Penny Simmonds – “Let’s Back Business And Allow Our Economy To Thrive.”

It’s 2022 – let’s hope this year brings us better things.

Over the past 18 months, Southland’s economy has been hammered by Covid-19.

Businesses have suffered and events have been cancelled.

The closure of the border slashed $20 billion from NZ’s economy almost overnight with the loss of international tourists and students.

Our agriculture sector lost access to seasonal workers and businesses were cut off from skilled migration.

Some of the economic damage has been masked by massive government borrowing and spending.

In just 18 months New Zealand has doubled its debt.

The country is now shifting to a new period in our Covid response.

We need to continue to focus on getting our vaccination and booster shot rates up – suppressing cases and treating the sick.

We also need a new economic strategy.

The Government cannot just continue to borrow while locking down our economy and hoping for the best.

We need to back business and back the regions.

Business is really just people. People with an idea, some capital, and the confidence, talent and courage to take a risk.

National believes we need to back businesses to invest another dollar and hire another person – that will save livelihoods and unleash our economy.

Rather than believing the Government must do everything, we back businesses, like those in Southland, to succeed and flourish – and benefit local communities.

Let’s make 2022 a better year by backing business.

Published by arrangement.
Penny Simmonds, Member of Parliament for Invercargill.
Email: [email protected]