Ryall Tony: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Ryall Tony: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:609;Page:6262] 
Hon TONY RYALL (NZ National—Bay of Plenty) 
: 
 This bill currently before the Committee originally introduced to the House with the title the Industry New Zealand and Trade New Zealand Integration Bill has since become the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Bill. It is a bill that seeks to move some way down the track towards equating with the proposals of the National Party that the various business support agencies within New Zealand should be amalgamated in one authority. It provides that two of those agencies Industry New Zealand and Trade New Zealand should be amalgamated. 
During this Committee stage the National Party wants to do a number of things. The first thing we will do of course is to propose a number of very well-thought-out amendments that provide for an increased number of agencies to be incorporated in this authority. We will propose to change the name of this authority and to remove the considerable influence of and potential for meddling by Ministers that this bill proposes. We will also seek to ensure that prudent management of the taxpayer’s money is an overarching principle with regard to this new authority. 
 We have moved a number of amendments to the title because we believe it should more fairly reflect not only what is proposed in the bill but also what the bill will look like after the National Party’s substantial amendments are passed by the Committee. I say that with some confidence because I am convinced that if the parties in the House genuinely want to support the development of private enterprise and of an export-oriented economy in this country they will back amendments to roll into this organisation the 32 different granting authorities that currently exist in this country to support business. There is no point in including only two of them in this bill; we should put in the whole lot—all 32. 
Very shortly we will be tabling amendments that propose a number of changes to the title. In particular I recommend to the Committee that it support my amendment to change the title to the “Investment New Zealand Bill” because the authority that we want to set up according to our policy is an agency to be called “Investment New Zealand”. We believe that it would bring a much stronger focus to the effort that we want from this sort of authority. We do not want it to be limited solely to Industry New Zealand which is now a tainted and discredited brand. We do not want to undermine the good work of Trade New Zealand. We want to have a new authority that gives clear direction as to what we are telling overseas people that this authority will do. It is about investment in New Zealand so the title should correctly reflect that. 
If members do not want to support that amendment then I have another amendment that reflects clearly what is being proposed in this bill—the “Amalgamation of Trade and Enterprise Services Bill”. That title more fairly reflects what this bill will look like after the National Opposition’s amendments are made but it is certainly not inconsistent with what is proposed in the bill at this time. I foreshadow that we intend to debate rigorously right through the night and into tomorrow afternoon the fact that this bill does not go far enough. The title limits what the bill can do; it shows the limits on the vision of this Government. We want to lift those limits and to include in this bill the rest of the 32 granting agencies and funds that assist business. We want to have a much more efficient use of the taxpayer’s money and to expunge from New Zealanders’ memories the disaster that has been Industry New Zealand. 
Case after case—Sovereign Yachts New Zealand Yachts—shows there has been a failed investment by Industry New Zealand. Huge amounts of money have not been granted. That money did not get into the pockets of those who sought it. It is a system that does not encourage small-business people to make use of the funds. The Committee will be hearing about the advice we have received from both small-town and big-city accountants about how difficult it has been for their organisations.