Canterbury Chamber Outlines Business Wishlist Ahead Of General Election

The Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce has released a pre-election report that represents a Waitaha Canterbury business perspective in the lead-up to the 2020 General Election in Aotearoa New Zealand on what businesses want from the new Government.

The Central Government Directive provides insights gained from the June 2020 Deloitte-Chapman Tripp-BusinessNZ Election Survey, which surveyed over a thousand businesses on the Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on the policies business would like to see enacted after the election.

The Deloitte-Chapman Tripp-BusinessNZ Election Survey received 1193 responses from businesses in all sectors and regions of New Zealand during June 2020, including 280 responses (23%) from the Canterbury region. It also provides insights on issues raised by the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce’s member and wider business community.

Chief Executive Leeann Watson says the purpose behind the document is to advocate for the new Government to take into consideration that businesses want a more enabling environment for enterprise, especially given the challenging economic conditions of the last few months due to COVID-19.

"As businesses shift their focus from survival to recovery, and repositioning for the future, it is absolutely critical that we have policies that will help shape and enable a national business environment that promotes innovation, productivity and economic growth as critical success factors, alongside positive health and social and community outcomes.

"We also need to ensure that any policy changes at a central Government level are fit-for-purpose and future-focused, beyond just the next election cycle, to ensure Aotearoa New Zealand continues to be seen as a leader in the global economic recovery as well as our public health response."

The business wishlist is outlined below:

1. Focus on the economy - restoring economic performance should be the Government’s main priority, with the consequent benefits that flow to businesses, workers and communities
2. Plan for reopening borders safely - to assist with our economic recovery
3. Build and maintain required infrastructure - and ensure our infrastructure supports business and community, alongside providing employment, both now and in the future
4. More effective resource management - upgrade the rules for managing and developing resources to be fit for purpose for a changing and rapidly-evolving environment
5. Cut regulation - reduce the load of regulations on businesses, and in particular for small business
6. Build skills - provide more training in the applied skills needed by business
7. Stay ambitious for sustainability - because customers and business prospects depend on it
8. Land and water management - ensure new legislation if fit-for-purpose

Ms Watson says the document is part of the organisation’s wider conversation with the key political parties.

"Over the last few months, we have hosted Finance Minister, Hon. Grant Robertson and Leader of the National Party, Hon. Judith Collins, while also working closely with Government through our BusinessNZ Network to ensure there is clarity around response measures and targeted support packages for business.

"We have a proud history of working closely with central Government on key issues that will impact the local business community and look forward to continuing this tradition with the new Government after the election."

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