Wang To Be Advocate For Small Business
Wednesday 24 Nov 2004
Rodney Hide - Press Releases - Economy
New Zealand's newest MP Kenneth Wang has been made ACT Spokesman for Commerce and Associate Spokesman for Education. He
was also given the newly created spokesmanship of Small Business, ACT Leader Rodney Hide announced today at a special
ACT caucus meeting.
Mr Wang will also sit on the Commerce Select Committee.
Mr Hide: "Successive governments have made it tough to be in business. ACT wants to make doing business easier. Small
businesses are ACT's core constituency and Kenneth personifies our voting base. The three spokesmanships sit well with
him given his extensive experience in New Zealand business, and his close interest in education."
Mr Wang is managing director of his own small business Brandworks - an Auckland-based marketing and advertising agency.
"Kenneth is one of the very few MPs in parliament who knows the pressures of paying other people's wages week in, week
out. He joins us straight from a hectic commercial environment where he is very aware of the many concerns of small and
medium-sized businesses. Kenneth will bring a fresh perspective to the ACT caucus," said Mr Hide.
Mr Wang: "New Zealand businesses are faced with many hurdles, constraints and costs. I will work tirelessly as their
advocate in parliament. Like household incomes, business margins have been eroded over the past five years because of
increased taxes, creeping inflation and soaring compliance costs under Labour.
"The Government is building huge surpluses while commerce and industry are working night and day to pay their taxes.
It's not fair and it's not sustainable. Every business and every worker deserves to keep more of what they earn and
that's what I will be pushing hard for in the lead up to the general election. I'm also looking forward to driving
mediocrity out of our education system. If our young people are to compete internationally our education standards need
to be lifted across the board. I can't wait to get stuck in," said Mr Wang.
At this morning's caucus meeting, the ACT MPs gave their new colleague a framed copy of the New Zealand Gazette, which
declared had him elected. They also presented him with two essential parliamentary guides - Standing Orders and the
Speaker's Rulings.
Kenneth Wang will be sworn in when parliament resumes on Tuesday 30 November.
ENDS