NZ will pay price for bumbling diplomacy - Smith

“Trade Minister Jim Sutton’s bumbling diplomacy is putting New Zealand’s interests at risk,” according to the National Party’s Trade spokesman, Dr Lockwood Smith.

“At the very time the US President has sought from the US Congress its advice on a possible free trade agreement with New Zealand, our Trade Minister makes seriously insulting comments about the Americans.

“And to make matters worse it’s not the first time he’s done this,” Dr Smith says.

“Many will remember at the time of the controversy over US lamb tariffs Jim Sutton told then President, Bill Clinton, that he should not come to the APEC Leaders’ meeting, saying he wouldn’t be welcome in New Zealand.

“It’s now imperative Jim Sutton explain exactly what he means by his ‘arm-twisting’ comments at the weekend because the timing is critically important and Mr Sutton would know that,” Dr Smith says.

“The 90 day deadline for initiating the free trade talks with Australia is about to expire, and in recent years there hasn’t been a more crucial period in US/NZ relations than right now.

“Mr Sutton’s anti-American instincts are certainly not helping New Zealand’s cause,” concluded Dr Smith.

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