National have provided a statement regarding the year ahead but there was one topic that was not really discussed. That matter has some relevance to the agreement between the Maori Party and National.

Let me explain. On Waitangi Day the Prime Minister offered the following question:

Student leaders are very concerned today at news that the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) has been spying on University Academics who, as part of their work and research, are critical of the direction of New Zealand's economic & trade policies.

14 MAY 2009 - 'Don't believe the hype' over Trade Minister Tim Groser's visit to Washington tomorrow, New Zealand research and education network Arena warns.

6 MAY 2009 - Australian and New Zealand Trade Ministers will this weekend attempt to convince their Pacific counterparts to ignore the Islands' own trade officials and press ahead with a free trade deal - warns regional trade justice campaigners.

At a time when New Zealand needs the flexibility to respond to pressing domestic economic priorities, and with fresh questions being raised in Australia about the value of their free trade agreements, now was not the time to be signing away New Zealand’s economic sovereignty, Professor Jane