Lee Melissa: New Zealand Business Number Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLee Melissa: New Zealand Business Number Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 09 February 2016. Volume:711;Page:8826. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MELISSA LEE (National): Thank you for the opportunity to rise and take a call on this piece of important legislation for the Government’s agenda to promote innovation and business. From the way the previous speaker Dr David Clark was speaking I was considering for a moment that he might be opposing the bill but I am glad that he is actually supporting the bill. Just a reminder that he spoke about Novopay and I just want to remind that member that it was actually one of his colleagues who advised the previous Government to take that on.It is important to remember that a key goal of Government is to cut red tape where possible and a key measure in doing so is creating efficiencies in transactions between business sole traders and others engaged in business with the Government as well. As stated in the report of the Commerce Committee we noted that the bill’s efficacy will depend on Government agencies’ widespread adoption of the New Zealand Business Number. Without this the bill’s outcome would be in danger of becoming another overhead for business and Government which could increase businesses’ overhead rather than minimise them. And I know that members opposite have also mentioned this.In New Zealand at the moment many businesses trading companies sole traders and active societies are hampered by the problems of dealing with multiple Government agencies without cross-sharing of data. Their business can actually be hampered by the bureaucracy when dealing with trading partners internationally as well. This bill addresses these problems most succinctly by giving each New Zealand business a one-size-fits-all globally recognised data number with the Global Location Number the “GLN”—a number that allows businesses to step up their engagement with the State and business partners without compromising costs or their own opportunity to get wider advice.Implementation of the New Zealand Business Number is the result of the Government’s legislation agenda to promote better business and it is a key component of the Better Public Services programme as part of Result 9 “Delivering better public services to business customers”. This programme is aimed at reducing by 25 percent—25 percent by 2017—the costs to businesses of dealing with Government. So far more than 1 million New Zealand businesses and counting have been allocated a Business Number. Through Government and business working with the new Global Location Number model there will be a number of positive benefits for business around New Zealand.Many businesses traders and suppliers want to take advantage of the initiative which will give them a much better relationship with New Zealand Government agencies and will decrease their costs by the end of 2017. I know that the member opposite David Clark was slightly concerned that initially there might be an increase in costs. Often when new things actually take place there are some increasing costs including I guess when there was a new leader on the Opposition benches—you know they had to change their stationery and these things do actually cost a little bit of money.This bill is one of many actions that our Government has been taking over the last several years. This bill is actually a way of helping all New Zealanders get smart about business and of helping businesses get more services from Government. It is not about red tape; it is about reducing red tape. Through the adoption of the New Zealand Business Number companies and traders will have far fewer repeat occurrences in Government administration that arise from the high level of red tape that our Government is currently trying to unwind and reduce. National believes in improvement to public services and we believe in innovation and better business. The New Zealand Business Number is simply a promotion of those key principles. This is a great bill. I have enjoyed the process the Commerce Committee has run—Dr David Clark: It was a good process. Congratulations to the chair.MELISSA LEE: —and I believe that we actually had good advice and we have actually had thorough debate. There was some disagreement but as the member opposite David Clark said we believe in the principle and I am glad that the Opposition is actually in agreement that this is a bill that we should all commend. I agree with those members and I commend the bill to the House.