McClay ToddHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua): Madam Speaker thank you very much and can I congratulate you for taking the chair firstly. Secondly can I tell you that in the good old fashion of some countries around the world don't give it back to the man that just left. Stay there. We probably like you much more because of your smile—and some other reasons.The last speaker in this debate Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan finished by saying that this is a Budget that will lift all New Zealanders up. If that was the case then this could be a very short speech because as the Opposition if it was doing that it wouldn't be politically great for us but we could just agree but sadly it doesn't do that. Most New Zealanders actually are not better off. And where this Budget has missed a real opportunity is there is virtually nothing in it to help New Zealanders to help themselves.Now the National Party is often—it is said we talk a lot about the economy and a lot about business and that's correct because the economy is people and in New Zealand Kiwis own businesses. It was the case not so long ago and I'm sure it still is that New Zealand had more small businesses per capita than any other country in the world. These are hard-working mums and dads that get out of bed every day and go to work they take risks they borrow they put their houses up as equity and they look to employ others so they can provide for themselves and their family—they are the economy. They're not the large companies that often do well one way or another it's actually in every single suburb in every single part of New Zealand these hard-working Kiwis that were looking towards the Budget and this Government for some help as a result of everything that's happened over the last four years and particularly the significant impact that last year had upon them as a result of the restrictions and lockdown and the debt that they took on. It does not do that and therein lies the problem that it is a missed opportunity.Business New Zealand came out very quickly on the day and actually to their credit they do talk about things the Government does in a light that I may not always be politically comfortable with. They offer praise to the Government when they get it right—this Labour Government. But in this case Business New Zealand said they're disappointed at the lack of focus on growing the economy in Budget 2021 and I quote Business was keen to see less burdensome regulation policies to stimulate growth and development and more certainty around business policies into the future." Kirk Hope said "There's not enough really in there to boost economic growth." Well if the economy is individuals it's people it's hard-working Kiwis that run businesses who take risks and there isn't enough in this Budget for the economy—there is not enough in there for these hard-working mums and dads.But what we have seen over the last four years and certainly since the election is changes that come very quickly through this House often through urgency without appropriate time in committee that add cost to businesses. So on the one hand we've got significant costs coming down when businesses are doing it hard: a doubling of the sick leave. Nobody in this House would argue that if somebody's not well they shouldn't be looked after but when you double sick leave you're imposing costs directly upon small businesses that are already finding it hard to pay the bills. An extra holiday that they must meet the cost of and the fair pay agreements that are going to be anything but fair.Do you know the most interesting thing if you go back in history and you have a look at countries around the world when the leader of a country puts the word "democratic" in the name of the country it often isn't democratic and that's been the case in many places around the world. To call this a fair pay agreement means it's not actually going to be fair; it's actually going to revert to an area where the Government with unions will get to tell hard-working Kiwis and small businesses what to do. And yes the Government says "Well we'll pay attention and we'll make sure that say in Invercargill they're not treated the same as in Queen Street." but that won't be the case because this is extra cost placed upon small business through bureaucracy that they're already finding it hard to pay the bills for.The Government has increased the minimum wage very very quickly over the last three or four years. It was a commitment that they made. It's now $20 an hour and soon it will go further. The Minister responsible has said he wants to look at moving it further to the equivalent of the living wage. Every time the Government puts the minimum wage up quickly it does have an impact upon the economy and it is on those small businesses because when you put a cost upon a business a small business it can only meet that cost in one of three ways. It has to put its prices up. Well they can't always do that and if they do the very people the Government say they're trying to help are impacted because costs go up for that consumer—number one. Number two they have to economise and they don't let people go straight away but we see it when it comes to confidence from the business sector. When business confidence is down it's an indicator of what will happen in six months' time. It's a lagging indicator of what's happening in the job market. And if somebody leaves they often will not be able to replace them. It means they have to work harder for what they are doing and the very people the Government says they're trying to help with vast increases in minimum wage actually are worse off.Yes the economy creates jobs but it doesn't create jobs for the people that are losing them that often have the lowest level of skill and they actually earn the least and that the Government is forcing out of the workforce because of the costs they put on businesses.Well the final thing a small business has to do is absorb that cost. What's happened over the last four years is—if there is a single small business in the country that can still absorb costs the Government's piling on them I would be surprised. That's why in January of this year there were a thousand fewer small businesses than the same time a year ago. The rate with which we see small businesses closing in New Zealand is escalating quickly some of that as a result of COVID—some of it is—but not most of it. Most of it is the debt they've taken on that the economy is not doing as well as the Government says and that there is cost being piled upon them day after day after day. There are some things in the Budget that I would like to say are good. The last speaker the Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan spoke about some more support for small business but it's not the support that the small businesses in New Zealand need. The $22 million this year to help them with some digital stuff? It hasn't been defined. And actually there are a lot of small businesses out there that say—Manuka restaurant owner Peter Reeves who says he doesn't have time to do training as the Government's crackdown on immigration means he's had to wait tables rather than focus on growing his business. He doesn't need help from that. His small business needs the other type of help that allows him to pay his bills and to grow his business which grows the economy. But there are others in here who are saying it's just as bad. There are many questions. But if help is needed for small businesses is it really about the digital economy just at the moment? Is that the most important thing or could the Government have taken some of the $1.5 billion or whatever it was he wants to plough into putting together Chinese locomotives down in Dunedin and applied that to things that would actually help the private sector the small businesses mums and dads who are finding it hard to pay their bills and therefore finding it hard to provide for their families?There are many things that are lacking in the economy at the moment. There is a lack of skills in the workforce. The Government has said there is some money they've set aside to train people. But as we are waiting as we waited for KiwiBuild and light rail and fees-free to actually deliver businesses in New Zealand are struggling. They need the skills now to grow their businesses. You know I've had a business get in touch with me an engineering workshop who actually wanted to employ somebody who had skills—he was in New Zealand but from overseas needed a work permit—so that this person could train others to work in the business. And when he went to look to apply for the work permit because the Government has resoundingly said "The border is closed. We're not issuing these things any more." he was told he had to find somebody in New Zealand who doesn't have the skill. He didn't want this person to take a Kiwi's job. He wanted them there to train others and they said no. Time and time again they are being let down. There is a need for labour in New Zealand skilled and unskilled. The Government suggested it wants to lift everybody up. But I tell you what there's not many members on that side of the House that will be out there worrying that the kiwifruit won't be picked or the apples won't be picked because the workforce is not there. It is not the fault of these hard-working Kiwis and their businesses that they can't get the labour they need. The Minister of Tourism went to Queenstown and announced money to help tourism—$20 million to help tourism not be tourism businesses any more—and they can't get the labour they need to do what he says is "pivot". The border remains closed without the Government talking about when they would like to open it. There is a lot more bureaucracy. There is cost being piled on. If this was a Budget as the last speaker said that lifted all New Zealanders up well that would be a good thing. But it doesn't. It doesn't do anything for small businesses who are in debt and finding it hard. It doesn't do anything to show there is a plan to grow the economy sustainably. If the economy is going to do well it's through the Government's debt-fuelled spending and when they spend money New Zealanders don't get their roads they don't get their infrastructure. It is not a good Budget."