The Government is rewarming its economic development policy by forming informal groups of ministers to look at the six levers of economic growth.
A much-anticipated release by Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce contained nothing new from the election campaign last year except that he and Finance Minister Bill English would co-ordinate the informal groups of ministers - more committees.
Mr Joyce said the Government had put together a business growth plan that would ensure ministers and their departments were focused on the six important "inputs" businesses needed to be internationally competitive.
The Government would produce progress reports in the second half of the year on each of the six areas to give "greater visibility" to the Government's actions and progress.
The Economic Development Ministry would also produce a report this year on the GDP contribution of each major industry, discussing the challenges and opportunities they faced, Mr Joyce said.
Labour economic development spokesman David Cunliffe said in an interview there was nothing new and no substance in the announcement by Mr Joyce, who continued to repeat the Government "truisms" about business success.
"Forming ongoing committees won't advance the business growth agenda. There is no clear strategy behind it."
The Government was following the advice from Treasury which said: cut tax, deregulate and "get out of the road", Mr Cunliffe said.
But the Ministry of Economic Development's advice was for the Government to adopt a more ambitious agenda.
"The Government is forming committees around the obvious," he said.
Mr Joyce said the goal was to drive the growth plan forward and deliver on the Government's 120-point action plan announced before the 2011 election.
New policies would be added to each of those areas over the next three years.
Mr English said that throughout the 2000s, the competitiveness of the New Zealand economy suffered as new costs were heaped on business and government spending grew out of control.
"Over the past three years we have taken significant steps to make our economy more competitive and having a clear focus on these areas will help drive that forward."
Mr Cunliffe said the 120-point plan was an endless wish list for Messrs Joyce and English.
The Government had put much political risk on the asset sale programme and was determined to push it through, at any cost.
There was a general malaise across the country's business sector, the consequence of financial markets being in the doldrums, Mr Cunliffe said.
Christchurch had its own set of problems, but across the country, economic growth was stalling.
There was $25 billion waiting to be invested in Christchurch but it was being held up by the Government not solving the reinsurance problems, leaving many businesses without forward cover, he said.
A lack of skill training was holding up the rebuild and the relationship between the Christchurch City Council and Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee was "troubled".
All of those things were delaying the rebuilding of Christchurch, Mr Cunliffe said.
In reference to Dunedin's economy, Mr Cunliffe believed the city's future was in becoming a knowledge centre but that was reliant on the Government investing in research and development, something it seemed not prepared to do.
Mr Joyce said the business growth agenda would ensure the Government was focused on what mattered to business and ensure companies could more easily access the advice and support they needed.
Lifting the overall productivity and competitiveness of the economy was critical to business growth, helping to create more jobs and higher wages.
Key areas of growth
• Capital markets
• Innovation and ideas
• Skilled and safe workplaces
• Natural resources
• Infrastructure - including electricity, broadband, transport
• Export markets
