This blog was dedicated to the monitoring of latest developments in Central, Regional and Local politics from its base in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. The blog was run by a team with unique insights into latest developments. The Hive was not politically aligned, but did support policy that was best for the growth of business and the economy. Given the obvious interest from our readership The Hive from time to time delved into the politics of other countries or regions.
Jul 31, 2008
Are Bilaterals The Answer??
We are a bit concerned at the emphasis that some commentators are putting on bilateral FTAs now that we a have a further delay in the WTO process. We agree with these commentators to a point, but remind them that for New Zealand agricultural exporters subsidies are still a big problem, and that the only away to reduce these is the multilateral process. We also stress that bilateral and regional deals must be of high quality. We can't afford to have any more "political deals"such as that which was negotiated with Thailand. We understand that Australia is being far from resolute in seeking a high quality outcome in the current joint negotiation with ASEAN. It is essential that New Zealand keeps pressing for a high quality agreement - without exclusions or non-free trade outcomes (5% does not equal free trade).