Are free trade deals good for our economy?

George must realise compearing apricots with apricots are like compearing apples with apples.They are still apricots and apples.Just made with cheaper labour and less "Bureaucrats".
With putting expensive Bureaucrats into what we export on top of what we export in a free trade world.Really is a burden on exporters bottem line. Bureaucrats all try and out do each other.Just to create a job that requires another job .Ok this will never create apricots!I hope everyone follows this.If the New Zealand Government cut Bureaucrats and got back to our exporters.We can really compete with other countries on free trade.
Ten years from now it will be to late won't it.
Think very carefully what career you choose.When a guy in china can copy what you make over in New Zealand for a lot less on red tape.You cannot win Because he can employees more men for your every one on a production line."OH yes this is were it gets interesting now no tarifs".Haha
There is a war at foot.Weither your weekly wage increases or decreases.Depends on what career you choose.
"Perhaps my carrer is like Georges apricots"!!!
I hope i'm living in the right country with a lot less bureaucrats with pointless jobs that are only to create another job.As a leach on our exporters.

tonight on 3news they had posted a disgusting story about maggits in meat and i think that is a bit gross considering it is when most people are try to eat it put me off m meat!!!

George I totally agree with your comments but as Leutele notes we have to play the Free trade game by the global rules and the odds are never in NZ's favour - due to the small population. I think NZ has no option but is in grave danger of become a junk yard! As for Fair trade and human rights they are noble concepts and something to strive for - but alas this is not an ideal world! Bless this little island and those who livw here - in a trade sense the NZ anthem is so apt!

Given the geographical disparities of NZ, in particular where trade is concern, I guess the PM have no other choice but to ensure no one takes his sit in the bandwagon. Uk one of the gurus have already clean swept us with our agricultural, particularly farming intellectual properties during GATT. This is the price we pay for being 'small'. Free Trade have its benefits and advantages but it also bring about ups and downs for sure. Just like Technology, once the people have spoken and take up the world headon, like television, you do not have a country any more because you got to put back the benefits you have taken. In other words leaders and cultures work by the global rules of the game. So take the risk John Key. Afterall what else is left for our little nation to do.

george's point about the apricots is why the http://socialistrepublicofnz.wetpaint.com are pushing for FTA's to be made illegal. with FTA's we loose control of our market/border & hand it over to soulless international corporations, who's only purpose is the bottom line thus precluding them from looking at ethical or environmental issues. we need corporations, but they are not the right place to rest the control.

New zealand should concentrate on fair trade and not so much on free trade I find it strange that at Pak,n Save you can buy a can of apricots imported from China at half the price of local grown product,this is not logical.

Free trades opens opportunity for growth of both the countries.. I believe its a give and take.. Bigger and diverse market means more scope with less risk.

All the trade deals done so far seem to favour the other country and it is we in NZ who are losing our jobs and it will be those that are left to provide the dole payment in higher taxes. Do we need them ?. Like a hole in the head.

Nothing is useful unless you have a need for it.

Should only be with countries who have good human rights history and quality products. We need more crap polluting our little nation like a hole in the head

I believe they are essential for the economy but am worried about our gung-ho nature of getting into them and being so blase about them favouring the other country! I thought free trade should be as fair as possible?