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Advocacy for business by the BusinessNZ Network | |
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We need a plan for coming out of Covid, says Kirk Hope, CEO BusinessNZ - businesses need clarity around their rights and obligations regarding vaccinations and are asking what are their options if the Government doesn't mandate vaccinations for their industry. Businesses are operating under conditions of extreme uncertainty, worried about staff wellbeing, and are coping with huge regulation changes without knowing what the plan is - more consultation with business over such issues is needed, he says. | | | |
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Residence pathways for 165,000 temporary migrants is a win for business. Last week the Government announced availability of visas and residence pathways for around 165,000 international workers currently in New Zealand, in a one-off initiative. The move had been strongly advocated by BusinessNZ. Further availability for more skilled workers is now needed to fill skills shortages in many industries, Kirk Hope says.
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NZ ranks 9th in the world for security, equity and sustainability in energy, in the Energy Trilemma Index 2021. BusinessNZ Energy Council’s Tina Schirr says NZ’s energy system is sustainable and relatively low-carbon, but our energy security has declined recently, with more energy imports and less storage of local oil. Energy security could be increased by moving to a more diverse energy mix, Tina Schirr says. | | | |
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Growth and connecting with the world |
It’s critical that an international signal is sent that New Zealand will be, or is, open for business. In the Mood of the Boardroom briefing Kirk Hope says the big issues are about connecting with the world and reigniting economic growth – getting better performance on things like the vaccine rollout, and achieving better testing, tracing and quarantine performance, to enable opening New Zealand's international border safely, and enabling a post-Covid focus on growth rather than redistribution. | | | |
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ACC levies need to be more transparent, says BusinessNZ’s submission on ACC’s proposed charges for 2022-5. Accounts should always be fully funded to meet ACC’s insurance remit, and levy-smoothing - levies set higher or lower than needed - should be done for short periods only, to avoid reflecting political goals rather than sound actuarial practice, BusinessNZ economist John Pask said. Levy-payers need ongoing transparency around about what they pay for and what they claim. | | | |
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Advocacy spot: defending gas |
NZ’s energy security and prosperity are being held back by unnecessary investment uncertainty says Energy Resources Aotearoa. Advocate John Carnegie says gas is important as a fuel for homes and businesses, and as a bridge to a more sustainable energy system, and continued investment is needed in NZ’s gas supply, to prevent high gas prices for businesses that rely on it as a fuel, and to help NZ transition to a lower emissions economy while waiting for new energy sources become commercially available. | | | |
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AdvocacyUpdate is an update on recent activity & advocacy by the BusinessNZ Network | |
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