The NZBR has taken a close interest in Commerce Act issues because of the pervasive influence of the Act on commercial decision making in New Zealand. Read more
It is vital that Infrastructure Auckland establishes a valid and consistent view of its role and function that conforms fully with its governing legislation. We consider that in the Plan Infrastructure Auckland has not adequately distinguished its responsibilities and activities from those of other agencies and it has given insufficient attention to its statutory obligation to fund public (not private) good activities. Read more
The Regional Land Transport Committee (the Committee) is responsible for preparing the Strategy. The Committee is chaired by a Wellington Regional Council (WRC) councillor and includes the representatives of 17 organisations. Read more
We have supported moving to a single competition threshold test that would apply to trade practices and business acquisitions. Business acquisitions and trade practices are part of a continuum of possible contractual arrangements rather than distinctly different forms. They should therefore be subject to the same regulatory rules. Read more
The NZBR has taken a close interest in electricity sector reform issues over the past 15 years. We have strongly supported moves to put the industry on a more conventional commercial footing, subject to only light-handed regulation. Read more
The NZBR strongly supports the government's broad approach to road reform in recent years. We have done so because the road network is an important part of the nation's infrastructure and we believe that substantial efficiency gains can be achieved by reforming its management. Read more
In our view the Statement is seriously deficient. Its first major deficiency is its failure to point out that the proposed measures will not remedy the problems that motivate them, even if all countries achieve their targets. Read more
A chronic tendency in many areas of policy in the past in new Zealand was to respond to 'crises' or 'threats' by establishing national 'strategies' or 'plans'. Thus, in the 1970s, concerns about energy supplies led to 'energy plans' and ultimately to the Think Big programme. Read more
In the NZBR's view the Coalition government's 1997 and 1998 budgets were risky to the point of imprudence. The Asian crisis has merely served to expose dramatically the underlying weaknesses in fiscal and growth strategies adopted during the last and current parliamentary terms. The present weak and unbalanced state of the New Zealand economy (with a large current account deficit) owes much to inadequate fiscal discipline. Read more
The analysis in the Paper fails to distinguish between profits that arise from successful cost cutting, investment and innovation and profits that arise from the abuse of a monopoly position. Read more
The NZBR fully supports a policy of user charges for government-provided goods and services where purchases are voluntary, supply is subject to competition and the government chooses not to privatise the government provider. As long as supply is on a competitively neutral basis, such user charges can be thought of as a price that tracks marginal cost and reflects marginal user valuations. Read more
The main features of the bill are summarised in the appendix to this submission. The explanatory notes to the bill assert that energy efficiency measures are the least-cost way that New Zealand can reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Read more
The NZBR welcome the key reform set out in the Bill. Opening up the Employers' Account to competition is a step in the direction that the NZBR has advocated since 1987. Read more
In broad terms the argument for raising the adult and youth statutory minimum wage rates is that it would increase the incomes of low-wage employees and produce a fairer distribution of income. People higher up the wage scale may also enjoy smaller wage gains as a consequence of increased demand for substitutes for low-productivity labour. Read more
The discussion document highlights certain disquieting aspects of New Zealand society, including a high and growing rate of dependency on welfare benefits among working-age people, a high level of families at risk, high levels of sole parenthood, disturbing rates of child abuse and neglect, and low levels of educational achievement of many children. Read more