Former MP and trade unionist Laila Harre says it's either disingenuous or worse for Jacinda Ardern to put a free trade agreement on the agenda for her meeting with Donald Trump on Tuesday morning, and the prime minister should instead be talking to him about climate change.
Ahead of her meeting with the US president, the prime minister said it will be a chance to continue a conversation Deputy Prime MInister Winston Peters started some time ago.
"There has been interest in talking about a free trade agreement with New Zealand and that's a conversation I'll continue," Ms Ardern told reporters in New York.
Ms Harre, a former minister in a Labour-Alliance coalition government, tonight told TVNZ1's Q+A Ms Ardern has an obligation, not just as New Zealand prime minister but as an important leader in the Pacific to raise the US's withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement, in her meeting with Mr Trump.
She said Tuesday's climate summit called by the UN Secretary General is another reason for Ms Ardern to raise the US's position on climate with the president, "and there has to be a clear message on behalf of the Pacific".
"I would expect that she will do the ritualistic New Zealand prime minister's thing around raising a free trade agreement, but I'd also be disappointed by that," Ms Harre said.
She said both Labour and New Zealand First opposed the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement in the form it was negotiated when the US was part of negotiations.
"It's either disingenuous of her to put a free trade agreement on the agenda with this president, or it's worse," Ms Harre said.
Her comments came after former New Zealand ambassador to the US and former National trade minister, Tim Groser, said Ms Ardern should discuss the crisis in the Middle East and trade during her 20 minute meeting with Mr Trump.
"Two issues come to mind. This absolute crisis facing us between the larger shi'ite power, Iran and the centre of the Sunni religion in Saudi Arabia. It's a fight that has been going on for 1400 years, it's now lethally dangerous," Mr Groser told Q+A.
He said: "Trump is actually on the right side of this debate, urging relative caution. He's committed some defensive resources to defence against what we all presume is Iranian proxy efforts to destabilise Saudi.
"I think she should cover that off especially if she is going to meet King Abdulla [of Jordan] later on, and then she should talk about the trade issue."
Disagreeing with Ms Harre, Mr Groser said he has been working "literally for 30 years" trying to achieve the objective of the free trade agreement with the US.
"So you can hardly expect me to change position now. Of course I think we should be pursuing it."
However he said there was some validity to what Ms Harre was saying.
"The Government on our side has got to be very clear on what would be involved in an FTA, and equally the United States has to be clear about what it's prepared to offer in exchange," he said.
Mr Groser said that when he was ambassador the Americans were basically saying they could have an FTA provided their most competitive exports were excluded.
The highly anticipated meeting with President Trump is at 7am Tuesday, NZT.
It's part of what's likely to be one of Jacinda Ardern's biggest days on the international stage.
She'll also meet new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and will sit down with tech bosses who are critical to the success of her Christchurch Call.
* Q+A is on TVNZ1 on Mondays at 9.30pm, and the episode is then available on TVNZ OnDemand and as a podcast in all the usual places.
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