2. Business—CostsHon AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) to the Minister of FinanceBusiness—Costs2. Hon AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) to the Minister of Finance: What reports or correspondence if any has he received about cost increases on New Zealand businesses as a result of the Government's policies and actions; and is he concerned cost increases on business will increase the cost of living for New Zealanders?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I receive reports from officials on most Government policies and actions and where appropriate they provide advice on the impacts on New Zealand businesses—for example on the increase to the minimum wage. I have received some correspondence from businesses on the impact of Government policies but this is far outweighed by the correspondence this Government has received from New Zealand families who are benefiting from the Families Package. In answer to the second part of the question it is possible as it has always been that businesses will pass on any cost increases they face to their customers. From the point of view of this Government that's why we have implemented measures to lift incomes and wages including today's excellent announcement that 5000 mental health and addiction support workers will now get access to a pay parity deal they were previously excluded from.Hon Amy Adams: What quantification does the advice he's received tell him about how Government changes have increased costs on small business and how that will increase the cost of living of New Zealanders?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I get a range of advice. It doesn't all quantify impacts on New Zealand businesses. For example the advice from officials on the minimum wage increase varies as it did for the previous Government—that it may cause some reduction in employment although that doesn't actually tend to follow. It also has said that it may have minimal impacts on inflation although in the case of the latest change Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment officials indicate that it would be very small.Hon Amy Adams: Does he have any advice at all that he has sought that gives him any understanding of what the cost on small business has increased by as a result of his Government's policies and actions?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I get a range of advice as I said from officials. But the member is falling for the classic accountants' trick of seeing the cost of everything and the value of nothing. So investing in our transport system in Auckland actually means better productivity for businesses. So actually the things that the member thinks that are costs are investments in our future that her party failed to make.Hon Amy Adams: So what does he say to Grant Allen a hard-working small-business owner who's written to me recently with copies of six letters from suppliers who are all notifying him that they've had to increase their prices because of higher fuel labour and compliance costs under this Government?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I said before yes there are increased costs for transport projects right across New Zealand and especially in Auckland. That is because we are addressing as a Government a legacy of nine years of underfunding of transport. When we get this right in Auckland—which we'll do—we will make sure that the $1 billion a year of lost productivity in Auckland caused by traffic congestion will go back into the economy and grow good-paying jobs.Hon Amy Adams: Is he saying that he has no concern about the issues raised by small-business owners of increasing costs under this Government which have been described by another small-business owner as a perfect storm of rapidly escalating compliance wage fuel and insurance costs and which are flowing through to raise the cost of living of New Zealanders?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We're working very closely with small businesses on things such as extending the subsidy for professional payroll intermediaries. We're moving to e-invoicing. We're changing the research and development regime to reduce bureaucracy. If the member's interested she might like to attend one of the Minister for Small Business' roadshows that are on modernising the way you do business. If she happens to be in Matamata on 21 August or Queenstown on 27 August or even Westport on 31 August she can find out just what this Government is doing for small business.