Exporters worried by Labour

The Herald reports:

New Zealand exporters say they are concerned that a political consensus on trade has been lost after the Labour Party came out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

ExportNZ executive director Catherine Beard said in the past exporters had been able to rely on the support of both main political parties on trade.

“This has helped our exporters succeed in new markets and earn valuable revenue for New Zealand,” she said.

“Exporters are now feeling some dismay at the thought that our future trade prospects could be limited by political disagreement.”

Ms Beard said it was difficult to understand why Labour supported the China free trade agreement but not the TPP, “when they are similar in all major respects”. She described Labour’s position on the TPP as a step backwards for the country’s export competitiveness.

It is sad to see Labour abandon decades of bipartisan support on trade policy. They keep getting dragged more and more to the left.