NZ MP wants bigger slice of govt contracts for local firms

New Zealand Labour MP Clare Curran will introduce a private members bill to Parliament with the aim of assisting New Zealand firms win a far bigger slice of the $30 billion spent by government agencies each year on goods, services and capital works. The bill would investigate whether New Zealand should follow Australia and other countries that look to local businesses to win a greater share of contracts without breaching international free trade agreements.

The backbench MP said her Kiwi Jobs Bill had been sparked by KiwiRail's reluctance to consider the local manufacture of $500 million-worth of rolling stock for Auckland's electrified network. However, the Bill would cover state-funded procurement across the board that, according to a Cabinet paper last year is estimated to amount to around $30 billion annually. Clare Curran said her Bill - which had the support of senior Labour colleagues - marked a shift in Labour Party thinking.

Read more here