Lee Melissa: New Zealand Business Number Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLee Melissa: New Zealand Business Number Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 12 April 2016. Volume:713;Page:10435. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MELISSA LEE (National): I would like to thank the member who just sat down David Clark for supporting this bill. But before I move on to talking about the bill I would just like to comment on a couple of things. Dr David Clark talked about how he actually supports businesses and how he wants the economy to grow and I would say one thing to him: support the Trans-Pacific Partnership.It is great today to see the final passage of this New Zealand Business Number Bill. The New Zealand Business Number simplifies how business can work with Government in an effective and productive way. The New Zealand Business Number is an excellent initiative supporting better business access to Government and the wider agencies. It was a privilege to be part of the consultation process that happened. As chairperson of the Commerce Committee I say we have had submissions and actually heard submissions as well. We worked collaboratively with the members opposite as well during the select committee process.The Commerce Committee considered 14 written submissions and heard only five but the committee did not recommend any fundamental changes to the policy of making the cost of doing business easier. New Zealand businesses are growing—whether they are in fact small or larger businesses they are increasing in size as well as in vigour. We are working to lift our long-term growth rate and we will help to do this by continuing to diversify and build productivity in the economy.This House knows that our Government has been working really hard for business as well as supporting the development of high-quality public services. Our public services must be able to give support to both commercial and sole trading needs. We know that businesses have been asking for an easier way to deal with Government agencies and this New Zealand Business Number will be providing that. It will be delivering that for businesses.It is really a pleasure to be able to offer the opportunity to small businesses. Small businesses across New Zealand are the ones with the most to gain from the New Zealand Business Number. Taking up time with bureaucracy is in fact a waste of skills as well as resources for hard-working New Zealanders and this will be reduced through the adoption of the New Zealand Business Number. It will also save businesses about $60 million a year which will naturally help New Zealand to get rid of some debt and support our local economies creating more jobs and opportunities for Kiwi families.A majority of businesses in New Zealand are mum and dad family owned businesses. I mean a big chunk of the New Zealand economy is actually run by small business operators and ease of business is something that this Government wants to promote. Ease of business is something that we are delivering for these businesses through the New Zealand Business Number.I know that members opposite have sort of suggested that this is just another number; it is not so. It is in fact a number that will help to transform our economy. The New Zealand Business Number is a unique identifier provided by the GS1 global standards organisation which supports wider portability across different agencies and sectors and will also allow greater access to e-commerce. It is also able to recognise Australian business numbers. So we will be able to do business with much more ease and hopefully better produce greater profits for these businesses.Businesses are keen and willing to sign up to the New Zealand Business Number and our Government has acquired 10 million unique identifiers to provide to those businesses. I know that there were concerns raised in regard to Government departments taking and using the New Zealand Business Number and that is my hope as well. Implementation is something that needs to happen fairly quickly and I believe that it will. I think the New Zealand Business Number is part of a greater programme of this Government delivering business growth to New Zealand.The Business Growth Agenda is focused on lifting business confidence and on building strong export markets building investments and building innovation. The Business Growth Agenda is a plan from our Government to lift economic performance and support better economic management in this country. The New Zealand Business Number is a great thing for New Zealand and New Zealand businesses. I commend this bill to the House.