“Labour’s plan for small businesses is a contradictory mess”, says ACT’s small business spokesperson and Nelson employer Chris Baillie.
“Labour is piling new costs and red tape on SMEs with one hand and giving handouts with the other. It makes absolutely no sense. The most simple and effective way to help small businesses is to first do no harm.
“The additional burden facing SMEs includes one of the highest minimum wages in the world, five additional days of sick leave, a new public holiday, four weeks compulsory redundancy, higher fuel taxes and road user charges, and fair pay agreements.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Policy changes like the Zero Carbon Bill, new freshwater rules, and restrictions on overseas investors sending capital here, will slow economic growth even further.
“Jacinda Ardern’s response is to say she is going to rush through more small business loans and $300 million to hire unemployed Kiwis by the end of the year.
“Labour can help small businesses by first doing no harm.
“ACT understands the struggles small businesses are facing right now. Seven of our new caucus are SME owners.
“We would pause minimum wage increases for three years and cut GST to 10 percent for 12 months.
“ACT says we must support small business owners, farmers and entrepreneurs because they will create new jobs and pull us out of recession.”