Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern asked business leaders to embrace change and move away from notions of uncertainty.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern asked business leaders to embrace change and move away from notions of uncertainty.
COMMENT:
It was a business breakfast of great symbolism.
A Prime Minister under siege over the coalition politics, facing up to business leaders on confidence, uncertainty and the finely balanced state of the economy.
Officially, the topic of the TransTasman Business event at Auckland's Crowne Plaza was The Future ofWork, but it was clear there would be a much broader selection on the menu.
But first, the actual breakfast, which was full of great symbolism.
It was vegetarian for starters. No streaky bacon or little pork sausage on the side for this high-powered gathering.
As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern talked of New Zealand export prices (bolstered by the global swine flu epidemic) and concerns about the US/China trade war (with the threat of agricultural tariffs) it was hard to avoid the geo-political significance in the absence of pork.
Sure, on the plate there was still a generous helping of scrambled egg.
On the stage, a smorgasbord of data emphasising that this economy is actually in pretty good shape.
Our GDP growth is outpacing Australia, Canada, the Euro area, the UK and the OECD average. The manufacturing and services sectors both expanded according to latest data, there's record low unemployment and annual wage growth is at its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis.
New Zealand continues to be a good place to do business, topping the World Bank's 2019 Ease of Doing Business index.
We are an economy poised, the Prime Minister said, "ready for lift off".
Which just leaves the infamous elephant in the room, gloomy business sentiment.
No, the missing ingredient in this business breakfast wasn't a selection of pork products ... it was confidence.
Okay, those aren't the PM's exact words.
"Now so much of the equation is in your hands," were her exact words.
Ardern acknowledged the concerns of business.
Business wants certainty.
She knows that, she hears it everywhere she goes, she said.
But certainty isn't the little sausage on your cooked breakfast.
That's just the status quo - and the status quo isn't good enough anymore.
Again, not her exact words.
"In my view there is a difference between notions of uncertainty and certainty, and change," were her exact words.
"Yes this means there will be change."
"The message is clear - now is the time to invest," she said. "New Zealand is doing well and there are enormous opportunities if we act now. The best thing for the NZ economy at the moment is optimism, planning and investment action."
Where once the bacon and sausage might have been, was a centre piece of smashed avocado on toast. Photo / 123RF
So was it clever planning, this symbolic, healthy, future-focused breakfast?
Was it a multi-dimensional, interactive storytelling technique to illustrate the subtle difference between uncertainty and change?
Unlikely.
But it seems this was this was the right breakfast for New Zealand business in 2019.
On trend, respectful of the vegetarian minority and culturally aware of the largely middle-aged, male business world's battle with their waistlines.
And for hotel staff there was no fluffing around with people opting in or out, no switching plates or remembering seat numbers.
Above all it was pragmatic, it was efficient.
With the change came certainty.
"It is critical for us to move away from that notion of uncertainty and towards the notion of collectively embracing change," the Prime Minister said.
No bacon, no sausages.
For those accustomed to these early morning corporate gatherings this was a change alright, but collectively the gathered business leaders seemed to cope.
