Only 10% of small businesses backing Labour
MYOB released:
With around a year to go before the General Election, the National Party enjoys overwhelming support from New Zealand’s small business owners according to a survey from accounting software provider MYOB.
The MYOB Colmar Brunton Business Monitor surveyed 1,012 small business owners from around New Zealand on their attitudes to the political parties and what policies they support.
When asked what political party is best for helping their business succeed, National came out in front with 57 per cent saying it is best for them while Labour had just 10 per cent support. New Zealand First had 4 per cent, the Greens 3 per cent and ACT 2 per cent. No other parties registered and the rest were either ‘don’t know’ or ‘none of them’.
So the level of support from small businesses in order is:
- National 57%
- Labour 10%
- NZ First 4%
- Greens 3%
- ACT 2%
“It’s obviously a good result for the Government. People do trust John Key and Bill English’s economic management. There is a strong sense in the small business community that the country is on the right track,” says MYOB Head of Small Business Ingrid Cronin-Knight.
“MYOB’s Business Monitor also found 42 per cent of business owners expect their revenue to increase in the next year, while just 11 per cent expect it to decline – so obviously the strong economy is playing well for National.
These are small, not large, businesses that have 20 or fewer employees.
Other findings:
- 63 per cent want to retain the 90 trial period for new employees, verse 18 per cent who oppose it.
- 93 per cent of small businesses think the Government needs to ensure multinational companies pay tax on profits earned in New Zealand.
- Two-thirds of small business owners believe in assigning a proportion of Government procurement contracts to small businesses.
- There is a split on whether the age of superannuation entitlement should be raised to 67, with 47 per cent opposed to lifting the age, while 37 per cent support it.
- There was also a split on pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal – with one third supporting the deal and 29 per cent wanting New Zealand to pull out.