BUSINESS STUDY PROGRAMMES

Business Study Attachments

The objectives of these attachments is to provide MPs with intensive one-to-one introductions to a business organisation, to give an overview of key business functions and to encourage MPs' understanding of the contribution business makes to the economy - so that when MPs debate legislation affecting business as a whole, they can do so better informed.

By seeing, at close quarters, how businesses are run, their economic and social environment and how decisions are taken and communicated, MPs are able to gain new insight into the needs, methods and thinking of the business sector.
Each study attachment features placement of an MP with a "host" company.  The MP is attached to one of the Trust's corporate members for a period of at least five days for a member’s first-time attachment but for shorter periods of time for subsequent attachments.  The format of each programme has common elements to ensure the MP is exposed to the company's operations.
An attachment programme is intended to:

• provide a bird's eye view of business objectives, strategies for achieving them and the institutional framework for implementing them;
• give an appreciation of the scope of operations from grass roots activities to management and supporting structures;
• show how a professionally managed group tackles planning, budgeting, investment appraisal, overseas trade and other decision-making activities;
• involve MPs in practical processes so they can see at first-hand how decisions are reached, their quality and scope;
• have dialogue with business on industrial relations and give MPs the opportunity to witness company/employee relations first-hand;
• improve MPs’ understanding of the extent to which government strategies and legislation affect business;
• stimulate a two-way exchange whereby the company gains a better understanding of the MP's job.

Programmes are arranged for the convenience of the MP and company and are intended to be undertaken during a 12-month period. For the study programme to be deemed complete, a minimum of five days’ study must be undertaken by the MP.

On completion of the study programme and receipt by the Trust of the MP’s report, a certificate of Associate Membership of the Business and Parliament Trust is presented to the MP.

This year, twelve applications from MPs to undertake Business Study attachments have been processed by the Trust and of these, three have been completed and a number should be completed by the end of the year.

National List MP Kate Wilkinson in her five-day Business Study attachment with the NZ Racing Board.met with members of the Board’s senior management team and learnt about the many facets of the Racing Board’s operations including, broadcasting, racing and wagering, distribution networks and technology.  Kate’s visit concluded in Hawkes Bay where she attended the Mercedes Thoroughbred Awards Dinner and premier race meeting, the Mudgway PartsWorld Stakes.

Kate said she was extremely grateful to the Chief Executive and staff at the NZ Racing Board for putting together a most interesting and informative programme.  She was amazed at the magnitude of the Racing Board’s operations and was impressed at the organisation’s operations at all levels.
She said she was delighted to be given the opportunity to undertake the attachment with the NZ Racing Board and, having undertaken this her first attachment, would welcome the opportunity to partake in an attachment with another of the Trust’s corporate members.

National MP for Aoraki, Jo Goodhew, in her report to the Trust on her attachment to the SKYCITY Entertainment Group earlier this year, said she was delighted to have the chance to observe the multi-faceted nature of the company and “the chance to approach the attachment from the perspective of an interest in gambling addictions and human resource management.”
She went on to say “An excellent and comprehensive programme.  The range of meetings with SKYCITY Entertainment personnel was excellent.  Even mangers with whom I feared I would be ’out of my depth’ made their explanations of their role interesting and relevant.  The coordinator of the programme, Sifa Taumoepeau, made a huge effort with the programme and in facilitating the whole experience.”  She felt the attachment had considerably improved her knowledge of how business functions and she had already recommended the Trust’s Business Study Programme to her colleagues.
MP Charles Chauvel undertook a five-day Business Study attachment with Qantas Airways in August 2007 and in his report to the Trust wrote: “My understanding of aviation-specific market issues definitely improved as a result of the Study Programme”

Charles said the best aspect of the attachment was the very high level of access granted by Qantas to its management teams in New Zealand and Australia, and the frankness with which they delivered their briefings.  But he was sorry to find that some Australian-based managers assumed a New Zealand politician would be inherently partisan toward Air New Zealand and hostile to Qantas.  “This provided an interesting insight into the way the business perceives the New Zealand business environment”, Charles said.
“The five-day attachment with Qantas was sufficient to enable me to gain an understanding of their business environment and the issues that companies with diverse interests face in New Zealand markets.  I would recommend a Business Study Programme to my colleagues.”

MPs’ Business Briefings

As an extension of the Business Study Programme scheme, the Trust organises an annual Business Briefing for MPswhere a prominent guest speaker is invited to talk to MPs and corporate guests, on a subject that may be topical or bear specific interest to those in the corporate world.
The aim of these briefings is to enhance MPs’ understanding of the business world in general, the changes and developments taking place in it and to learn something of the impact of political decisions on the development of business. The Briefing is hosted by the president of the Trust, normally in the winter months.

Previous guest speakers have included Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister of the Republic of Singapore, the Governors of the Reserve Banks of New Zealand and Australia, Sir John Anderson KBE, and the chief executives of major companies, including Shell, Comalco, NZ Dairy Board, Fisher & Paykel, Fonterra, IBM, Qantas and the Westpac Banking Corporation.  In 2007 the guest speaker was Dr Nicki Crauford, CEO of the Institute of Directors to New Zealand, who spoke of “Corporate Governance and its application, in particular the difference between Management and Governance”.  Her speech can be found at this website under “PUBLICATIONS”

The 2008 MPs’ Business Briefing  guest speaker was Dr Paul Reynolds, CEO of the New Zealand Telecom Group (left) whose address was “Transformation – the Telecom New Zealand story”  His address provided an overview of Telecom’s strategic direction in the development of New Zealand’s communication network services.  His address can be found at this website under “PUBLICATIONS”.  A total of 57 attended the Briefing, comprising MPs, corporate representatives, trustees and other guests.

Business-visit Seminars for MPs

Yet another extension of the Trust’s Business Study Programme scheme includes a one-day seminar to visit the premises of a corporate member.  This year’s Business Seminar for MPs was held on Thursday 1 May, hosted by Television New Zealand.  The host company provided a most enjoyable and enlightening programme for the 14 attending MPs who all spoke highly of the experience, stating their gratitude to Television New Zealand’s CEO, Rick Ellis and his team for the time and effort they had put into making the day to worthwhile and informative.  The report of the visit and photographs can be found on the page ABOUT US – Current Events.

All of the one-day Business Seminars for MPs that have been held during the last few years have been excellently organised and provided those attending with real insights into the operations of the hosting corporate members.  Presentations were equally of a high standard and there has been plenty of scope for questions from individual MPs.  The feedback from attending members has in all cases been very positive with the comment “extremely informative and insightful day” best summing up the overall view on the value of such one-day seminars.