Peck Mark: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peck Mark: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:612;Page:8884] 
11. H V ROSS ROBERTSON (NZ Labour—Manukau East) 
 on behalf of  
MARK PECK (NZ Labour—Invercargill) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Commerce 
: What reports has he received comparing business compliance costs in New Zealand with Australia? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE (Associate Minister of Commerce) 
: 
 Recent reports from the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the New South Wales State Chamber of Commerce highlight the higher compliance costs faced by businesses in Australia our largest trading partner. This is most notable in areas such as GST compliance superannuation and payroll tax accident compensation and occupational health and safety. These figures highlight why New Zealand is a great place to do business and why the idea of packing up and moving to Australia is not that clever. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: How do the figures in the report compare with other international evidence? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: The 2003  
Index of Economic Freedom 
 published by the Heritage Foundation and the  
Wall Street Journal 
 ranks New Zealand third in the world for economic freedom compared with Australia which ranks ninth. The report which noted an increase in economic freedom since 1998 goes on to describe New Zealand’s regulatory regime as relatively light and transparent and commented that it is easy to establish a business in New Zealand. In its 2002 economic survey the OECD commented that the quality of Government regulations and their administration in New Zealand is generally of a high international standard. 
John Key 
: Why have the Small Business Advisory Group appointments not yet been announced when the Minister said that they would be announced by the end of June; and can he confirm that the delays are because the Government cannot find business leaders who will not challenge the policies it has said are not open for debate or review—such as an overhaul of the Resource Management Act? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: I am delighted to advise the member that quite contrary to his views we had hundreds and hundreds of applicants—in fact 640 high-calibre applicants. They took a hugely long time to vet and the Government is about ready to announce some very capable and superb applicants in the very near future. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is the Minister aware that New Zealand producers of dietary supplements will face dramatically higher compliance costs if they are forced into a trans-Tasman therapeutic goods administration—with no gain in safety when compared to a strengthened New Zealand regulatory model—and this may force many of them to relocate to Australia; if so why will he not step in to protect these businesses from such a fate? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: No. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: Does the Government have a modest goal to ensure business compliance costs are not quite as bad as in Australia or does it have an ambitious goal to eliminate red tape as far as practicable in order to give New Zealanders a true competitive advantage in the global marketplace? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: We prefer the ambitious one.