More Effort For Free Trade

Monday 17 Mar 2003 Gerry Eckhoff Press Releases -- Rural

ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today recommended that the Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton divest himself of his agricultural portfolio and focus more on pushing for free trade.

"Recent reports have signalled that New Zealand could share in a $74 billion boost - with such a favourable forecast, it is imperative that the Government convert the overseas trade portfolio into a standalone one," Mr Eckhoff said.

"Labour's current moves toward the concept of freeing up international agricultural trade equate to little more than lip service. The Government has only 15 officials work on the issue - in direct contrast with Australia, which has at least 85.

"Ninety percent of the New Zealand economy depends on exports - 30 percent more than Australia - yet we constantly ignore the need to deploy human and monetary resources into this area.

"Mr Sutton should be ending subsidies in such countries as Germany and France, and putting more resources into this our free trade negotiations - it would be a much better use of the $5.6 million that Labour has earmarked for its new yacht," Mr Eckhoff said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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