Clark David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Clark David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 18 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5273. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
7. 
Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) 
 to the  
Minister for Small Business 
: What changes if any has he proposed to the Minister of Commerce to the Companies Act 1993 to reduce the burden of compliance on small businesses? 
Hon JOHN BANKS (Minister for Small Business) 
: 
 I am always considering recommendations that will help small business. I have been a small-business owner myself for 50 years but as the Minister for Small Business I have not proposed any such changes to the Companies Act to the Minister of Commerce. 
Dr David Clark 
: Will he propose any changes to section 377 of the Companies Act regarding the penalties for a director making a false statement to cover those who cannot remember or just did not bother to read the statement before signing it? 
Hon JOHN BANKS 
: No I have not made any such proposal to the Minister of Commerce. I am not proposing any changes to the Companies Act and I certainly am not proposing to raise the minimum wage to $15 as it will turn big businesses into small businesses and put small businesses out of business which is what that side of the House wants to do. 
Dr David Clark 
: Will he be moving to amend the Companies Act so that those small-business owners who do not read statements that they sign and that are found to be false will be exempted from any prosecution; if not why not? 
Hon JOHN BANKS 
: I have not considered that and I am also certainly not proposing to take GST off fruit and vegetables because it would put a compliance nightmare— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Chris Hipkins 
: Can he answer the question now? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: He has answered the question. 
Jami-Lee Ross 
: If the Minister is not recommending any changes to the Companies Act what other initiatives is the Government undertaking to help small business and reduce compliance costs? 
Hon JOHN BANKS 
: That is a very good question from a fine member of this Parliament. I am always talking to my colleagues about how the Government can help small businesses and grow the economy. As Minister for Small Business—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I apologise to the Minister. The member asking that question has just as much right to ask a question as any other member and the House deserves to hear the answer. There will be some respect for this House. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We were just checking to make sure that Mr Goldsmith was all right. He appears to have slunk down— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! That is not a point of order. 
Hon JOHN BANKS 
: Small business is the backbone of the New Zealand economy and I am very honoured as member for Epsom to hold this portfolio. As Minister for Small Business I have launched an updated version of  
Start Manage and Grow 
—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I apologise to the Minister again and I say to the Labour middle benches that that is not good enough. The members are better than that and they should display better than that. 
Hon JOHN BANKS 
: As Minister for Small Business I have launched an updated version of  
Start Manage and Grow your Business 
 which provides small businesses with up-to-date information about how the Government can help them grow their business. I have also released a report on the Small Business Advisory Group’s recommendations and will be coordinating the Government’s response to those recommendations. Further this John Key - led Government has reduced the company tax rate and launched the Better Public Services initiative and the Business Growth Agenda which will substantially assist people in growing their small business which is what it is all about. 
Dr David Clark 
: Should a small-business owner read all statements that they are required to sign under the Companies Act; if they do not do so how would he describe them: a negligent; b careless; or c John Banks? 
Hon JOHN BANKS 
: That member asking the question has never owned a small business and I am certainly not going to propose removing the financial difference between working and not working by tampering with Working for Families as the Greens want to do. I am not going to change the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act as New Zealand First is proposing because it will wreck the economy. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With the greatest respect I understand Mr Banks’ difficulty but loud obfuscatory answers are not what the House wants. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! [ 
Interruption 
] Order! There will be no—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! I think there is some merit in the member’s point because New Zealand First did not even ask the question and there were no excuses for bringing New Zealand First into the answer.