Clark the Prime Minister Phil Goff the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Jim Sutton the Minister for Trade Negotiations have continued to deny that our trade deal with the United States is in crisis. In the case of Helen Clark it is part of a pattern of calculated deceit spanning right from forged art works through to “corngate”. 
That deception has been publicly exposed today by the United States Ambassador. In his speech notes he said this: “The United States Government is not prepared to schedule bilateral trade negotiations at this time.” The word “not” is underlined. That is totally consistent with three sets of briefings I have had at high levels in Washington in the last 18 months. I want to know why Helen Clark Jim Sutton and Phil Goff continue to deny that. Why have they not been upfront and honest with the people of New Zealand? The ambassador’s speech was couched with full diplomatic courtesy. What does Helen Clark not understand about the words “not prepared to do a trade deal”? 
Less than a month ago Helen Clark said in this Parliament: “New Zealand has a friend in United States trade representative Bob Zoellick”—not Robert Zoellick—“who has looked to make room for this country”—that is us—“to eventually come into a list for negotiations.” Helen Clark says her Government has always wished Australia well in its negotiations because “we believe that it opens up a path for New Zealand.” Helen Clark said that in this Parliament probably just days after Bob Zoellick whom Helen Clark told this Parliament was a great friend of New Zealand had called a meeting of the friends of free trade in Cancun. When the World Trade Organization talks were running off the rails Ambassador Zoellick called a meeting of the friends of free trade. 
I want to ask Helen Clark who told this Parliament that Bob Zoellick was a great friend of New Zealand and was looking to make room for this country to eventually come into a list for trade negotiations why he did not invite New Zealand to that meeting of the friends of free trade in Cancun. It was clearly a meeting of people that the United States was looking to do trade work with. Helen Clark said in this Parliament that a great friend of New Zealand Bob Zoellick was looking to bring us into US trade negotiations when at the same time—at the World Trade Organization talks in Cancun—New Zealand was left out of a meeting of World Trade Organisation members who are considered friends of free trade that the United States is looking to do trade deals with. 
I want to know how Helen Clark ties those two events together. Her misrepresentation of the facts to this Parliament and what actually happened in Cancun is part of a pattern of ongoing deceit.