Select Committee Report Reflects National's Treaty Concerns In Trade Agreement

"National's concerns about the Treaty of Waitangi clause in the Closer Economic Partnership with Singapore trade agreement have been spelt out in the Select Committee report on the agreement," National International Trade spokesperson John Luxton said today.

"We are the Party of free trade. National gives its full and unreserved support to a free trade agreement with Singapore.

"But National does not agree with the inclusion in Article 74 of the Agreement of the words "more favourable treatment to Maori" over and above meeting any obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.

"We do not think any agreement let alone a trade agreement should explicitly give one group more favourable treatment over another. It does not fit with what the National Party stands for.

"The Select Committee Report makes it very clear that the National Party disassociates itself from that wording and reserves the right to renegotiate our specific objection to Article 74 when we are next in Government.

"This clause does not affect Singapore but it does affect New Zealanders. That's why National has put its foot down," Mr Luxton said.

Ends

A printable formatted copy of this press release will be available on http://www.national.org.nz along with an archive of previous releases.

© Scoop Media