Today, I spoke with the freshman MP for Whanganui and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, LeChevalierMal-Fait.

AnswerMeNow1 (A)- Recently, the house passed the non-binding ‘Motion to Join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for a Trans-Pacific Partnership’, which the government has not acted on. You’ve since introduced another motion urging the government to take action. If it passes, are you expecting the government to say something publicly? What would you like to see occur?

LeChevalierMal-Fait (L)- From my time in business in New Zealand and around the world I know just how important trade is to job creation. There are huge developing markets on our doorsteps that we are now at a comparative advantage trading with, if we don’t act fast we will see damage at home in the sort term. But if this goes on in the long term I fear existing business relationships will form that will mean that this state of affairs may be “locked in”. An example of would be transport links, as you get more Australia-Japan trade you get more freight service and you get more international flights.

If our exporters want to compete in future they will be doing so as outsiders with less good transport links and may be kept in the cold. So what needs to be done; I am of course overjoyed that the house passed the motion to join the CPTPP. But as I already accepted the VoNC failed. But this does signal that there is a strong force in the house that backs free trade, and that can only be a good thing. I have already accepted the failure of the motion in the house, indeed this is the whole purpose of the second motion this week. I can not compel, nor should parliament be able to compel executive action.

However the stakes are high so I in the motion challenged the government to set out a bold trade policy that would secure some of the key benefits in tariff reductions while not compromising in other areas such as provisions respecting the rights of indigenous peoples. I had hoped that the government would accept that challenge and look to negotiate those bold arrangements. I can only surmise from the vote against the motion that they believe that their trade arrangements will be less good, or that they have no plan or they are opposed to transparency. Neither option is good enough.

A: Will a National government be more proactive on trade and foreign affairs? What do you hope to achieve as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs?

L: Yes as I said at the start there are huge opportunities, the world is changing once less developed countries are seeing growing middle classes and expanding populations as people live longer. This means there will be a seismic change in demand for goods. The commercial relationships formed over the next few years will have influence for years to come. We need to be proactive and secure good deals for New Zealand that will give us a comfortable place in that world.

If I can create a meaningful public conversation about the need for free trade, I would be happy with that. The recent opinion polls might even suggest that is a conversation that is going at least for now more favourably.

A: Alright, thank you very much for your time, do you have anything else to say?

L: No, thanks a lot.