KEY POINTS:
Two MPs from either side of the political divide are heading to the United States in a bid to finesse support for a free-trade agreement.
National frontbencher Gerry Brownlee, chairman of the New Zealand-US Parliamentary Friendship Group, and deputy chairman Shane Jones, a Labour MP, will leave today on a 10-day bipartisan diplomatic mission to the US.
The friendship group was set up in November the promote New Zealand-US free trade negotiations. It complements the US Congressional Friends of New Zealand group.
Australia already has a free-trade deal, but New Zealand is not even in the queue - a fact unlikely to change in the near future as President George W. Bush's mandate to fast-track trade deals has lapsed and he faces an antagonistic Democrat majority in Congress.
But Mr Brownlee said the trip had a longer-term focus.
"It's partly a doorknocking exercise at a lower level than government-to-government to say, 'Look we're here, we're still interested and we still want to talk'."
He hoped better person-to-person links between New Zealand MPs and their US counterparts would help lay the foundations for future negotiations.
He said there were now about 63 members of the US Congressional Friends of New Zealand - a reasonably powerful lobbying block in the 535-strong US Congress.
While in Washington the two MPs will meet US lawmakers as well as the US State Department deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Glyn Davies.
The pair will also meet a range of trade contacts.
New Zealand-United States Council executive director Stephen Jacobi said building and maintaining strong links with the US Congress were critical to progressing the country's interests.
"This visit provides an opportunity to discuss directly with congressional leaders the likely future direction of US trade policy at a time when the [World Trade Organisation] negotiations are also under significant threat."
- NZPA
