"National's research, science and technology policy, issued yesterday, confirms the party would scrap Labour's Fast Forward Fund and reduce research and development tax credits."

I forget, is it labour or national who are supposed to be centre-left?

New Zealand has one of the lowest investments in Research & Development within the OECD.

We have already firmly established that long term, bulk produce agriculture and light manufacturing is not sustainably competitive in the current worl market.

So now they are going to REDUCE the incentive to undertake R &D.

In order to life our productivity and commercial viability, i.e. become a rich, well paid nation, we need to focus on niche high margin products and services.  Essentially, we need to upskill our workforce.

The only way that will happen is for companies to be able to afford to re-invest in R & D.

Currently countries such as France have base credits more than twice what NZ provides.  In addition to this, it has special treatment for initial R & D which in some cases can cover up to 100% of the R & D cost if it can be proven it may benefit the country long term.

New Zealand needs to get out of this bulk produce farming mentality and step up. 

Focus on:

• intellectual property (designs and patents)
• organic produce
• specialist R & D services for foreign entities

Why as a nation to we continually live in the 70s.