Simon Bridges: Auckland Business Chamber CEO on Wayne Brown's manifesto for Auckland

Auckland's Business Chamber CEO says we have nothing to lose by loosening transit visas for Chinese nationals. 

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's updated his Auckland Manifesto, laying out a Beehive to-do list. 

It includes calling for the Government to reconsider loosening transit visas for Chinese Nationals, giving them more freedom for short stays in the country. 

Simon Bridges told Ryan Bridge it would be an easy sugar hit for the economy. 

He says he can't think of single reason not to do it, as China's a lot more developed and wealthy than other South-East Asian countries. 

Bridges is also backing the mayor’s renewed call for a tourist bed tax in the city.  

Browns calling for the Government to reconsider an Auckland tourist bed tax, adding a small levy on short term accommodation. 

Bridges told Bridge it'll help bring in funding so more major events can come to the city. 

He says both central and local government are failing Auckland when it comes to major events. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wayne Brown and Auckland has refreshed his magnificent manifesto for Auckland.
He says work with the government has been mostly good,
but he wants the bed tax. He's like a broken
record with the bed tax and the visa waivers for
China for Brazil. He reckons these can help turbocharge growth
Auckland and in turn save the entire country. Simon Bridges,

(00:21):
the Auckland Business Chamber of CEO with me this morning, Simon,
Good morning, a morning Ryan.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yes, what a magnificent manifesto. Indeed, I just wanted to
say that, actually because I like the way I rolled
off the tongue.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
We'll get you that into a second. But this China US,
well it's not a deal, but at least it's a pause.
Has got to be a good thing for us.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Right, Oh yeah, good news indeed, hallelujah. I mean, well,
as you say, I'm none of us are naive, but
I think those two country is really the biggest superpowers.
You'd argue in you as well. But in the world
we need things to be sort of predictable, certain and
you know, at a level as much as it can

(00:59):
be harmony for the world of global economy and so yeah,
good news. We'll see how it all goes, but good
news so far.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Now, Wayne Brown and the he wants the visas, the
visa waivers, and you've spoken about this before for China
and for Brazil. And I'm assuming the reason that the
government's not moving on the stuff is because they're worried
about overstayers.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, if they are, it's seems a strange concern to me.
I mean, you know, I think that Wayne Brown is right. Again,
my point be this, I don't see a single public
policy reason not to do this. Now, you could argue
with some other Southeast Asian countries overstaying I think probably
would be in other countries a really significant issue that

(01:41):
they're frankly poorer, less developed countries. It's not the China today.
You know, you go to those cities, but they're more advanced,
more developed than New Zealand. And you know what we
what we would see is I think a real sugar
hit the economy if you had some kind of reciprocal visa,
right that is, you know, no visa for a period
of time. If the government was really worried about that issue.

(02:03):
You're mentioning there are things they could do right. What
they could actually do is say, you know what, it's
only going to be for those who fail at the
front of the plane. That would still be a sugar hit.
And right now, I don't think I've said before, they'd
be beggars, can't be choosers. So I cannot see a
reason not to do it. I'm totally with Wayne Brown
on this, and I just say that, you know, given

(02:24):
some of your colleagues when you're there saying how amazing
Erica Stanford is, she hasn't moved on this and she should.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Yep, no fair enough too. I happen to agree with you.
What about the bed tax, because he's harping on about this,
but it's not going to happen because I well, it
probably needs a rebrand. They should take the word tax
out of it for a secon exactly.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
You know, that's the problem. I think that's the issue. Look,
I'm not saying this sort of weazelways right. I'm agnostic
whether it's actually a quote bad text right, But I
think the issue that Wayne's talking about is right for Auckland,
and therefore, ye know, I think for New Zia and
the government does need to do something. I mean going
me give you my sort of maybe slightly self serving perspective.

(03:05):
But I was Minister of Economic Development in the last
days of the keep slash English government. We get a
steady pipeline of major events for the likes of Auckland
that there's just no pipeline that's in the end, that's
the funding.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
So we need something again, but politically get it across
the line. Is there any way you can just charge
foreigners the bad tax? You know like that. That's the
problem for the central government, isn't it. They don't want
to introduce another tax that's going to hurt key with you.
So we're coming from christ it's for a concert at
Eden Park.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
My simple point would be, look, okay, so you don't
like my sensors. And I'm not close to the internal
politics within the coalition on this. My sense is your
your first point was one, which is in the end,
I think they said no new taxes. This this says
text and so that's the sort of issue. Well, look,
the question is not tax, it's funding, right if they

(03:58):
want to do it through some other mechanism, But in
the end, both central and local government are failing Auckland
when it comes to major events and activations that you
need for tourists, that you need for people coming in,
but you also just need if you want a dynamic,
exciting city that our kids want to stay in and
work in right rather than buggering off to it to
Sydney in London.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
If you want excitement in Auckland, you just read Wayne
Brown's manifesto. Simon, thank you for that. Simon Bridge's Auckland
Chamber of CEO with us this morning.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to news Talks. It'd be from five am weekdays, or
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