Paul Goldsmith - Economic and Regional Development

17 September 2018

The Prime Minister has given her second major speech in three weeks and bizarrely makes no mention of the key announcement of the first – her Business Partnership Agenda, National’s Economic and Regional Development spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“Her address in Auckland had no more substance than last time. It is very strange that she trumpeted her Business Partnership Agenda in a keynote speech last month, saying it ‘brings together the strands of this Government’s economic strategy’ and now it doesn’t rate a mention.

“We are now all confused – three weeks ago her economic strategy was drawn together by the Business Partnership Agenda. Now it has disappeared without trace. It looks like the Government is flailing around, bouncing from slogan to slogan.

“She also failed to mention her Business Advisory Council headed by Air NZ chief Christopher Luxon.

“When the Prime Minister last spoke in Auckland she was attempting to fend off criticism that she hadn’t bothered to talk to business and that confidence was plunging.

“That’s still happening – business confidence is at nine-year lows and business says it was ignored on changes to employment law.

“No-one running a business is going to be reassured by the Government simply repackaging its old ideas for re-release like the Prime Minister did over the weekend. Governing is about more than just branding, slogans, acronyms and working groups.

“The previous National Government launched a wide-ranging Business Growth Agenda. This coalition appears to have removed ‘Growth’ and replaced it with ‘Partnership’ but now it looks like the whole idea has been quietly dropped.”

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