Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 24 October 2012. Volume:685;Page:6113. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
3. 
KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: What is the Government doing to encourage businesses to invest and grow jobs? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 The Government is doing many things to help improve the environment for businesses to invest and grow. I recently released the Business Growth Agenda report  
Building Skilled and Safe Workplaces 
. This report highlights the Government’s actions to materially lift labour productivity drive sustained growth and deliver higher wages and living standards to New Zealanders. It brings together 62 specific actions in a comprehensive programme to encourage skills development across all age groups and lift our productivity. Initiatives include a starting-out wage to help young people into the workforce a new skills and employment hub for better job-matching in Christchurch and an annual  
Occupational Outlook 
 report for parents and students to give them industry guidance on careers in demand. 
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 
: What reports has he seen of alternative programmes? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I have seen various alternative proposals regarding encouraging investors to grow businesses and add jobs in New Zealand. One purported to be pro-growth tax reform is a capital gains tax which would slap a tax on every single New Zealand business and farm. Another in relation to the proposed takeover of Fisher and Paykel suggested Government Ministers should be able to veto the sales of shares in publicly listed companies. Both of these suggestions if there were any chance of them happening would no doubt greatly reduce the likelihood of investors wanting to invest in New Zealand and grow jobs. Far from a recipe for encouraging investment these policies promoted by Mr Shearer and his understudy Mr Cunliffe would deter investment. 
Hon David Parker 
: I seek leave to table reports from the OECD the IMF Treasury and the Reserve Bank favouring a pro-growth capital gains tax. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I seek the leave of the House would the member please identify the reports? 
Hon David Parker 
: Yes. They are the latest periodic report of the OECD into the New Zealand economy the same from the IMF and the briefing to the incoming Minister from Treasury. The Reserve Bank document I cannot put a date to so I will not pursue it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We seem to be a bit sort of excited about this. The last two documents I think are available to all members—briefings from Treasury and the Reserve Bank. However the first two documents were the latest periodic publications of both the IMF and the OECD. Leave is sought to table those two documents. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 
: Has the Minister seen any other reports of alternative programmes? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: In fact I have. Another such alternative calls for cranking up the printing presses and printing money in a vainglorious attempt to stop the world economy so that we can all get off. Of course it would have the immediate effect of whacking up the cost of living for every single New Zealander and would discourage investment in New Zealand. I have also seen calls for a blanket ban on deep-sea oil drilling shutting down the fishing industry and closing the West Coast to further mining development all of which would undermine local jobs and growth. These particular proposals come from the Greens and depending on which day it is the Labour Party as well. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I think the Minister has had enough time. He has no responsibility for those parties’ policies. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave for the Minister to be able to table a copy of his most recent glossy brochure— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Under what Standing Order is the member doing that? I am unaware of any such Standing Order. If the member can point it out I am very happy to assist. It is just that I am not aware of it. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: The Minister referred in his previous supplementary answer to the release of his latest Business Growth Agenda paper on skills. Mr Speaker— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Order! If the Minister was quoting—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! I am on my feet. If the Minister was quoting from a document indeed the member can under a point of order ask for it to be tabled but the Minister was not. There is no provision for what the member is trying to do.