“As if small businesses haven’t had a tough enough time as it is, the Government is piling a bit more misery on them with another minimum wage hike on Friday,” says ACT’s Small Business spokesperson Chris Baillie.

“There is a dearth of experience running a business in the Labour Government and it is decisions like this that make it evident.

“With a recession looming the Government shouldn’t be imposing more costs on businesses.

“The Government needs to stop pandering to the unions, reassess its agenda, and think of the New Zealand public. If business is doing well, the whole country will do well.

“If the Government wants wages to rise then businesses need to be able to make a profit. Instead they continue to make it harder and harder with minimum wage increases, more public holidays, so-called Fair Pay Agreements, a taxpayer-fueled employment insurance scheme, watered down 90 day trials and increased sick leave.

“ACT would put a moratorium on minimum wage increases. It’s simply unaffordable and businesses need certainty now more than ever.

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