2. Question No. 2—FinanceANDREW BAYLY (National—Port Waikato) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 2—Finance2. ANDREW BAYLY (National—Port Waikato) to the Minister of Finance: What advice if any has he received on the number of business closures and workers laid off as a result of the current lockdown?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I receive a range of advice on the impact of the outbreak and the restrictions on the economy as a whole including official advice from the Treasury. I also receive informal advice from the many interactions I have with businesses and workers in Auckland and around the country. At an aggregate level Treasury estimate that at the current alert level settings around 90 to 95 percent of the economy is operating at normal levels of activity. As I informed the member yesterday official figures from the Companies Office show liquidations in the period have not been materially different to 2020 and 2019 nor have removals from the Companies Register. In terms of workers I would note the number of people on a main benefit did increase after the lockdown began. However it has fallen consistently since then. This week ANZ have forecast unemployment to fall to 3.8 percent in the September quarter and—for the benefit of the member—that includes both men and women in that 3.8 figure. I recognise that some businesses and workers are doing it tough particularly in Auckland and that's why the Government has acted swiftly to put in place the economic support that we have to protect businesses jobs and livelihoods with around $4.8 billion being paid out so far since 17 August. Our enhanced business package provides further support to businesses as we move to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework and I would note that that support has been welcomed by the region's business leaders.Andrew Bayly: Has he seen analysis of Companies Office data widely reported in the media showing that there were 9524 business closures in August up 140 percent on the 3 months to July?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I'm aware of the data that the member is reporting and I'd ask him to use it with some caution in light of the fact that I'm not sure that the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment or the Companies Office fully support that data. However what I can give the member is more up-to-date numbers provided by the Companies Office that the number of company removals recorded by the Companies Office to the end of September was 22458 for the year. That compares to 22352 in 2020 and 23209 in 2019.Andrew Bayly: Has he seen reports that business closures in Auckland were up almost 14 percent in September compared to last year's monthly average and if so is he inclined to revisit the answer he gave in response to my question yesterday on business closures?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No; in answer to the second part of the question no. I've just given the member on details on company removals from the Companies Office. I could also inform him that company registrations—i.e. new companies being created in the year to the end of September 2021—were 50513 an increase in registrations on both 2020 and 2019.Hon Stuart Nash: Has the Government put any specific support in place to help Auckland small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) get through the Delta outbreak?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Absolutely. In addition to the wage subsidy scheme and the Resurgence Support Payment which are now being paid in the majority to Auckland businesses we now have the specific support delivered through the regional business partner programme and in this case Auckland Unlimited to Auckland businesses. That would be $50 million worth of support for advice and implementation of that advice to support businesses to adapt to the COVID era and also $10 million to support SMEs with any mental health needs. I want to thank the member who asked the question for his role in that work.Andrew Bayly: When he said yesterday that since the current lockdown began liquidations have been roughly equal to the same period as in 2020 was he aware that most companies that closed for good don't go through formal liquidation processes?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I said to the member yesterday I was using the data that we have available. I've given him additional data today around company removals and also around company registrations. I acknowledge this has been a tough period for many businesses in Auckland but what the Government has done is stepped up and provided support for them. If you just take the wage subsidy scheme we're talking 329153 businesses in addition to 180599 self-employed people. This is hard work for people in Auckland. It's the reason why the Government has stepped up with the support we have.Andrew Bayly: Did he try to use the formal liquidation figures yesterday to mask the real impact of the current lockdown?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Of course not.Andrew Bayly: When he said yesterday in the House that the best thing for the country is to stick with the plan was he referring to the plan to reconnect New Zealand announced 12 August the Auckland roadmap plan announced 4 October the COVID Protection Framework on 22 October or the next plan that comes into place on 29 November? Hon Chris Hipkins: Coming from National!Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I was going to say. Coming from a party that has as has been said in the House before the attention of a bored cat when it comes to COVID—going in and out changing their position—Chris Bishop: Oh come on!Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Mr Bishop says Come on!" Mr Bishop I can update on yesterday in the House that the National Party's now had five positions on vaccine certificates in the last few days. The plan I was referring to was indeed the COVID response framework. That is the plan that sees us through to the reconnecting New Zealanders strategy. It's the plan that's delivered to New Zealand one of the lowest mortality rates in the world one of the lowest hospitalisation rates in the world one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world and one of the highest rates of economic growth. The Government has been focused on saving lives and livelihoods—that is the plan.Andrew Bayly: Does he now regret that he didn't act sooner to boost support for hard-pressed Auckland businesses and to save the jobs that they provide?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The Government acted immediately on the outbreak coming into place by putting the wage subsidy scheme in. Throughout that time we've continued to tweak that support in response to Auckland businesses and we are now in a position where we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world where we continue to provide the support that we do. We have updated our support throughout the last 20 months and I would note that the latest update to it was received by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce saying that we had listened and provided a balanced response; by the Employers and Manufacturers Association who said they were pleased with the support; and by Hospitality New Zealand who were impressed by the doubling of the Resurgence Support Payment.SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the next member I just want to give a little bit of advice and that is that when members interject during an answer they do invite the Minister to go on in a way for longer than would normally be allowed and that's certainly occurred on that occasion. I would have cut the Minister off quite a lot earlier if there had not been the continuing invitations from the member who was interjecting."