Faltering start to US - NZ forum

Prime Minister John Key speaks at the start of the forum. Photo / NZPA

The fourth US - NZ Partnership Forum got off to a faltering start in Christchurch this morning minus more of some of its big name players.

A delegation of nine Congressmen has been delayed by a day after Congress went into overtime to debate budget cuts.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell is late.

The Secretary for Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, cancelled altogether on Friday because of the fatal shooting of one of her agents in Mexico.

Council of Trade Union president Helen Kelly who has attended in the past is boycotting the forum because it will be discussing the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement currently being negotiated between nine countries.

She also lambasted the "insensitivity" of accepting sponsorship of the forum from Warner Bros - the company making the Hobbit movie and the source of a major industrial dispute last year.

The forum brings together business, academic, government and political players in a bid to discuss aspect of the United States - New Zealand relationship behind closed doors.

Prime Minister John Key opened the forum talking up New Zealand's military effort in Afghanistan, saying "this country continues to meet its responsibilities to collective security efforts."

Speaking about the Trans Pacific Partnership, he praised Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan for pushing the possibility of Japan joining the negotiations as well.

Referring to anxiety in the US dairy industry over trade liberalisation, he pointed to unpopular requests the United States would be making of New Zealand - the US objects to the Government owned agency Pharmac, which bulk-buys preferred medicines.

"New Zealand will also be facing requests, including from the US, which we have not confronted in previous FTAs.

"When facing such challenges, it is important that we all remind ourselves of the overall collective benefits in getting TPP right, of which there are many."

The United States ambassador, David Huebner, however said that what mattered was the "strategic opportunity and the longterm benefit of a fair and balanced deal, not chasing the illusory perfect deal."

"What does not matter is the short-term score card and who wins or loses what or what capital is accrued or spent. "

He said the "landmines" in the road ahead were not substantive.