Damien Grant: Air NZ CEO Christopher Luxon does not represent me

Friday, 31 August 2018

The CEO of a multi-million dollar company can't represent small business NZ, writes Damien Grant.

OPINION: Our Prime Minister has a nice way with words. The fall in business confidence wasn't an elephant in the room, she declared recently, but a big neon flashing light with fireworks going off behind it.

Ok. Nice imagery. But then she wheeled in the CEO of Air New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, as the head of a new advisory group to help deal with the flashing lights.

Now, I'm sure Luxon is a fine fellow and, to be sure, if you put me in charge of our national carrier it would need a new bail-out by the time we got to afternoon tea.

But the overlooked pachyderm is still sitting in the corner wondering how on earth Ardern and Robertson think that the head of a billion dollar quasi-monopoly under majority crown ownership in any way represents New Zealand business.

The Crown has announced AirNZ CEO Christopher Luxon as chair of its business advisory council.

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He doesn't. I heard him speak at a breakfast event recently and nearly choked on my muesli as he waffled on about 'sustainability' and 'culture'.

The entire revenue of my business would be a rounding error in Air New Zealand's lost luggage department. Sustainability for me is paying the wages this week and knowing I can do so next week. I don't care about 'NZ Inc', 'bringing New Zealand to the World' or any of the other nauseating corporate-speak of those who live in gilded cages.

I have staffing issues and shareholder disputes. The photocopier is on the fritz and for some reason the IRD likes to audit me (they probably read these columns). I spend half my life worrying about the fact that I spend too much time worrying and not enough time making sales.

If my business fails I'd be unable to pay my mortgage and we'd have to move. Probably to Kingsland.

There is nothing unique about me. There are about three hundred thousand other small business owners facing the same pressures. Farmers, lawyers, plumbers, mechanics, debt collectors, musicians and PR flunkies all live this twilight existence.

We are the real face of New Zealand business. We employ those with tattoos that Air New Zealand rejects. We run the wineries not good enough for the Koru Club and drive their customers to the airport.

Luxon does not represent me or the vast cohort of similar business owners who grind out a fragile existence on the edge of sanity. He cannot understand my business any more than I can understand his.

Appointing him to advise this government on the needs of business is as sensible as asking me to pilot an Orion.

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