Media Release
8 August, 2009
Building Closer Links with New Zealand
Minister for Trade Simon Crean will lead Australia’s delegation to the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Ministerial Meeting being held in Wellington on Sunday 9 August. Mr Crean will be accompanied to the high-level talks by Mr Tony Burke, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, and Senator Nick Sherry, Assistant Treasurer.
The New Zealand delegation will be led by New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser – with New Zealand Commerce Minister Simon Power and New Zealand Agriculture Minister David Carter also participating in the meeting.
Mr Crean welcomed the opportunity to engage with his New Zealand Ministerial colleagues on ways to further advance the trans-Tasman trade and economic relationship.
"Australia and New Zealand continue to strengthen their economic links and move towards an integrated trans-Tasman economy under the Closer Economic Relations trade agreement and the Single Economic Market initiative," Mr Crean said.
In March this year, Prime Ministers Rudd and Key set an ambitious forward agenda to take the work on trans-Tasman economic integration forward. Ministers will be progressing a number of these issues at the CER meeting.
"A focus of the meeting would be on initiatives to reduce further the costs of conducting trans-Tasman business," Mr Crean said.
The talks will build on recent cooperation such as the new Australia-New Zealand tax treaty signed in Paris on 26 June by Mr Crean and Mr Groser.
"Our recent efforts with the tax treaty demonstrate that we are continually looking at ways to further harmonise our two markets – and the treaty when it comes into force will lower the cost to Australian businesses of accessing intellectual property, equity and finance for expansion," he said.
Ministers will give further consideration to the addition of an Investment Protocol to the long-standing Closer Economic Relations trade agreement, Australia’s oldest free trade agreement.
"The addition of investment provisions to the CER would reflect the broad nature of the relationship and our ambition for CER to be a fully comprehensive free trade agreement," said Mr Crean.
Ministers will have the opportunity to discuss shared priorities in the multilateral round of trade talks, the WTO Doha Round, and joint efforts to build greater regional integration through APEC, ASEAN and PACER Plus.
"Australia and New Zealand are strong advocates of bringing the Doha Round to a successful conclusion. I look forward to further discussions with Minister Groser on our shared objective to see an ambitious and balanced Doha deal concluded," said Mr Crean.
Mr Crean hosted the last CER Ministerial meeting in Melbourne on 15 August 2008.
Trade between the two countries was A$22 billion in 2008, comprising a broad range of foodstuffs, manufactures and services, and accumulated two-way investment stood at over $93 billion.
Media Inquiries: Mr Crean's office 02 6277 7420 - Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555