Hayes Joanne: Oral questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHayes Joanne: Oral questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 31 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2715. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.JOANNE HAYES (National) to the Minister for Small Business: How are small businesses benefiting from the export markets initiatives in the Business Growth Agenda?Hon CRAIG FOSS (Minister for Small Business): Small and medium businesses that are export focused are benefiting from the Business Growth Agenda which is helping to create a more competitive and productive economic environment. The export market strand in the Business Growth Agenda is assisting small businesses in a number of ways such as improving access to international markets through free-trade agreements such as the recently signed Korea - New Zealand free-trade agreement and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is helping internationally focused small businesses succeed in overseas markets. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise works hard with 3500 companies focusing intensively on 700 of those. These initiatives and many others show how this Government is supporting and growing export markets and opportunities for New Zealand small businesses.Joanne Hayes: What reports has the Minister seen on export growth for small and medium businesses?Hon CRAIG FOSS: I have seen a number of reports that show that exporting opportunities for small and medium businesses are continuing to grow. The 2014 Statistics New Zealand Business Operations Survey released this month shows that the number of small businesses engaged in export sales has increased—Dr David Clark: Why are there fewer small businesses under National?Hon CRAIG FOSS: —listen carefully to this—from 13 percent in 2007 to 21 percent in 2014. For medium-sized businesses engaged in export sales this has increased from 21 percent in 2007 to over 28 percent in 2014. This export growth of our small and medium sized enterprises is leading to more revenue higher profits growth and more jobs for New Zealanders.Jacinda Ardern: Does he stand by the statement made on the business.govt website that “No business should pay more than it needs to for insurance cover”; if so why does he not accept the advice from ACC itself that currently businesses are paying too much for their insurance cover?Hon CRAIG FOSS: I welcome the member’s patsy once again—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Just rise and answer the question.Hon CRAIG FOSS: A pleasure. Small and medium sized businesses are already benefiting or are about to benefit from a locked in $1.5 billion reduction in ACC levies as we have heard from me in response to many questions—17 questions on this matter I believe—from the Opposition as well as in what the Minister for ACC just recently said. Cash flow considerations for small and medium enterprises such as insurance and taxation are essential and the last thing that they need is complex new taxes that will negatively impact upon their cash flows.Joanne Hayes: What would negatively impact export growth among small and medium businesses?Hon CRAIG FOSS: Small and medium businesses are experiencing increased export growth. They need certainty as they look to grow further and grow their export opportunities. Small and medium sized businesses do not want uncertainty on whether existing free-trade agreements or new free-trade agreements are supported or not. They do not want uncertainty as to whether new and complex new taxes would be thrown on to them. They do not want uncertainty as they look to explore export growth as to whether they can employ new Kiwis and more workers under the 90-day trial as they look to expand export growth. The statistics that I mentioned earlier show that the trade policies of this Government are very good for New Zealand’s small businesses.