John Key's government defence of the foreign trusts tax havens issue shows the extent the Government is prepared to go to defend something that has no benefit to New Zealand.

This is the opinion expressed by Labour leader Andrew Little, when he visited Tauranga yesterday.

Phil Twyford and Andrew Little in Tauranga yesterday.

'Hosting 12,000 foreign trusts, which are all about avoiding tax and are in some cases concealing ill-gotten gains, doesn't add a single job to New Zealand, doesn't generate any incomes in New Zealand,” says Andrew.

'So why the government felt the need to defend these things cannot be explained.”

It stands alongside similar government inaction a few weeks ago, says Andrew.

'Big multi-national corporates like Google and Facebook that come here and have quite high trading revenues and pay little or no tax, and that was defended by them as well.

'It's not a government that is doing a great deal about the long term interests of New Zealand, and getting productive investment that is going to generate jobs and generate income in New Zealand.

Andrew Little and Labour housing spokesman Phil Twyford were in Tauranga yesterday meeting with the Port of Tauranga, Zespri and Plant and Food Research at Te Puke.

The meeting with the port is because of the need for the country to develop a coherent national port strategy, says Andrew.

'What is the best use of each port that we have got? The fact that we can't expect that the international shipping lines are going to be happily and cheaply calling at every port in New Zealand, means we are going to think seriously about the volumes going through each.”

It's good to hear the Port of Tauranga thoughts on the future and Labour will be talking with other ports as well, says Andrew.

On the housing front, there are elements of Labour policy that will be prevented from becoming legislation if the Trans Pacific Partnership is ratified.

Labour wants to follow the Australian model where non-resident foreigners wanting to buy a house in New Zealand will have to build a new one, instead of blocking New Zealand first home buyers from the market.

'If the TPP were to become live, we would be prevented from legislating to achieve these goals,” says Andrew.

He's opposing the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal because of the elements in it that undermine New Zealand's national sovereignty and democratic institutions.

'It will open up our law making process to citizens and corporates from the other TPPA countries.”