4. Question No. 4—TourismHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister of TourismQuestion No. 4—Tourism4. Hon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister of Tourism: What action if any will he take this week to save businesses and jobs in the tourism sector?Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister of Tourism): This week like every week since this Government has been responding to COVID-19 we will continue to support tourism businesses through our Economic Response Package which includes wage subsidy assistance the business finance guarantee scheme changes in tax provisions as well as the tax loss carry-back scheme the Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme changes to the tax loss continuity rules and further business consultancy support.Hon Todd McClay: Thank you. Will he confirm today that wage subsidies will be extended for tourism businesses—who this week face laying off staff—so that these New Zealanders can keep their jobs?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: In consultation with the tourism sector that is one of the—they would like certainty around the wage subsidy scheme. Those sorts of decisions will be made by the appropriate Ministers at the appropriate time. The wage subsidy scheme—the Minister of Finance was the architect of that. It's not a decision that the Minister of Tourism makes by himself.Hon Todd McClay: Will he today confirm that tourism businesses will receive cash-flow grants rather than Government debt so they have certainty and Kiwis can keep their jobs?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: I've already rattled through a list of things that tourism businesses can access and to just expand on that a bit further there is up to $12 billion in wage subsidies so that affected businesses can keep their staff. There is $2.8 billion in business tax changes to reduce cash-flow pressure including provisional tax threshold lift the reinstatement of building depreciation and writing off interest on late payment of tax. There is an initial $600 million package to help the aviation sector. There is a $6.25 billion business finance guarantee scheme for small and medium sized businesses. There is further support for small to medium sized enterprises including the $3.1 billion tax loss carry-back scheme; as I've said changes to the tax loss continuity rules; further business consultancy support; and there is greater flexibility for affected businesses to meet their tax obligations. The Government has done a heck of a lot to help businesses not just tourism businesses.Kiritapu Allan: How is he ensuring that the tourism sector is involved in his work to respond and restart the industry in a post-COVID world?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: As the Minister I've hosted a webinar. By the end of this week we should have been in touch with over 3000 people from the tourism industry: tourism operators and businesses. I'll continue to host multiple regional webinars every week where each webinar involves about 150-plus tourism operators. Tourism New Zealand is also engaging in one-on-one contact with industry players to ensure everyone gets a chance to be part of the restart of our tourism industry in a post-COVID New Zealand.Hon Todd McClay: Will he tell tourism businesses today what restrictions they will face under level 2 and whether New Zealanders will be able to travel domestically so these businesses can this week make decisions to save jobs?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Well again if the member waits until Thursday then a lot will be revealed. But the thing is tourism operators have said to me that they want certainty around the wage subsidy scheme they want restrictions on domestic travel lifted and they would like a trans-Tasman bubble to be created. But the thing is that all of those decisions are made by other Ministers whereas I have input—and represent the interests of the tourism industry—on behalf of the tourism industry. But one thing I will not do is stand up and undermine my fellow Ministers by talking out of turn on areas that impact their portfolios.Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Can the Minister confirm that on the last opportunity that myself—as Prime Minister—had to sit with tourism operators in Rotorua they highlighted the importance of a successful campaign against COVID being part of their recovery so that people can look to New Zealand both from a tourism perspective in the future but also from a trade perspective with confidence in our response?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: That's right. Do it once and do it right. We know that the best thing for our economy is to stamp out COVID-19 and not to risk going up and down between levels. That would be the worst thing ever for not just tourism but the whole economy.Hon Todd McClay: Will he give certainty to the tourism sector today about when his Government hopes to open the trans-Tasman border and under what conditions so these businesses can keep people in work and save jobs?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: I have it on good authority that the Australian Cabinet are still meeting about this very issue. And again if we're talking about lifting border restrictions we need to talk to the Minister of Foreign Affairs the Minister of Immigration the Minister of Customs and certainly the Minister of Health. I represent the interests of the tourism sector and I make sure that my colleagues know exactly what the tourism sector wants. We're heading in the right direction and that is the best thing that we can do.