1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Another VISA move from America Stanford, this time targeting investors. 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: The New Business Investor visa fast tracks your residency for 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: anyone chucking two million dollars or more into a KEYWEK company. 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: All applicants have to pass health check, character English language 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: tests before they're approved. Simon Bridges is Auckland's cheerleader Aukland 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 1: Business cham for CEO with us this morning. 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 2: Hey Simon, Hey get a Grian. 8 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: What do you make of this one? 9 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 2: Yeah? I think, first, blush blush, it's excellent additional policy. 10 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 2: I think, you know, if you think about it, we've 11 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 2: seen for quite some time in Smeland older business owners 12 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 2: they want to get out, they've built up a successful business, 13 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 2: their son and daughter doesn't want to take it over. 14 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 2: How do they provide for a successor and get a 15 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 2: payday before before they retire? And I think, of course, look, 16 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 2: you know that the issues we've talked about around all prienthes. 17 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 2: You know, more cash one and two million dollar lots 18 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 2: coming in. Some of them go on Carol and Steve 19 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 2: going on their overseas holiday, but look, a bunch of 20 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 2: it will be back into the local economy. I think 21 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 2: one questions around it just that the discrete cri curia. 22 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 2: It's hard to tell in the age tract just how 23 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 2: permissive and enabling this is. You know, you've mentioned some 24 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 2: of them. Five you've got a five full time staff 25 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: English language requirement. It can't be convenience stores and so on. 26 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: All of that sort of on its own makes sense. 27 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 2: But if we add it all up, just just how 28 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: permissive is this policy? But I think overall an excellent addition. 29 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: Is two million dollars minimum enough for a fast track 30 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: to residency? 31 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I think so. I think I think you 32 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 2: get a lot of businesses that have fall into that 33 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: sort of category. And you know, I think in the 34 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 2: end it comes back to the point I want you. 35 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 2: You've got to structure this right so that you are 36 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 2: getting investors coming in who want to work on the businesses. 37 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 2: Remember the other thing here that it's not particularly permissive. 38 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 2: But you know, I can understand that the logic of 39 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 2: is the person who buys is going to have to 40 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 2: work in this business for a period of time, you know, 41 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: And that's well, that's work, that's hard work. 42 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: How you have been quite successful and lobbying the government 43 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: on haalf of Business Chamber to get Auckland stuff done. 44 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: I reckon they're going to go with a bid tax 45 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:09,239 Speaker 1: to the election. What do you reckon? 46 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 2: Don't know about that? There's such sort of entrenched positions 47 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 2: around not having a tax. The reality is this so 48 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: that they don't need to do a tax. I mean, 49 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 2: what they could just do is from the center, that is, 50 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 2: from that the tax money we pay in provide a 51 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: dollar of cash back for the kind of initiatives I think. 52 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: You know, it's important to see better events funding and 53 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 2: so on. I mean the figures that I have in 54 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: my mind. I don't inquie me the exact you know, 55 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 2: ten thousand or anything, but you go back a decade 56 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 2: or so, there's about thirty million dollars going into major 57 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 2: events and the like from the crown and local government. 58 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 2: Now it's more like seven to ten million. You know, 59 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: if we want to do well versus kind of your 60 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 2: big AUSSI cities, we do need to invest more. 61 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: What about because there are a couple of other things 62 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: you have mentioned yesterday, what are the other big things 63 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: leaders you think the government needs to pull for Auckland. 64 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 2: I mean, look, I'm not a brains trust, but but 65 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 2: there's there's so many things they could do. I mean, 66 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 2: I may think another one that is in the Ericastatt 67 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: Stanford kind of area is just ongoing liberalization of tourism 68 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 2: and international education visas. These are levers you can pull. 69 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: There is a boom in Asian tourism going on at 70 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: the moment in your Malaysias and your Vietnams and your Thailand. 71 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 2: Why isn't it in New Zealand. Yeah, we're a bit 72 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: more expensive, but I'll tell you what, we've made the 73 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 2: visa set settings not easier, but tougher. Are we too 74 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 2: rich to not need that cash? You know? I think 75 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 2: I think we need it right now in Auckland hotel 76 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 2: nights at the occupancy rates in Auckland hotels are as 77 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 2: a generalization abysmal, So I think that is something they 78 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 2: could pull. That would be quite a switch actually to 79 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: seeing more Asian tourists walking around our streets. 80 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: Interesting. Some appreciate your time this morning, Simon Bridges, Aukland 81 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: Business Chamber of CEO. 82 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 83 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 2: to news talks. It'd be from five am weekdays, or 84 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.