Dean JacquiHon JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki): Thank you for the opportunity to make a contribution on the Prime Minister's statement. I re-read the Prime Minister's statement this afternoon looking to see what the statement contained other than a lot of mentions to do with well-being which we will see played out in Budget 2019. I certainly look forward to it with some trepidation about what that means for a slowing New Zealand economy.I looked at the Prime Minister's statement through the lens of course of small business and local government which are my two portfolios and particular areas of interest. I do note and to quote the Prime Minister that The IMF is warning of an increased risk of a decline in global growth amid international trade tensions"—and indeed we are seeing that—"a further slowing in China and the uncertainty caused by Brexit. Global trade growth has eased". Then the Prime Minister goes on to say "The Coalition Government is acutely aware of the risks posed by the global economy". So why then is Government policy so determined to attack small business in New Zealand which makes up 97 percent of all business activity in this country? Those are actions which are absolutely in conflict with the Government's stated aim to grow the economy and support the regions.If I just zero in on small business what are the costs and the pressures that have emerged over the last year and a half on small business? Of course wages continue to be a concern for small business. Let's just remind ourselves what small business is: it is the tradie with a truck and a small business where he does jobs. He might be a subcontractor through to the local baker through to the car dealership through to a start-up in a garage which may grow and move to export—and we do have a very rich history in that around small business. So small businesses as individuals are and will be impacted by the rapid growth in the minimum wage.Let's remember that the former National Government and Governments before that made incremental changes to the minimum wage. That was done with a view to how business and small business would be able to absorb those costs into their business models whilst not being inflationary and having a negative impact on prices and the ability for the small business to invest and grow. So together with the changes in the minimum wage and employment law changes small businesses are now sitting back. In the regions small businesses are not breaking down the wall and growing their business into another space because they simply don't know whether they can get the labour to do the work. They don't know if they invest in stock and plant—buying upgraded and innovative machinery—whether or not they are going to get a return on this not just because of the input costs into their business but of course because of the changing trade environment in New Zealand.There are a number of—and I spotted this in my hometown of Ōāmaru which has got a thriving local economy based on a broadening base of endeavour which is around irrigation development and farming and agriculture but also tourism which adds to the traditional mix of business in that particular small town replicated all through New Zealand. I counted 11 empty shops on the main street of Ōāmaru—and remember this is in the context of a thriving local economy. So I spoke to people—of course I did—and the answer came back. Particularly I remember a conversation I had with a local real estate agent who said people are just waiting because they don't know what the Government is going to do next. They don't know what's going to come at them next.Hon Member: Ugh!Hon JACQUI DEAN: Oh and they hate hearing the truth—they hate hearing the truth—but this is the absolute truth and it's being replicated all through the country.I'll tell you what's coming at them and the reason why people are waiting. It's not just minimum wage it's not just employment laws; it's also changes in immigration which the Government is consulting on at the moment. They're consulting on a programme called changes to employer-assisted work visas. Of course work visas—particularly in regional New Zealand—are critical to getting the fruit picked off the vine are critical to man our hospitals and dairy farms and are absolutely critical for horticulture viticulture agriculture tourism hospitality—you name it.In regional New Zealand we need people to come on tourist visas and working visas. The Government is going to bring in consulting on a measure which has a Draconian impact of requiring all employers to be registered—all employers to be registered. Oh good that's more red tape. You think small business—or one thinks small business—isn't noticing? It is. That is compounding the uncertainty that small business is feeling in New Zealand. To add a little bit on top of that we have the deteriorating relationship with China and the Government—the New Zealand First the Green the Labour Government—are in full denial. They are in full denial about the deteriorating relationship with China and the impact that it is having.Kieran McAnulty: What a load of rubbish.Hon JACQUI DEAN: Well no it's not a load of rubbish to that member across the House. The member might care to explain to the House—Kieran McAnulty: Well you got me there!ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order Mr McAnulty. Carry on.Hon JACQUI DEAN: —why it is that the long-planned—thank you Madam Assistant Speaker—New Zealand - China tourism launch was cancelled. That has been one of the pillars of tourism and our tourism relationship. This big launch at Te Papa just got cancelled just like that. Why? Well why did that Air New Zealand plane get turned back? Why? The relationship is being impacted. It's being impacted by this Government's failure to negotiate international trade relationships which have been managed so very well over the past decade and now we are beginning to face non-tariff barriers the likes of which we haven't seen for quite some time. You think that's not having an impact on small business? It's having an impact on small business.The member who just returned to his seat the Minister for Small Business did acknowledge that when I was small business Minister I dissolved the small business working group because I could not see enough value in it and was in the business of reforming to get some value out of it. At least he has finally acknowledged that. But what the current Minister has done is put working groups on steroids and that is just to add to this Government's already large number of working groups which is up to over 200 working groups. Well small business has got its share of working groups and the Minister has formed the Small Business Council. One of the jobs for the Small Business Council in their report-back is to make a recommendation of whether to establish a small business institute.So that is a working group where one of their tasks is to report on whether there should be another working group. Then once they've done that this working group then decides whether or not they should continue as a working group or dissolve as a working group. Well if the small business Minister calls that progress and the Government calls that progress that is not progress; that is just death by a thousand working groups which seems to be the modus operandi of this country.I also found a direct reference in the Prime Minister's statement to small business. This Government "is continuing to build connections for our businesses including small and medium enterprises offshore to increase prosperity." What a shame then it is to see that product is now being stopped at the border. New Zealand exporters are beginning to feel the direct impact of this Government's failure to manage foreign policy and it is real it is beginning to happen. Tourism is going off. Exporting is going off and what—and I'm interested in the Government's response to this—is going to be their answer to one of our major trading partners after Australia going off New Zealand?We have if you like a crisis in tourism in some parts of New Zealand. What is going to happen to that when the numbers stop coming? We already know that tourist bookings are beginning to go off the boil and all this in a context where this Government is so very determined to talk about well-being. Well well-being is great but a strong economy is greater—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! I apologise to the honourable member. Your time has expired."