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Labour Party Trade Spokesperson Damien O'Connor.
National's decision to ‘dribble’ information about the NZ/India to Labour contributed to the delay in it deciding to supported the FTA.
Labour’s spokesperson on Trade, Damien O’Connor says if National had provided all the information it wanted right at the start they would have signed it off much earlier.
He says Labour has always wanted to be bipartisan on trade and have signed many such agreements in the past.
“But in this case the problem was not having details throughout the negotiations and when the deal was agreed Labour had to investigate the detail in the deal itself. People in the Labour party were asking legitimate questions around migration, education and even around the dairy. They wanted to make sure that migrant workers were not going to be exploited and that students who come to this country were going to get legitimate education and not being exploited,” he says.
O’Connor says they had a responsibility to understand the legal rationale and support and advice that sat behind the FTA.
He says they also needed to investigate claims by Winston Peters that it was a bad deal for NZ.
“We checked out these claims and we are satisfied they were not true,” he says.
O’Connor describes the FTA as a step forward with the worlds most populous country and that in the end it will be the role of exporters to extract value from it.
He says government's role is to open doors and let business decide what opportunities best suit them.
Labour’s support for the FTA means that it can now be successfully ratified by the NZ parliament
The FTA is Due to be signed by Trade Minister Todd McClay in Delhi this coming week. The Minister has with him a cross party delegation including MP’s and more than 30 kiwi business representatives
Todd McClay says a trade agreement with India has been a long ambition for New Zealand.
“The signature of the NZ-India FTA is an occasion to celebrate,” he says.
The Conservative Party warns that the upcoming free trade agreement between New Zealand and India may prioritise increased labour mobility while offering limited reassurance for New Zealand workers.
The New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) has welcomed the Labour Party's support for the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement.
The Labour Party has announced it will support New Zealand's free trade agreement (FTA) with India.
OPINION: Political parties in New Zealand have a long history of supporting free trade agreements together.
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The Conservative Party warns that the upcoming free trade agreement between New Zealand and India may prioritise increased labour mobility while offering limited reassurance for New Zealand workers.
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National's decision to ‘dribble’ information about the NZ/India to Labour contributed to the delay in it deciding to supported the FTA.
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