KEY POINTS:
The Prime Minister has defended Winston Peters' stance on the free trade agreement with China.
Helen Clark said negotiations with China started before Mr Peters was appointed Foreign Minister, and he made it clear from the start he did not approve of trade deals with developing countries.
Mr Peters has said his party will oppose the deal because New Zealand could have done a lot better, and he took out advertisements reinforcing his position.
On Wednesday, he said he would feel free as Foreign Minister to criticise the deal if he were questioned about it overseas.
"It is a trade matter handled by Phil Goff, but if I am asked I will give the same answer I give you today: there is not enough in it for New Zealand. We would have expected much, much more," he said.
However, Helen Clark today said she was sure Mr Peters would not criticise the agreement on his trips overseas.
"I think you'll find Winston Peters is pretty responsible in the way that he behaves overseas," she said.
"He has certainly given me an assurance, yesterday, that he won't be commenting on the FTA with China while overseas other than to note that the negotiations have been successfully concluded."
Helen Clark said the free trade agreement was Phil Goff's responsibility as Trade Minister.
Mr Goff described criticisms of the deal as "bullshit" in private meetings with New Zealand business representatives in China, as reported by the Herald yesterday.
Mr Peters sought to discredit the Herald report but Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce chief executive Charles Finny has confirmed that Mr Goff used the word "bullshit" about Mr Peters' criticisms of the deal.
He said he agreed fully with Mr Goff's characterisation of the criticisms, and would be inclined to use stronger language.
- NEWSTALK ZB with NZHERALD STAFF
