India FTA must be for the good of New Zealand – Labour

Labour has outlined the conditions National must meet before it will consider supporting the free trade agreement negotiated with India.

“We firmly believe in free trade, but our free trade agreements must not cause New Zealand harm,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said.

“Christopher Luxon hamstrung the negotiation of this agreement by putting a time limit on it to fulfil his political agenda and botching the process. Now he finds himself agreeing to something without the support of his own Government.

“While the proposed agreement offers some trading opportunities, there appears to be significant risks in the way it is to be implemented in New Zealand, including sending $33 billion of private sector investment to India – a figure which is unrealistic when compared with past trade agreements.

“Given that the Foreign Minister has felt strongly enough to say he won’t support the deal, we also want to understand exactly what advice officials have provided Ministers. We ask that it is provided, in full, in the spirit of bipartisanship and the best interest of New Zealanders.

“Labour values the people who come to this country to work and study. It is essential that anyone coming to New Zealand is protected from exploitation, and that our international reputation for delivering high-quality education is upheld.

“Now that we have had the opportunity to scrutinise the agreement we have written to National setting out the conditions that must be met before we will consider supporting the agreement,” Chris Hipkins said.

National must ensure:

• Stronger protections for migrant workers, as an increase in migration could result in higher numbers of workers being put in vulnerable employment situations;
• Our reputation for quality education is safeguarded. Any students coming into New Zealand under this agreement must be attending a legitimate education course;
• Clarity on the rationale, precedence, and national interest for the proposed $33 billion NZD of private investment in India over the next 15 years, a commitment where any shortfall could enable India to unilaterally revoke market access for the apple, honey, and kiwifruit sectors;
• That unredacted official advice on the agreement is provided to Labour.