“That is why this plan is focused on practical changes that give them time back, whether that is helping them through their first hire, resolving employment disputes faster, or letting them update core business information once instead of repeating it across government.”
National would progress MP Dan Bidois’ Member’s Bill to give independent mechanics better access to car makers’ information – something Labour earlier this week pledged to do.
Elsewhere in the plan is a promise to review the compulsory GST registration threshold, which National says has remained at $60,000 since 2009.
The party would develop a fast-track process for minor employment disputes through a simplified Employment Relations Authority (ERA) pathway, make better use of mediation to resolve disputes, require ERA determinations within a month of the investigation meeting or final submissions, and review the authority’s enforcement powers.
It would require a minimum level of employee support before new collective bargaining can begin, proposing a threshold of the lesser of 10 employees or 20% of those proposed to be covered, with a minimum of two employees.
A “Tell Government Once” Service would be centred around the New Zealand Business Number so business information can be updated once and then shared across agencies and councils.
“Unjustified” paper-retention requirements would be removed and new guidance would be published on accepting lawful electronic records and evidence.
The party would replace “unnecessary compulsory newspaper notices with searchable online publication and appropriate community notification”.
Similarly, “obsolete fax, telex, and paper requirements that impose a real compliance burden” would be removed.
Brewer and National leader Christopher Luxon were unable to say what the cost of the “Tell Government Once” service would be or how it would be funded beyond saying it would be absorbed within existing baselines.
“We are not in the business of having uncosted policies.”
Pushed on his inability to provide a specific cost for this policy, Luxon reiterated, “this is our baselines, it is out of baselines”.
National finance spokeswoman Nicola Wills said MBIE and IRD received hundreds of millions in funding and would be able to create the service with those existing resources.
“In this term of Government, we have said to government agencies go and do more with less – and we intend a second term of doing the same.”