Opinion Ashburton Guardian
8
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
www.guardianonline.co.nz
OUR VIEW
Any free trade deal is good for NZ Nadine Porter HALFWAY THERE
I
n the small part of the world we occupy, our island adrift mentality often allows inflated ideas of our true weight on the global stage. We cannot compete with monolithic countries hell bent on protecting their own – nor should we. Recently, the UK Government granted Scottish dairy farmers a $4000 per cow one off payment because of the downturn their industry is weathering. This, on top of other subsidies available, make their primary industries and the idea of business profitability, laughable. For too long we have had to play on an uneven field against such farmers where David does not beat Goliath because Goliath has too much cash in his back pocket. However the China free trade agreement has significantly and permanently altered our mindset. We are focused on the emerging Asian market and more than ever we are focused on free trade. So the idea that we can somehow survive without these agreements from those who oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership is flawed and naive. Trade Minister Tim Groser is right when he says you’re either on the bus or you are an idiot. We are a standalone nation – something we should be proud of. Our businesses survive and fail by their own hand. The TPP has given us another hand. It may not be perfect (trade agreements seldom ever are) but any free trade deal is a good deal for New Zealand. Just as we are intensely negotiating a change of protocol in China at the moment to allow exports of chilled meat, so will we continue to barter from this starting point. But let’s be clear here - free trade is not our enemy and whether you like it or not, the old saying “what’s good for the farmers is good for the country,” still rings true.
YOUR VIEW Lavender Day On behalf of Age Concern Ashburton we would like to thank the public of Ashburton for their generous support for our annual Lavender Day Street Appeal on Friday October 2. Your generosity enables us to continue with the ongoing services of Age Concern Ashburton. Thanks also to the many volunteers who manned the various sites around town; your help is much appreciated.
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by David Fletcher