The New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust 2005

The New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust was formed in 1991 to bridge an apparent gap in understanding between MPs and business people. It adopted as its main objectives:

• to enable MPs to widen their experience in, and increase their knowledge of, business; and
• to improve business managers’ understanding of how Parliament works.

The Trust is an educational charity, not a lobbying organisation. It is non-partisan, and not connected with any other body. The main activities of the Trust involve two study schemes:

• The Business Study Programme is designed to provide MPs with an intensive one-to-one introduction to a business organisation, an overview of key business functions, and to encourage their understanding of the contribution business makes to the economy.
• The Parliamentary Study Programme provides business people with an opportunity to study the Parliamentary system and learn how government is exercised through Parliament.