Wang To Be Advocate For Small Business

Wednesday 24 Nov 2004

Rodney Hide - Press Releases - Economy

New Zealand's newest MP Kenneth Wang has been made ACT Spokesman for Commerce and Associate Spokesman for Education. He was also given the newly created spokesmanship of Small Business, ACT Leader Rodney Hide announced today at a special ACT caucus meeting.

Mr Wang will also sit on the Commerce Select Committee.

Mr Hide: "Successive governments have made it tough to be in business. ACT wants to make doing business easier. Small businesses are ACT's core constituency and Kenneth personifies our voting base. The three spokesmanships sit well with him given his extensive experience in New Zealand business, and his close interest in education."

Mr Wang is managing director of his own small business Brandworks - an Auckland-based marketing and advertising agency.

"Kenneth is one of the very few MPs in parliament who knows the pressures of paying other people's wages week in, week out. He joins us straight from a hectic commercial environment where he is very aware of the many concerns of small and medium-sized businesses. Kenneth will bring a fresh perspective to the ACT caucus," said Mr Hide.

Mr Wang: "New Zealand businesses are faced with many hurdles, constraints and costs. I will work tirelessly as their advocate in parliament. Like household incomes, business margins have been eroded over the past five years because of increased taxes, creeping inflation and soaring compliance costs under Labour.

"The Government is building huge surpluses while commerce and industry are working night and day to pay their taxes. It's not fair and it's not sustainable. Every business and every worker deserves to keep more of what they earn and that's what I will be pushing hard for in the lead up to the general election. I'm also looking forward to driving mediocrity out of our education system. If our young people are to compete internationally our education standards need to be lifted across the board. I can't wait to get stuck in," said Mr Wang.

At this morning's caucus meeting, the ACT MPs gave their new colleague a framed copy of the New Zealand Gazette, which declared had him elected. They also presented him with two essential parliamentary guides - Standing Orders and the Speaker's Rulings.

Kenneth Wang will be sworn in when parliament resumes on Tuesday 30 November.

ENDS

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