A request, Prime Minister

Wednesday, 25 February 2004, 9:39 am
Press Release: Business New Zealand

Dear Prime Minister

Your Government has signalled its intention to review or reverse its policies in several areas, apparently because the views of those affected by them have not been fully taken into account.

A question: Who pays for schools, for the Treaty process, for flood relief?

Answer: Three hundred thousand businesses and the people they employ. They pay through their taxes, GST, rates and so on. Those taxes fuel the economy and pay the Government's bills.

Your Government is proposing profound changes to the way that virtually all those businesses can employ the New Zealanders that pay their own way in our community.

But none of them were consulted about the content of the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill. Only the unions, representing 12% of private sector employees, were consulted.

Given the critical role of businesses in fuelling the prosperity of all New Zealanders, why not a pause so that some real "constructive dialogue" on this Bill could also take place before it is rushed through, Prime Minister?

Yours sincerely

Simon Carlaw Chief Executive Business NZ

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