Of all the things this Government has done in its first term, the FTA with India may well be the most important.
It will last forever, it will grow, and it will become an increasingly important part of our economic story.
It's been made more important because for years it couldn't be done, apparently.
It got knocked back so often that Governments kind of gave up. It became a bit too hard.
Maybe they got stuck on dairy. But when you're stuck the trick is to look around the issues, not get bogged down by them.
The downside of course is some couldn’t see the upside because of the racism i.e. they didn’t vote for it. But plenty did, which means New Zealand broadly is still middle of the road and interested in tapping into those markets globally that show the most promise.
India represents the latest example of what this country does: we make stuff, and sell it to the world, and we are not quantity, we are quality. The growing middle class is all about quality.
It's why our wine sales are still growing and Australia's aren't.
But for those who think India is a mistake, who is it you would rather trade with?
China is contentious, but we've got past that for over two decades and it's done nothing but provide work and income for so many of us.
We don’t, and won't, get a deal with the Americans. They're not free traders.
So population wise, who's left? Russia? They don’t have an economy.
Yes, there's the EU. But it’s a half billion person collective with all the baggage that goes with it. We have a deal, but I bet you anything you want, our EU deal won't grow like the India deal will.
India is the standout growth story for the next decade and beyond. For us not to be part of that would have been a crime.
To sign what we have is a down payment on a better future.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
It got knocked back so often that Governments kind of gave up. It became a bit too hard.
Maybe they got stuck on dairy. But when you're stuck the trick is to look around the issues, not get bogged down by them.
The downside of course is some couldn’t see the upside because of the racism i.e. they didn’t vote for it. But plenty did, which means New Zealand broadly is still middle of the road and interested in tapping into those markets globally that show the most promise.
India represents the latest example of what this country does: we make stuff, and sell it to the world, and we are not quantity, we are quality. The growing middle class is all about quality.
It's why our wine sales are still growing and Australia's aren't.
But for those who think India is a mistake, who is it you would rather trade with?
China is contentious, but we've got past that for over two decades and it's done nothing but provide work and income for so many of us.
We don’t, and won't, get a deal with the Americans. They're not free traders.
So population wise, who's left? Russia? They don’t have an economy.
Yes, there's the EU. But it’s a half billion person collective with all the baggage that goes with it. We have a deal, but I bet you anything you want, our EU deal won't grow like the India deal will.
India is the standout growth story for the next decade and beyond. For us not to be part of that would have been a crime.
To sign what we have is a down payment on a better future.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
3 comments:
I disagree, Mike. Committing NZ to a US$20Billion investment in India over 15 years, in addition to the affirmation of UNDRIP, are two of the dumbest things National have done this term and such will only cement its poor poll result at the coming election. Do you also want to wager on how this FTA will turn out longer term for NZ in its internal race relations and economy? Trading with India - great. Such a shame it brought with it such a ridiculous investment obligation and the untenable (and what could have been so easily avoided) baggage in the form of the UNDRIP affirmation, and I haven't even mentioned why immigration should have been a factor. In sum, I see the cost/benefit far from stacking in our favour.
Nothing is surer, time will prove who is right. I sincerely hope you are, but I fear you've placed too much store on the confidence and arrogance of our PM, rather than his naivety of how this will more than likely play out to our detriment.
Mike, will the new Indian migrants be second class citizens in NZ ?
India is a nation that has a racist caste system.
Will they be happy to be controlled by Maori, to be forever taxed to pay for the sins of the British colonists , similar to the ones that ruled India ?
Luxon has failed NZ miserably by not repealing all the racist legislation that he promised.
He is now creating more racist unrest by his lack of gumption to deal with this most important and obvious problem.
The prophet is without honour in his own country - is a truism, Mike. Just ignore the naysayers.
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