Korako Nuk: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKorako Nuk: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 26 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2651. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.NUK KORAKO (National) to the Minister for Economic Development: What reports has he received on the progress of New Zealand businesses succeeding internationally?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development): Last night I was privileged to attend the New Zealand International Business Awards in Auckland where some of New Zealand’s top exporters were recognised for their excellence in innovation design operations marketing and leadership across the world. These are the companies that get out there and compete and win on the world stage. Magic Memories a Queenstown-based tourism photography company won the Supreme Award for International Business. Smaller businesses were also recognised with International Volunteer HQ whose founder and chief executive officer Dan Radcliffe took out the Entrepreneur of the Year award in October winning the award for the under $10 million category. Other award winners include Milmeq Powershop and Synlait and its chief executive officer John Penno. Miraka from Taupō won the new award for Māori Excellence in Export.Nuk Korako: How is the Government helping New Zealand businesses to succeed and grow internationally?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The Government is very active in assisting these companies and if you actually read through the list of 25 finalists at the business awards last night all but two of them have been assisted in some way by Callaghan Innovation or New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and in many cases by both. To continue growing the number of New Zealand businesses succeeding internationally it is important that we continue to grow the number and range of businesses that engage with both of those entities and also with our regional business partners. That is why in Budget 2014 we announced an additional $69 million over 4 years to boost New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s presence in important markets like South America the Middle East and China and to grow the number of companies that it works with intensively up to 700. During the election campaign last year we also pledged to invest further increases in business research and development co-funding with Callaghan Innovation.Nuk Korako: Ka mihi anō. What else is the Government doing to grow New Zealand exports?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: For a small country at the bottom of the world a long way from our traditional and emerging trading partners it is important that we give our companies the best opportunity to compete in international markets. To secure that access to international markets this Government has beenadvocating and negotiating and will continue to advocate and negotiate for free-trade agreements whether they be with the Gulf Cooperation Council the Trans-Pacific Partnership or the New Zealand - Korea free-trade agreement signed by Tim Groser on Monday. That is why we will also be opposing the Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill which would torpedo the Korean free-trade agreement and others that we are negotiating. To be perfectly clear to anybody opposite who might be confused that bill which is supported by both New Zealand First and the Labour Party is entirely inconsistent with the Korean free-trade agreement and with past free-trade agreements and you cannot be in favour of both.Hon Te Ururoa Flavell: Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. In light of the outstanding successes by exporters like Miraka which is the inaugural winner of the Māori Excellence in Export award He Kai Kei Āku Ringa at the New Zealand International Business Awards last night what is the Government doing to support greater numbers of Māori businesses to be able to trade internationally?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The Government is working very closely with actually yourself Minister Flavell and also with the Māori Party and Te Puni Kōkiri around the implementation of the Māori Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan He Kai Kei Āku Ringa. He Kai Kei Āku Ringa provides a blueprint for a productive innovative and export-led Māori economy that will support better-paying jobs and higher living standards. It is following through on that commitment through things like the $30 million Māori Information and Communications Technology Development Fund the $8 million Māori Innovation Fund and encouraging New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to expand its relationship with Māori companies. And one way that was done of course was the announcement of Miraka’s win at the New Zealand International Business Awards last evening.