By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter
The Alliance has secured a parliamentary vote on closer economic ties with Singapore, but it will almost certainly vote against the deal as its first formal point of differentiation in its Coalition agreement with Labour.
The Singapore deal will not be under threat, however, unless National decides to object. It is reserving its position until it receives a briefing on the Treaty of Waitangi clauses.
Termed the Singapore closer economic partnership, the agreement would remove tariffs on textiles, clothing and footwear and free up the two countries' access to each other's services and investment markets.
The vote in Parliament will have no statutory authority and the Greens have already labelled it "a Clayton's vote."
It will have the same statutory force as Parliament congratulating Team New Zealand on winning the America's Cup, but it will have moral authority.
The cabinet will remain the body to ratify international treaties and agreements on New Zealand's behalf.
Prime Minister Helen Clark described the pending vote yesterday as "symbolic but full of meaning."
The Alliance, the Greens and Act are pressing for Parliament to have some influence over treaties.
"There's room to develop the role of Parliament in examining and scrutinising the treaties," Helen Clark said.
The Alliance is claiming success in securing an open vote which, it says, no cabinet would ignore, even if it was not binding.
"The Alliance has always wanted Parliament to vote on international agreements and we are delighted to have played a role in ensuring a vote on this proposed agreement," Alliance leader Jim Anderton said through a spokesman.
National is reserving its support for the Singapore agreement until it receives a full briefing on the Treaty of Waitangi clauses, said trade negotiations spokesman John Luxton. "We are not going to end up with treaty clauses similar to the health legislation."
Mr Luxton felt that the new clauses went further than the treaty clauses discussed with Singapore when National was in Government. The aim had been to ensure that the Government was not restrained in its ability to settle claims.
It is believed that the new deal gives an assurance that no Singaporean assets in New Zealand would be used to settle Treaty of Waitangi claims.
The Singapore deal will go to the cabinet on September 25 before being tabled in Parliament and sent to the foreign affairs and defence select committee.
MPs to vote on economic ties with Singapore
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