Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:670;Page:16695] 
KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) 
: 
 Let me start my first contribution of this year with this: I am proud to be part of this National Government which listens to the needs of the people. Firstly I would like to speak on small businesses. I belong to a family that has always been in business. I myself have been involved in various businesses for the last two decades. From my experience I can certainly say that one needs a lot of skills to manage customers suppliers and purchasers and to comply with the legal requirements for running a small business. I also can say with full certainty that the members of this Government and our Prime Minister John Key collectively have enough experience to understand what the requirements of small and medium sized businesses are and what difficulties they are facing in today’s difficult economic times. Ninety percent of businesses in New Zealand are small and medium sized businesses that employ fewer than 20 people. About 70 percent of them claim to be family businesses. The Government has done a lot to help small and medium sized businesses since we have come to power. We want businesses to do business and not just the paperwork. 
This Government has incorporated the 90-day trial period which gives opportunity and flexibility to both employers and employees to gain in employment. There have been some doubts from the Opposition about the 90-day trial period but from my personal experience I know as a fact that no employer ever wants to lose a good employee. Once one finds a good and loyal employee the business becomes well-organised and cost-effective and can run smoothly. Therefore the 90-day trial period in my opinion has given people with less experience the opportunity to gain employment in positions that previously might not have been possible. It has also given employers the opportunity to hire people whom they might not have previously in order to find an employee who will be an asset to the business. 
In New Zealand we have to be multitaskers to run our businesses efficiently and profitably. For example if one is the owner of a retail business one will have to work as a teller an upper-tier manager and also manage the accounts. But it also does not stop there; the owner of the business has to have support from family members in difficult areas. I appreciate all those family members who help to run their family businesses. If one looks at the number of hours they put into retail business one sees that it is very extensive and usually they have to work 7 days a week. 
The other issue that this Government has addressed effectively—and it is one we should be proud of—is law and order. When this Government came to power the situation was very bad. The previous Labour Government had not put enough initiative into law and order. Before the 2008 election National promised to take action to tackle violent crime address the drivers of crime and put victims at the heart of the justice system. Under the leadership of the Hon Simon Power we have toughened sentences and restricted bail for violent offenders. We have also increased support compensation and services for the victims of crime. 
Another major milestone that we have completed under the leadership of the Hon Judith Collins is that we have employed an additional 300 police in Counties-Manukau and 200 across New Zealand. Last year during my visit to one of the public meetings in Manukau I asked students how they felt about law and order in their area. One of the students replied that she lived in Manurewa and used to feel very scared when walking home from school or from friends’ houses but now she feels more confident as she sees more police on the street. She said that now occasionally police drive through or walk around the neighbourhood. That ensures her safety. Labour left the country in total confusion and National has picked up the pieces. The probation and parole services were in crisis criminals were pocketing millions in illegal proceedings and there was a serious shortage of police to tackle these issues. I am proud that this Government has worked hard to bring confidence to the citizens of South Auckland in particular. 
On the topic of law and order I also add a small note on taxi driver safety. As most of us are aware last year there was the tragic death of taxi driver Hiren Mohini. His death caused shock waves around the taxi industry and taxi drivers were very fearful for their safety. The Government has listened to the concerns raised by the taxi industry and has worked hard to put new law into place quickly such as cameras for the taxis. Although there is no way that we can make drivers 100 percent safe evidence from overseas shows that the installation of cameras in taxis dramatically reduces the risk. Drivers who work during the night feel that this measure will greatly enhance their safety. 
Time and again it has been pointed out as Labour members talked that we have very high unemployment. The reason behind this issue is that Labour during its long term in Government did not make any provision for sufficient mechanisms in place to ensure that if and when we had an economic crisis we would not have such high unemployment. 
When we took over from Labour one in five school-leavers could not read or write and had no maths skills which are basic necessities for anyone for success in life. The Government has introduced national standards into schools to overcome this problem. National standards will eradicate the problem of those who are falling behind and will enable teachers and parents to identify those who are falling behind and provide them with the help they need. 
Before I conclude I would like to touch on another important issue of infrastructure. New Zealand’s economy extensively depends upon exports. Produce needs to be dispatched on time and exporters should have reasonable facilities to access the overseas market. Unless we have world-class telecommunication and infrastructure we will not be able to compete with other suppliers from overseas. We must ensure that our exporters have world-class facilities and because this Government has a strong focus on economic growth we are investing in science and innovation. It will be vital to lay a strong foundation for growing businesses and increasing our exports. The new Ministry of Science and Innovation will be an effective bridge between science and industry to help turn great ideas into export success. This will not only increase our export revenues but also create new jobs. The National Government has a positive attitude about the progress of this country. We have to ensure that we expand the economy so that everyone in this country benefits from this growth. Thank you.