Peck Mark: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Peck Mark: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:614;Page:10366] 
9.  
MARK PECK (Labour—Invercargill) 
 to the  
Minister for Small Business 
: What recent reports has he received comparing the small—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This is the one warning today. Start again please. 
Mark Peck 
: Tell that member we measure people from the neck up in the Labour movement. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There was an insult from Mr Peck. He was talking about something—I think it was a comment made by Lloyd George about measuring somebody from the neck up—and I hope he was referring to himself; or it may have been an insult and I think he should explain himself. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think the member could perhaps restrict his points of order. That was not one. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This had better be a genuine point of order. That last one was not. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Mr Speaker if you can tell me where his comments are in his question as written pray tell me now; otherwise it is a sincere and genuine point of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I ruled it was not. 
Mark Peck 
: What recent reports has he received comparing the small business environment in New Zealand with Australia? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE (Minister for Small Business) 
: 
 According to the New South Wales Chamber of Commerce small businesses in Australia—our largest trading partner—spend four times as long completing their GST returns as New Zealand small businesses do. This is one indicator only. The New South Wales Chamber of Commerce also reports that small businesses in that state spend on average 50 days a year on tax and industrial relations paperwork alone. This compares with a total average compliance burden of 9.5 hours a month in New Zealand according to the National Bank’s  
Small Business Monitor 
. While I am pleased we have a level of regulatory burden that is a lot lower and lighter than the Australians this Government is committed to working with business to improve the situation further. Next year’s small business summits will give those running small businesses a chance to have a real say in how that will occur. 
Mark Peck 
: Has the Minister seen the TMP/Hudson Global Resources job index report; if so could he tell the House what it states about the hiring expectations of New Zealand business? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: The recently released TMP/Hudson Global Resources job index report was accurately summarised in today’s  
New Zealand Herald 
. There is a job bonanza in New Zealand currently. We have high demand for workers the lowest unemployment rate in New Zealand in 15 years low inflation low interest rates and a growing economy. New Zealand businesses are benefiting from this and from a very worthwhile Government. 
Lindsay Tisch 
: Given that the New Zealand company tax rate of 33 percent is one of the highest company tax rates in the Asia-Pacific region with Australia’s rate at 30 percent and from next year Singapore’s rate at 20 percent why does he not advocate a lower New Zealand company tax rate to help boost investment and wealth-creating small businesses and to improve New Zealand’s sustainable economic growth? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: Notwithstanding the matters raised by the member New Zealand businesses have a very very competitive setting and are doing very well. 
Mike Ward 
: Has the Minister seen the report of the Government of Western Australia on the effectiveness of its “buy local” policies which shows that 92 percent of state Government agencies purchased at least 70 percent of their requirements from local businesses; does he acknowledge that this policy—the “Buy Queensland First” policy and other Australian “buy local” policies—provides small businesses across the Tasman with a more supportive environment than their counterparts here in New Zealand have; and could he explain his Government’s reluctance to give a similar measure of support to New Zealand’s businesses? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member asked three questions and the Minister may comment on two of them. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: I have not seen that report. 
Mike Ward 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. He answered one of the questions. There were two others. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No he said he had not seen the report. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is the Minister aware that small dietary supplements businesses in Australia endure high compliance costs as a result of being regulated by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration and can he assure the House that the Government will listen to the small dietary supplements businesses in New Zealand that are exhorting it not to regulate their industry through the heavy-handed and draconian Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration and expose them to higher compliance costs and the bureaucratic quagmire of a trans-Tasman therapeutic goods agency; if not why not? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: We are aware of a number of dodgy things that have occurred in that industry in Australia and as a consequence the Government has moved to regulate the industry here. We are looking at this matter and studying it very closely. 
Mike Ward 
: I seek leave to table the State Supply Commission of the Government of Western Australia’s  
Buy-Local Policy. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.