MP’S COLUMN
Last week I was fortunate enough to host two Government ministers here in South Waikato. Hekia Parata and I visited Forest View High and Tokoroa High School. The minister was really impressed and thoroughly enjoyed her visits to the schools. On Friday Maurice Williamson was guest speaker at the mayor’s business breakfast. The minister spoke to a business audience on his statistics, customs, building and construction, and land information portfolios and their relevance to businesses.
The opportunities for trade and economic development in the Taupo electorate are strong, particularly here in South Waikato, and it is a priority for me to support local businesses in fulfilling their potential. We can all agree that New Zealand needs more and higher-paying jobs.
Jobs depend on businesses that are competitive – businesses that sell something people value as unique, or of better quality, or at a lower price.
To be competitive, businesses depend on six key things: ideas and innovation to create business opportunities, money to build the business, access to raw materials, skilled people to work in the business, customers who want to buy the products, and public infrastructure such as electricity, broadband and transport that the business depends on.
So the recipe is simple: if we want more and better jobs for New Zealanders, we need to encourage more businesses to be based here.
Making it easier for firms to access all six is the focus of the Government’s Business Growth Agenda.
As part of this, the Government is producing progress reports on each of the six areas to give businesses and the wider public a clear picture of what the Government has under way, and get their feedback to develop it and improve it. Our first two reports have just been issued.
The Building Innovation progress report gives a clear picture of the more than 50 policy initiatives the Government has under way to improve innovation, competition, and the commercialisation of smart ideas and research into new products.
The Building Export Markets progress report sets an ambitious target of increasing the contribution that exports make to our economy from 30 per cent to 40 per cent of GDP by 2025. This target is an important part of our plan to build a more competitive and productive economy.
Through our Business Growth Agenda, we are committed to actions that will provide opportunities for competitive companies to grow and create jobs.
I would like to thank everyone who has sent me feedback regarding same-sex marriage, as per last week’s article here in South Waikato News. Your views are very important to me and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know your thoughts on topical issues.
If you would like to request more information, need assistance with an issue, or would like to share your views with me, please email Upston .sthwaikato@parliament.govt.nz or phone Vivian in the electorate office on 07 886 5554.