Trade Minister Todd McClay says it could be another year before the deal goes through in New Zealand, and although he believes it is a good thing for the country, he respects people's right to protest.
"It's fair to say that people have a lot of views in New Zealand and in many other countries and I will always support their right to be able to express those. The signing today is the end of the negotiation and for New Zealand it's the start of the Parliamentary [phase].
"This is quite an accomplishment. Twelve countries of the world, where nobody said it was possible, have come together and created a deal that gives New Zealanders access to 800 million consumers who spend $27 trillion on GDP every year. This is the biggest agreement New Zealand's been in involved in."
