Indian Newslink Digital Edition Sept 1, 2020

08
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
Electionlink
Small businesses offered cash grant, employment law changes
Venkat Raman
Cash grants for creating jobs,
repealing sections of the
Employment Relations Act, capital
injection for investments and
reducing tax compliance costs are a part
of the business package offered by the
National Party for small businesses.
Leader Judith Collins said that New
Zealanders need a government with
the experience, the competence and
the vision to rescue the economy, save
businesses and protect jobs, launching
National Party’s ‘Small Business Plan’ in
Wellington on August 27, 2020.
Paul Goldsmith and Andrew Bayly,
respectively Finance and Small Business
spokespersons were among those
present at the launch.
Empowering growth, success
Describing New Zealand’s entrepreneurs
as critical to economic recovery,
Ms Collins said that National Party will
empower small businesses to grow,
thrive and succeed.
“The only sustainable way to create
new jobs is to reduce barriers, costs and
uncertainty for the private sector, and in
particular small businesses,” she said.
There are four main components to
the Small Business Plan. These include
(a) Encouraging small businesses to
invest in new equipment and machinery
by allowing them to immediately deduct
new capital investments up to $150,000
(b) Encouraging job creation by providing
a $10,000 cash grant for new hires
with its JobStart policy (c) Repealing
changes to the Employment Relations
Act (ERA) enforced by the current
government (d) Providing up to $30,000
as capital to New Zealanders who have
lost their job to invest in a new business
idea through National’s ‘BusinessStart’
Package.
“New Zealand is facing its worst
economic downturn in 160 years.
More than 200,000 New Zealanders are
now on unemployment benefits and a
further 280,000 jobs are being kept alive
by wage subsidies,” Ms Collins said.
Flexible and productive
The Party’s Business Policy said that
National believes in a flexible, productive
workplace in which workers get a
National Party at the risk of failing the test
David Hall
It is not easy being a political
Opposition in the midst of a
crisis.
The volatility within New
Zealand’s National Party, which
has had three leaders in as many
months, is a case in point.
Advantage for Labour
Some argue this is circumstantial.
The Covid-19 crisis has benefited
the incumbent government
or, more precisely, Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party.
Of course, that public support
could easily vanish in the event of
a mismanaged outbreak, because
voters don’t respond to a crisis
itself, but to the competency of
its handling. Yet the government
appears to have won public
confidence – and so, for now, the
electoral advantage.
But there is more going on. Under
pressure, the Opposition risks
sabotaging itself by failing in its
role as Opposition – that is, failing
in the duties and responsibilities
that accompany this office.
Formally, this role is titled “Her
Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.” Her
Majesty, of course, refers to Queen
Elizabeth II, still officially the
Sovereign of New Zealand.
The meaning of Opposition
is also intuitive to grasp. As
the largest party that is not in
government, its job is to oppose
– to challenge, to test, to needle, to
inquire. The Opposition ought to
hold the government to account.
Opposition is a recent invention
This role has not always existed
in parliamentary systems; it was a
19th century innovation.
But it enriched democracy by
guaranteeing a space for dissent,
for formal disagreement with the
government of the day.
It meant that the losers of the
political competition would not be
turfed into the wilderness, bitter
and disenfranchised. Rather, they
would remain in the fold, able to
contribute to the political process
through confrontation, critique
and even collaboration.
This gets us closer to the odd
word ‘loyal.’ It implies that the
Opposition should be loyal to
the democratic institutions that
protect its right to criticise.
Judith Collins with her Deputy Gerry Brownlee
and other MPs (AAP Picture)
It need not take the government
line on any issue, but it should
be loyal to the rules of the game,
precisely so that it can continue
playing.
Consider, by contrast, the
one-party state, where the losers
in the political competition are
shut out of public decision-making.
In such circumstances, loyalty
is pointless. The ruling party only
wants to expel or silence detractors,
to cancel their voice.
Consequently, the Opposition
has no duty of loyalty, and instead
a strong incentive to influence
public decisions by seizing power
– by coup, revolt or revolution.
Constructive Opposition
In this we see the distinction
that political theorist Chantal
Mouffe makes between “antagonistic”
and “agonistic” politics.
Antagonistic politics are where
opposing parties treat each other
as enemies, to be vanquished or
exiled. With agonistic politics,
on the other hand, parties treat
each other as noble adversaries,
worthy of challenge but also
respect.
The institution of the loyal Opposition
facilitates a constructive
agonism.
As New Zealand-born
political philosopher Jeremy
Waldron argues, it instructs the
government to assume the loyalty
of the Opposition, not treat it as
treasonous merely because it
voices disagreement.
Meanwhile, the Opposition
must oppose, but it must do so
without burning down the house.
Yet the Covid-19 crisis is seriously
straining this loyalty.
A dangerous game
It started out well with New
Zealand’s Epidemic Response
Committee, a cross-party vehicle
of agonistic democracy, where
the Opposition could openly hold
the government to account, even
under a state of emergency.
But the subsequent leaking of
sensitive information for political
fair deal and businesses are productive.
“National supports an approach
where employees and employers are
trusted to work out employment matters
themselves in good faith,” the Policy
said.
Ms Bayly said that New Zealand’s
businesses deserve better employment
law and incentives for growth, creating
new jobs and take people away from
unemployment benefits.
“Kiwi businesses are struggling
under the weight of poor regulation and
mounting costs. We will simplify industrial
relations legislation to reduce red
tape and encourage businesses to create
new jobs by repealing the Government’s
changes to the Employment Relations
Act,” he said.
Union objects to ERA repeal
National’s plan of removing the
90-day trial period will not be relevant
gain by National Party members
betrayed a lack of loyalty to
government institutions, and
to New Zealanders who entrust
them with private information.
Now, the Opposition is insinuating
that the government publicly
withheld information about the
present outbreak.
Given how swiftly this coronavirus
spreads, and how much
the government has to lose from
its spreading, it is not politically
rational for the government to
cover it up.
It is a cynical suggestion, and
the Opposition risks that many
voters will see it as such.
This is a dangerous game. The
Opposition is undermining trust
at a time when trust is incredibly
important. New Zealand’s strong
levels of social and institutional
trust are a key factor in our
relatively successful pandemic
response.
Its degradation, a loss of trust
in official medical advice, for
example, or the authority of lockdowns
– diminishes the country’s
capacity to fend off Covid-19.
It further diverts attention
away from more credible
shortcomings in New Zealand’s
pandemic response, such as
contact tracing and quarantine
protocol.
A noble calling
And it feeds into the paranoia
that crises conjure up. Social
media platforms such as Facebook
and YouTube are revealing
themselves as effective engines
of conspiracy and indoctrination,
with implications we are still
coming to understand.
The Opposition’s appeals to
paranoia only add more fuel to
the online inferno.
Yet the electoral gains, if there
are any, are liable to spill toward
minor parties, such as the New
Zealand Public Party, which make
conspiracies their forte.
Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition
has a noble function, all the more
important in this volatile political
moment. Upholding rather than
denigrating that office is what
will reinvigorate the loyalties of
voters.
David Hall is Senior Researcher
in Politics at Auckland
University of Technology
(AUT). The above article has
been published under Creative
Commons Licence.
to small businesses since this clause in
the Employment Relations Act will be
applicable only to larger companies
hiring more than 19 persons as full time
employees.
New Zealand Meat Workers Union
said that its members were ‘horrified,’
and described the proposal to repeal the
ERA as ‘mean-spirited and backwards.’
The Policy seeks to remove breaks
including lunch breaks, the Union said.
“Working people have fought long
and hard for fair breaks and welcomed
the return to scheduled breaks under
Labour’s amendments to ERA. National’s
proposal to take smoko and lunchtime
away from people is absurd and out
of touch,” Daryl Carran, the Union’s
National Secretary said in a statement.
High performance culture
Mr Bayly said that if elected to form
the next government, National Party
will review WorkSafe and improve its
performance.
“We will deliver a high performance
culture, with an emphasis on a
collaborative and reasonable approach
to health and safety improvement. National
will also require all government
departments and agencies to pay their
contractors on time and within seven
days,” he said.
Mr Bayly said that cashflow is critical
to small businesses but only half of all
businesses are cashflow positive at any
given time.
“When large businesses do not pay
their bills on time or in a timely manner,
then small businesses with limited working
capital are the ones who suffer,” he
said.
Tax system changes
Mr Goldsmith said that his Party in
government will introduce changes
to the tax system aimed at reducing
compliance costs for small businesses.
“Our Party has been very clear, we
will not be increasing taxes or introducing
any new taxes. Businesses need
confidence to invest and create more
jobs, the last thing New Zealand needs
right now is higher taxes,” he said.
Mr Goldsmith said that his government
will lift the threshold to expense
new capital investment from $5000
to $150,000 per asset and increase the
provisional tax threshold from $5000 to
$25,000 and raise the compulsory GST
threshold from $60,000 to $75,000.
“We will allow businesses to expense
an asset once its depreciated value falls
below $3000, as opposed to having to
continue to depreciate it until its depreciated
tax value equals zero,” he said.
Compulsory testing for all travellers promised
Border and Covid-19 Management Policy announced
Venkat Raman
A
negative Covid-19 test before arrival,
compulsory contract tracing and a teston-demand
system are some of the major
changes to border control promised
by the National Party if elected to power in the
ensuing general election on October 17, 2020.
Announcing the Border and Covid-19 Management
Policy, National Party Leader Judith Collins
said that the threat of Covid-19 will linger long
and that her Party is committed to safeguarding
the health of all New Zealanders.
She said that if her Party forms the next government,
she will establish the ‘New Zealand Border
Protection Agency’ (Te Korowai Whakamaru) to
provide comprehensive management.
Stringent requirements
“We will require all international travellers
to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 test
before arriving in New Zealand. Employees of
the Agency, border facility workers and District
Health Board staff who treat or test patients will
be compelled to use contact tracing technologies,”
she said.
Attacking the government as disorderly, leading
to confused response, Ms Collins described the
current system as ‘ad hoc,’ putting the health and
livelihoods of five million New Zealanders at risk.
“More than 1.6 million Aucklanders are
locked down right now because the Government
dropped the ball on testing, tracing and managing
people in isolation. It is not good enough. The
expensive and ineffective systems we have now
are not up to scratch. National will manage the
border effectively to keep New Zealanders safe,”
she said.
Covid-Card to be introduced
The Party’s Border control policy provides
for rapid deployment of Bluetooth applications
to enhance contact tracing while also exploring
alternative technologies, such as a Covid Card.
Striving towards a test-on-demand system with
a waiting time target of no longer than 60 minutes
for a Covid-19 test.
The Party’s Covid-19 Border Response
Spokesperson Gerry Brownlee said that the
Crown-owned Agency dedicated to defending
New Zealand from the virus would be established
within National’s first 100 days in Government.
“This Agency will be resourced to act as a centre
of expertise. It will have the personnel, technology
and capability to provide a world-class defence
against Covid-19. In the medium-term, technological
advancements will improve our ability to
test and track the virus. National will immediately
invest and seek to rapidly deploy Bluetooth
technologies to enhance contract tracing, making
these mandatory for border facility workers
and District Health Board staff who treat or test
patients,” he said.
Mr Brownlee said systems should be continuously
improved in order that lockdowns are
better managed and made more effective.
Second line of defence
Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti said that his
National Party Leader Judith Collins with Deputy Leader
Gerry Brownlee and Health Spokesperson Dr Shane Reti
(New Zealand Photo by Mark Mitchell)
Party recognises the need to prepare a second line
of defence, behind our border, to identify, trace
and quickly isolate any intrusions.
“The first line of defence must be strong border
management, but a high-quality contact tracing
system is a vital second line. With strong contact
tracing systems and a more sophisticated testing
and compliance structure we can minimise the
impact of further incursions and protect those
vulnerable to the disease,” he said.
Dr Reti said that National will follow
international models and require people coming
into the country to not only quarantine but also
test themselves for Covid-19 three days before
departure, and provide the results of that test to
airline staff before boarding their plane.
Key features of Policy
1. Establishing Te Korowai Whakamaru/NZ
Border Protection Agency to cut through the
confused response from Labour.
2. Require people travelling to New Zealand to
provide evidence of a negative
3. Covid-19 test before arriving.
4. Deploy compulsory contact tracing technol
ogy for Agency workers, workers in border
facilities and points of entry, and District
Health Board staff treating or testing
patients.
5. Ensure new arrivals can be adequately
contact traced by requiring compulsory use
of contact tracing technology.
6. Immediately invest and seek to rapidly
deploy a Bluetooth application to enhance
contact tracing capability.
7. Explore alternative contact tracing technol
ogies to add more tools to the contact-tracing
system (eg: Covid Card).
8. Widen the availability of testing throughout
the country, making sure there are readily
deployable mobile testing stations in
each main population centre as well as
any population centre where there is a
quarantine facility.
9. Implement a target for test waiting times of
no longer than 60 minutes for a test.
10. Require regular testing of aged care
workers.
11. Have regular opportunities for testing
within retirement homes.