4. Question No. 4—FinanceHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 4—Finance4. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the Prime Minister who said yesterday My advice would be to anyone who finds themselves currently unemployed and wishes to start their own business don't for a moment think that you need to gamble with your retirement savings"?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I agree with the Prime Minister's full statement that continues after the words in the question "when instead through the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) someone can access the Flexi-wage subsidy to start their own business and to support themselves as a self-employed person. They can also access through MSD a business start-up fund that can give them up to $10000 to start up their own business."Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he think that starting a business in New Zealand under his Government's policy settings is the equivalent of rolling a dice down at SkyCity?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No on this side of the House we understand that it's important that when you start a business you've got the full support of the community around you of the Government. When it comes to SkyCity the gambling approach is that of the Opposition if I recall last term.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he think that starting a business under his Government policy settings is the equivalent of buying a Lotto ticket and if so what's he doing to reduce the odds?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. What I think we're talking about here is a risky uncosted policy put forward by the Opposition that puts people's retirement savings at risk.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could I ask the Minister of Finance as to whether the analogy of rolling the dice is one that comes to mind in a report to him where at the end of the rolling of the dice we end up with a smaller convention centre?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That's right. All references to SkyCity should be directed to Steven Joyce.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he accept that everyone starting a business is taking a calculated risk—will he find customers or will she find customers or not—but that we won't advance as a country unless more people are prepared to take that risk?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Every single person who decides to start a business is making a courageous decision and one that we should back. That's why we have facilities through MSD and elsewhere to support that. What should not be put at risk is their retirement security which unfortunately the Opposition seems to want to do here because they've decided they don't want to contribute to the super fund.Hon Paul Goldsmith: What's wrong with allowing people who have lost their jobs during a one-in-100-year event as he himself describes it to draw on their KiwiSaver funds to start a business if they back themselves to have a go?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We will back them to have a go but what we will not do is risk up to $60000 worth of their future retirement income that they need.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Doesn't he agree that we'll get more jobs created if we focus on making it easier for businesses to succeed by keeping taxes low by pushing back at regulation and by allowing investment to flow and when will he do that?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We're very focused on this side of the House on helping businesses succeed and I invite the member to take a look at the Xero Small Business Insights report that has been released that shows that Kiwi small businesses are recovering better than those in the UK and Australia.Hon Stuart Nash: Is the Minister aware of any initiatives this Government has put in place over the COVID period to help small businesses succeed through the COVID phase?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Madam Speaker many and I don't think you'll let me run through them all.DEPUTY SPEAKER: No.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: But for example the Small Business Cashflow (Loan) Scheme and the wide variety of tax measures that have put money back in the pockets of New Zealanders—thanks in part to the Minister of Revenue.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he think that small-business owners around the country should be thanking their lucky stars that he is the Minister of Finance every day and that all the progress that has been made is due to the hard work of his Government?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The progress that has been made is due to the hard work of the team of 5 million and in the case of myself the kūmara does not speak of how sweet it is."