Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the ongoing trade negotiations taking place with India

Significant progress is being made on New Zealand's Free Trade Agreement with India.

India's Trade Minister is in the country - discussing our trade relationship over the next few days with Minister Todd McClay and the Prime Minister.

India has announced it's looking towards an early conclusion of the FTA.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained that these discussions were why Luxon missed Question Time - prompting criticism from Labour. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry Sooper, Senior Political Correspondence with US Hallo, Barry, Good afternoon, Heather, So,
I didn't realize that the Indian trade team were here.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yes they are. They're in Auckland today and the Primeister
flew up this afternoon to have a talk with him.
Was the fourth round of these trade negotiations and listening
to lux and talking about them, he said that yes,
he believes a trade deal will be in place before
the next election. Now, this is the most populous nation

(00:27):
on Earth, India, and of course we know the benefits
that we got out of negotiating a trade deal with
the Chinese, So the trade deal with India is very important.
So it was a pretty important place for the primeerst
to be today, missing Parliament's question time this afternoon, even
if Chris Hopkins had a problem with it.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
So lets to speaker. I understand the Prime Minister is
in the building. He was on the tiles about five
minutes ago answering media questions. So I seek leave for
my question to be held until he's available in the
debate chamber to answer it.

Speaker 4 (01:01):
Well, that's an interesting reference you're making to a members
not being present, which is not appropriate.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
However, put the leave so any objection that course of action.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
To the Prime Minister, does he stand by all of
his government statements and actions.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
So he had to stay there toner that particular question,
which is one of those silly questions that is always
asked in Parliament. But of course he talked to the
media before jumping on a plane, coming up to Walkman
and going to the trade talks with the Indians, so
I think that was pretty important.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
So how long do we have to wait to find
out what this awesome question is?

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Well, the answer to it.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
I thought he was going to hold the question until
the Prime Minister was there.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Well, but the Parliament voted against it.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Oh, I see, okay, listen, the government is doing something
about the homeless, aren't they.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Well it's really interesting hither because Chris Bishop was being
asked about in Parliament this afternoon. The govern is either
testing the water or it is you know, it is
planning something, but they're playing it very carefully.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Now.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
I don't know why. I think they should be full
on on this, but they can't just mow people out
of these.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Always turned septic for authorities trying to do all the
handring is coming out feeling bad about it.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, well the questions were being fired over it by
Labour's Karen McNulty in Parliament today. Have a listen.

Speaker 5 (02:28):
Why is the government working on legislation that would enable
the removal of rough sleepers from central business districts? The
Government isn't Why is the minister denying this? When Police
Minister Mark Mitchell confirmed on news talks there'd be this
morning that quote Paul Goldsmith and Justice are doing a
lot of work around that end quote, and that legislation

(02:50):
to move homeless people from CBDs to the suburbs was
quote fully supported by Caucus and.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
The Prime Minister.

Speaker 6 (02:58):
The government is considering a rain of different things in
relation to the CBD. The Government, as well as Auckland
Council is off the view that we can make the
CBD more desirable place for everyone to be than it currently.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Is a suplementary question.

Speaker 4 (03:15):
The Honorable Shane Jones and no one else speaking, can
you confirm it is not appropriate to use homelessness as
a moral cloak to hide drug taking, criminality and violence.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Well he didn't have to answer that because the Minister
is not actually responsible for that. But no, it is interesting.
There is a Private Members bill in the Biscuit and
it's National's Ryan Hamilton who happens to be from Hamilton,
and it's there and it proposes to remove sleepers and

(03:48):
that's what the Prime Minister was referring to earlier, that
you know, to get them out off the streets. Well,
not the Prime Minister, sorry, Mark Mitchell's referring to this
morning that there was support for that bill and it's
a private memberis one in Mars.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
Why is Chris Bishop and Chris Luxem being so weird
and shady about it instead of taking the approach that
Mark Mitchell's taken.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Which is to just be mtch was very open about it.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
Why not do that?

Speaker 2 (04:13):
And I think you'll find Paul Goldsmith will be the
same when you talk to him later.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
Now the Prince of Mining, well, as you say, I
quote you, the Prince of Mining was in full flight today.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
As he was.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
He's a self declared Prince of Mining, Shane Jones. He
was certainly on form in Parliament this afternoon when he
was bragging about a thirty year mining permit being issued
for an Australian based sun To Minerals firm. Here's the
resources minister in full flight.

Speaker 4 (04:43):
We're entering a golden age. Not that I can completely
claim all the credits. On the West Coast of New Zealand.
A summer one hundred and seventy two million dollars over
the last day or three has been announced to be
dedicated to the Federation Mine briefed and now known as
the Angel of Mine. Why do people on the other

(05:06):
side of the house hate investment? Why do they stand
with frogs and geckos and unnecessary critters. One hundred and
seventy two million is going directly into the economy of
the West Coast, and I fear that it'll be more
busts they make of my good self.

Speaker 6 (05:24):
What will this announcement mean for the local economy?

Speaker 4 (05:27):
Ah, sir, modesty forbids that I claim total credit. But
please think about the forlorn period of time that has
afflicted these parts of the South Island.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Do you think he enjoys me? He loves it because
he's being so contrary to the opposition ventures and he
hears it. And don't forget this man used to be
a labor.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Part all the things that you're not supposed to say.
This just makes the Greens dye inside exact, Arry, thanks
very much, appreciate it, very sober senior political correspondence.

Speaker 3 (06:02):
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