Latest / Best of Business / Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on business leaders' call to back the South Island as a driver of New Zealand's growth

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Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on business leaders' call to back the South Island as a driver of New Zealand's growth · Best of Business

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks b Follow
• 0:12
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• 0:16
  Speaker 2: Here we go. South Island's launched an election manifest Are
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  Speaker 2: you ready for this? All eight Chambers of Commerce want
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  Speaker 2: to be recognized as the new engine room of the country.
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  Speaker 2: They want more investment in productivity. The plan is to
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  Speaker 2: lift South Island GDP per capita to one hundred and
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  Speaker 2: thirty twenty thirty five. LeAnn Watson is Business Canterbury's boss
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  Speaker 2: of course, and is with us Lee and morning, Good
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  Speaker 2: morning Mike. You're sort of doing this already by yourselves,
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  Speaker 2: aren't you.
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  Speaker 3: Well. I think what this manifesto does show is that
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  Speaker 3: there's really great alignment across the South Island. And you know,
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  Speaker 3: this is really about setting a really clear message to
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  Speaker 3: all of the political parties. It's simple as New Zealand
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  Speaker 3: wants stronger productivity, higher incomes and greater resilients back in
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  Speaker 3: the South Island. Growth is one of the smartest investments
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  Speaker 3: they can make.
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  Speaker 2: What can they do?
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  Speaker 3: Literally, We've set out some pretty practical sort of ideas
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  Speaker 3: and steps in the document and you know, you mentioned,
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  Speaker 3: you know the South Island, you know, being an economy
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  Speaker 3: that has grown really well. We want to make sure
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  Speaker 3: that those opportunities. If we want those businesses communities across
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  Speaker 3: the South Island to continue to grow, we need these
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  Speaker 3: simple but practical steps to really be considered by the
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  Speaker 3: political parties and put in practice. So, you know, we've
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  Speaker 3: really outlined some key areas around workforce and immigration settings
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  Speaker 3: that must better reflect regional labor market needs. Infrastructure investment
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  Speaker 3: should get ahead of demand and strengthen our freight and
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  Speaker 3: supply chain resilience. We've got a growing export community. You know,
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  Speaker 3: we really do have some amazing products coming in and
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  Speaker 3: out of the South Island, so that supply chain is essential.
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  Speaker 3: Things like reliable and affordable energy, you know, essential for
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  Speaker 3: all industry, but to really enable investment and productivity growth
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  Speaker 3: and reducing unnecessary compliance will also allow businesses and particularly
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  Speaker 3: small businesses to really focus on growing and hiring and innovation.
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  Speaker 3: So you know, those are some of the practical stings
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  Speaker 3: things that we're asking for, and we hope that all
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  Speaker 3: the political parties take a serious look at this and
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  Speaker 3: get them behind it.
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  Speaker 2: See what about the regionality. I look at the West Coast,
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  Speaker 2: I look at the fast Track. I see some mining
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  Speaker 2: going on there. What you need is the next government,
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  Speaker 2: if there is a different government, to run that through.
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  Speaker 2: Otherwise it's on off stop start, isn't it.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah? Absolutely, And you know we've been asking for some time,
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  Speaker 3: engaging with all of the political parties to ensure that
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  Speaker 3: we do not have that sort of pendulum swing from
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  Speaker 3: you know, if we have a change of government, they
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  Speaker 3: come in, they spend the next three years repealing everything
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  Speaker 3: that has been put in place for the last three years.
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  Speaker 3: All that does is creates more uncertainty, more unstability, and
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  Speaker 3: businesses won't invest, they won't continue to grow. So you know,
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  Speaker 3: having that certainty is really really important for the business community.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I wish you the best with it. Leahn Watson,
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  Speaker 2: who's the business Canterby CEO, and happy birthday to Christich.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: By the way, eighteen fifty six Queen Victim, the business
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: became the first city in the country July the thirty first.
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