Wave goodbye to another talkfest

"It's time for the promoters of the Knowledge Wave to wave goodbye to another talkfest," National's Finance spokesman Don Brash said today.

Dr Brash was commenting on today's media reports that a group headed by Andrew Grant of McKinsey & Co, Warehouse founder Stephen Tindall and Scott Perkins of Deutsche Bank were hosting a dinner in Auckland's Winter Garden restaurant tomorrow to take the Knowledge Wave to a new level.

"What right do these three people have to claim they represent the Knowledge Wave Trust, as they do in their invitation? I am a member of the Knowledge Wave Trust, and know nothing about this group."

"And why on earth is the business sector being asked to set up a new organisation when there are already several organisations representing business effectively, including Business New Zealand, the Employers and Manufacturers Association, the Business Roundtable, and the Chambers of Commerce? They are all saying the same thing - present policies are slowly stifling business," Dr Brash said.

"It is ironic to read that the Prime Minister has offered Government funding for this new organisation when Labour has ignored almost all of the recommendations relevant to economic growth from the first Knowledge Wave conference. I can only assume the Government would like to have a tame lapdog organisation so it can engage in a further exercise in pretending to care about business," he said.

"What is needed is a Government that acts in response to an almost universal call from business organisations to stop stifling them with compliance costs, regulations, and taxation - not another talkfest," he said.

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