"\u003C!DOCTYPE html\u003E\u003Chtml xmlns:xlink=\u0022http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\u0022 xmlns:xsi=\u0022http://www.w3.org/2007/XMLSchema-instance\u0022 xmlns:mml=\u0022http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Chead\u003E\n    \u003CMETA http-equiv=\u0022Content-Type\u0022 content=\u0022text/html; charset=utf-16\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cmeta name=\u0022viewport\u0022 content=\u0022width=device-width, initial-scale=1\u0022\u003E\n  \u003C/head\u003E\n  \u003Cbody style=\u0022font-family:sans-serif; font-size:100%;\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b8f5ee21b88f40ef9a5cc3953de28e58\u0022\u003EThursday, 28 October 2010\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c417bddd9bd04056910edbe300987e3a\u0022\u003EThursday, 28 October 2010\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000002\u0022\u003EMr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f371733ef38b4e1d939c5d27b7fd39e2\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002248df1645aa944116a51424b711398677\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022ca7d03fe253a4a998e3f758d33a88833\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ca7d03fe253a4a998e3f758d33a88833\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E The House will rise at the end of this day. When the House resumes on Tuesday, 9 November, the Taxation (International Investment and Remedial Matters) Bill will receive its first reading. The Government will look to make progress on other bills on the Order Paper; there will be some new introductions. Wednesday of the first week back, 10 November, will be a members\u2019 day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u00223f590c0531d94824af0f51d06ff30413\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223f590c0531d94824af0f51d06ff30413\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Regular viewers of Parliament TV will be noting the difference between \u201Cthis day\u201D and \u201Ctoday\u201D in the parliamentary procedure, I am sure. We thank the Leader of the House for that\u2014the subtle hint. I wonder whether he can tell us whether, in the next sitting period that the House will undertake after the adjournment, it is his intention to use one of those weeks for an urgency week.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u002264ca10bd7be6461c9eee6382de834203\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002264ca10bd7be6461c9eee6382de834203\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. Some time ago I advised the Business Committee that the second week of the November sitting would be a week where we would have urgency. As agreed, the bills that will be dealt with by the House during that time will be made available towards the end of next week to Opposition parties. It is our intention that urgency will be called on Tuesday afternoon, but that the House would still lift by 6 o\u2019clock on Thursday of that week. The purpose of this is to give the House effectively twice as much time in that week to deal with bills on the Order Paper.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e41bd14b35594737b1f5b1a90c862ae3\u0022\u003EQuestions for Oral Answer\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228d9711dc8e9543a4997c959341bd1824\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d476322e475b4a00968f90585cf9411d\u0022\u003EEmployment Legislation, Film Production\u2014Factors Influencing Changes\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022ac98c73b89b74f91a8b556c9e8de317a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ac98c73b89b74f91a8b556c9e8de317a\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Economic Development: What factors did the Prime Minister take into account when he agreed with Warner Bros executives to change employment legislation in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022670a4b5347fb479db0aa5a7607a81837\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022670a4b5347fb479db0aa5a7607a81837\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E That is not the question, Mr Speaker. Point of order. My apologies, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf744141b8404e5cb69bb579b7e1397f\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister OK now?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222e184709fc8340f7bd832c4790670c34\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. The\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002273e247dbdc3c432aa71703f7c16422d4\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Cut!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c34a658134f9b96fb30785367ebd5\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Well, there is a huge amount of public sentiment out there in favour of the Warner Bros films being made in New Zealand\u2014the two Hobbit films. I noticed that Labour has said that it will have a bloody battle in the House today to try to prevent the legislation going through that will facilitate the films. I am wearing my red tie so that no one will see that blood on my shirt. I noticed the member asking the question is wearing his brown corduroy trousers. I ask him what he is worried about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aeaa0367e16b4efe80bd34f2295527d9\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: There was a little humour at the start, but the question asked what factors the Prime Minister had taken into account when he agreed with Warner Bros executives to change employment legislation in New Zealand. There is nothing political about that question. OK, a member interjected; it was a reasonably humorous interjection and the member responded with some good humour, and then indicated one reason. If that was the only reason, that is fine, but the question did not justify the rest of what the Minister was saying. But if the Minister feels that he has answered in terms of the factors, that is fine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220bd5d9dba62c40dca0d71e3514ed7027\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: There were a number of factors, including the uncertainty of the legal status of independent contractors in the film industry. The legislation will clarify the distinction between independent contractors and employees as it relates to the film production industry. It was also evident that assurances from the Council of Trade Unions, although offered in a genuine way, were caveated by the call for a collective agreement on the Hobbit movies. That served only to exacerbate the confusion around the status of contractors, and that is what the Government intends to clear. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1f54efa9c97469c9f4795cb0ff91355\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Was a reduction in protection for film workers designed to encourage investment in The Hobbit?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e34012032db24947bd6b05fd439781cb\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I completely reject any suggestion that any change to clarify the employment status of people who are engaged to perform tasks in the film industry is a reduction of protection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002246b76b44ca5d4d3d86da6b8adc6eb654\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Does he characterise the removal of the right to collectively bargain as an improvement or a reduction in the rights of the workers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d3e36de1e0f40fca6f5f8dc639c05f0\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I will take my lead from the thousands of workers who turned out on Labour Day to protest against the position that the Hobbit movies should be subject to collective agreements. I therefore cannot agree that it is a reduction in their rights.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f85c81490170401a8e9aeb7be24446ca\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: Did Warner Bros require that changes to our industrial legislation be passed this week, therefore requiring urgency in Parliament today?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022550c283301f94919a7bbd3cbaac761ac\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Warner Bros did not put any requirements on us to do anything. The New Zealand Government has recognised that there were employment issues that needed to be sorted out, and we are going to move to clarify those. We think that the last 7 weeks have been shameful as far as the support for the film industry is concerned, and we are going to urgently move to fix that situation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bcbd158792ff4b819b1941d5cd8ba6db\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Which agencies gave him advice on this issue?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f00df4a1a1424c49b4900206d63c0021\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: When it came to advice on whether there was an issue around employment relations, the Government sought opinion from Crown Law. It confirmed there were a number of anomalies that might need to be cleared up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ddaa911885a48dc8a007a70ab46d422\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Was the Prime Minister cognisant of clause 4 of article 1 of the Chinese free-trade agreement, which states: \u201CThe parties recognise that it is inappropriate to encourage trade or investment by weakening or reducing the protections afforded in domestic labour laws, regulations, policies and practices.\u201D, when this decision was made?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022493a5eb26bb54926ad0881cc3c886d99\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and I believe that on each of the points the members likes to raise we have acted opposite to the way he is suggesting. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222db6c5a2c7854182ace56d64f69e96be\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Prime Minister agree that in order to be sure about its consequences, changes in employment law should be informed by public submissions, particularly from employers, union representatives, and lawyers; if so, why is he rushing an employment law change under urgency today?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0bccda803ed4c80881c12dcdcba20b7\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I am not speaking for the Prime Minister, but I can tell the member\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022226ef743dcd34c98a4b2c381c750428e\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: You are.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ca9f0a26255449c8968a649310f7f25\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: No, I am not. The question is to the Minister for Economic Development. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe98f2061c914ccdb753b0df9d4eadab\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This question was, as I am sure you are aware, addressed to the Prime Minister, and was transferred to the Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224421ac2561fe47ca8e1318d99b12a1ea\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That is not strictly a point of order at all. The Government is at liberty to transfer questions to appropriate Ministers, and the Minister on this occasion is answering as the Minister for Economic Development; he is not answering on behalf of the Prime Minister. The Minister was quite correct: he is not answering on behalf of the Prime Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232ea9c2dba1846e0a6eb1bf6e127253f\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I can only point the member to a recent news poll that suggests that about 75 percent of respondents polled think that this was a good idea, and 25 percent think that it was not. That seems to me to be about right, according to the way we observe public opinion on this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fce7a85955794a1f8018383f1fe15fff\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My question asked about a public submission process, not about an opinion poll of what people might have thought. That is different from a parliamentary submission process. The Prime Minister did not really answer that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df7601c8f9794343975440f80c98bb23\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Actually it is the Minister for Economic Development. Because of the time lapse from when the member asked his question\u2014there was a point of order intervention\u2014I will allow the member to repeat his question so that we all hear it accurately.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c59fc134ed74d3a854f90e65c540fa2\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister agree that in order to be sure about the consequences, changes in employment law should be informed by public submissions, particularly from employers, union representatives, and lawyers; if so, why is he rushing through an employment law change in urgency today?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002293a1947ba11c4dfbae9e6152d4a0ae51\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: In most cases, but not in this case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002292d183a6cf2d45ccb7f30c5fd50b9411\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Was the Government aware through various news reports or directly from Warner Bros that Ireland was the main alternative to New Zealand for filming The Hobbit?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223fc2bd915cbc4c269246c26de4c5770c\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: That is not the information we understood.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d08c9295c00439c81bfeff2202ab767\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister confirm that later today New Zealand\u2019s sovereign Parliament will be sitting under urgency to pass a new law at the request of a foreign multinational corporation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002253a05e29803d4567b68e42c5e80889b7\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I choose to answer the latter part of that question, and the answer is no.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c91c3c9f53d34482b66a60e2c31eebc2\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Did the Minister read the reports in US newspapers, which indicate\u2014[Interruption] Mr Speaker, are you a loser?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206f10ad1cf6c4bd6ab224b6375b6c641\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member will just ask his question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022338951f7ac0247f08eefffb88ebb47fc\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Did the Minister read in the New York Times and other US newspapers that Ireland was the main alternative for Warner Bros for the filming of The Hobbit; if so, was he aware that the Irish Government agreed on 27 September this year to extend collective bargaining in Ireland to actors for the first time?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022676f5bc8bb6446a294579001672ad97f\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: No. I do not have as much time on my hands as the member to be able to read foreign newspapers. But I also say that the member\u2019s supposition is simply incorrect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277ec6495-df45-43ac-aaa1-a03b5dd4c128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223bab3076a74a4306b4291a2e870948eb\u0022\u003EHon John Boscawen\u003C/span\u003E: What role did the various political parties in Parliament play in helping secure this deal?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227263df5540614395bfc431619c344d9b\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Central to the success of keeping filming of The Hobbit in New Zealand was the need to clarify and create certainty in respect of some aspects of our industrial relations law. It became apparent that change to the law to clarify the status of employees versus contractors was necessary. I thank the ACT Party for the very prompt way and very helpful way in which it understood that problem and chose to support that course of action. In the same vein, I thank the leader of United Future for his support, and today I am advised that the M\u0101ori Party will also support this legislation, and I want to thank it for that. All the Government parties support this legislation because they know the value of the Hobbit films being produced in New Zealand; they know that this is a good decision for workers in the film industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229ab00a94e8474ed2b6add2aa96aa1182\u0022\u003EFilm Industry\u2014Minister for Economic Development\u2019s Actions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022 data-id=\u002252d3c8300e6c4582882ffaaf3ffa9000\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002252d3c8300e6c4582882ffaaf3ffa9000\u0022\u003EKATRINA SHANKS (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Economic Development: What specific actions has he taken since becoming Minister for Economic Development to secure the New Zealand film industry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u002222ebb2e1229b4d6ba451b815fa78ddfc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002222ebb2e1229b4d6ba451b815fa78ddfc\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E I have undertaken a number of activities to secure the film industry in New Zealand. I have been looking closely at the capacity constraints that will hold back the expansion of this industry in New Zealand. I have examined closely the commercial motivations of the major studios to bring productions to New Zealand. I have helped bring the parties together to update the guidelines for the Pink Book, something that has not happened since the Australian union showed up in 2005. I have had ongoing discussions with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros, and over the past couple of days it has been my privilege to assist the Prime Minister to bring those talks to a successful conclusion, which will ensure that the two mega-budget Hobbit movies will be filmed in New Zealand. That will lead to further expansion of our already $2.8 billion screen production industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a744a9a7-a2e8-401b-abfb-aec22a3818c8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b82df0f286b459a9ed69967317670d8\u0022\u003EKatrina Shanks\u003C/span\u003E: What benefit will New Zealand gain from hosting the production of the two Hobbit movies?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022038c0f00524242a0b62d7e4532c4c4f1\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: The Hobbit movies are some of the most expensive films ever produced anywhere in the world, and the majority of that expenditure will be in the New Zealand economy. The promotional value of those movies is also obvious to any New Zealander. The Lord of the Rings has become part of our national identity. In addition, we have formed a long-term strategic partnership with Time Warner group. That will work for us in assisting the promotion of New Zealand\u2019s trade, tourism, and creative industries.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d0b8cf45842c43d48eb0bccead0b40d3\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Is he rethinking his view that spending $140,000 a year on relationship-building exercises around the Oscars is a waste of money, contrasting it with the $33 million extra and the loss of sovereignty that his neglect of the relationship has resulted in?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229cdcc273fbef486980d5e767a877bce1\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I do not think it would have mattered how many expensive Trevor Mallard - style cocktail parties we had held in Los Angeles. The fact is that the moment an Australian union decided it was going to engage in industrial actions in this country, this film was in trouble.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dbaa03b5b8ee45a4954324182dbcd671\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the email from Stephen Carroll, the vice-president of Warner Bros pictures, of 18 October, US time, referring to the solution that had been reached at a meeting that Mr Brownlee chaired on the 14th ?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226cd3987998fb4a1da9d68aa96c6e7f85\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I do not know what the gentleman was talking about. No solutions related to The Hobbit were reached on the date the member quotes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002237c584fe99464457afc362fad6fd8612\u0022\u003EEconomic Recovery\u2014JP Morgan Bank\u2019s Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022 data-id=\u0022269ff591a21b412faf08a07bb4a4ac18\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022269ff591a21b412faf08a07bb4a4ac18\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour\u2014New Lynn)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with JP Morgan investment bank that \u201Cthe recovery in New Zealand effectively has stalled\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u0022bef49e165f5b42e18557d12995a5249d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bef49e165f5b42e18557d12995a5249d\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Associate Minister of Finance)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Finance: No, the Minister does not agree with that assessment, because it is incorrect. Some people, of course, thrive on a negative headline\u2014including, perhaps, some not too far from where I am standing\u2014but the facts are that the economy has grown for five consecutive quarters\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221614926cfa7544999886867bba1e6beb\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am not sure whom the Minister was referring to, but he was clearly trying to insult somebody in his answer to the primary question that my colleague had asked. I think the people of Rodney have had very dignified representation for many years, and if he is the alternative, I am quite worried.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9827eed901b478da200b2d8e3b99c8a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member went one step too far with that comment\u2014[Interruption] A point of order is being considered and members on both sides will be silent while that is the case. In fairness to the Minister, I think he was away from the House when there was a ruling from the Speaker on Ministers not employing gratuitous comments when answering a straight question. This question was a straight question: does he agree with JP Morgan investment bank? The Minister answered that question; I think he said he did not. That is a sufficient answer to the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224b83cf536a9e4fe5af954a6482566a16\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: What response does he have to the comments of TV3\u2019s Duncan Garner that \u201CNational\u2019s economic plan, if there is one, doesn\u2019t appear to be working.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243fe836de8c44712b17d303cd60cd586\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: Although acknowledging, of course, Duncan\u2019s role as a pre-eminent economist in New Zealand, I would have to respectfully disagree with \u201CHis Eminence\u201D, because the Government has a very comprehensive plan, as the member is aware. The plan includes investment in infrastructure; the taxation package; investment in education and skills, business innovation, and trade; improving productivity in the public sector; and simplifying and improving regulations to ensure that businesses can succeed in this country. In fact, there is one example that the House will have an opportunity to consider this afternoon to ensure that filming of the Hobbit movies takes place in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dcbdb0b5c59c47ffb4eeabd313e6a4d3\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: In light of that answer, which part of the following further summary from Duncan Garner does he disagree with, if any: \u201CAlan Bollard says the economy is fragile. English can\u2019t rule out the cash deficit blowing out even further. He says \u2018recessionary factors\u2019 are still at play. There are no signs of new jobs. \u2026 National\u2019s economic plan seems to be to cross its collective fingers and dare I say it -\u2018borrow and hope.\u2019 \u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ac13400aafd4a98996feab622f489ca\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: As I said before, I do of course respect the eminent \u201CProfessor\u201D Garner\u2019s economic assessments, but, of course, the world has just come through the global financial crisis. It is important to point out to the member opposite that the Government\u2019s fiscal deficit this current year is something like $13.3 billion, so the Government is basically, on behalf of taxpayers, investing to keep the economy going to the degree that it is. But the reality is that if the member thinks we should do more, then he is actually talking about lifting the Government debt even further, and I think he should come out and say that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c629fd5af64c4fcd99aa5224895ce78d\u0022\u003EJohn Hayes\u003C/span\u003E: What measures is the Government taking to ensure that the economic recovery is sustainable, and how will this differ from the period between 2005 and 2008?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225dcacbcb27c948b69803117575415a9b\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is taking several steps with its six-point plan to achieve faster and more sustainable economic growth. One such measure was the very well-received tax package on 1 October, which provided across-the-board income tax cuts and left the vast majority of New Zealanders better off. The switch between income tax and consumption tax is the latest step in the Government\u2019s programme to move the economy away from the borrowing, consumption, and housing speculation of the past decade. The Minister is pleased to see reports that show that households and businesses are moving away from that spending and borrowing, which became features of our lopsided economy from about 2005.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229148059e34c04da6bd04d1e98fd15038\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: How does he respond to the Reserve Bank\u2019s comments that show that the only glimmer of any economic activity over the coming year is in the form of high export prices and repairs in Canterbury, neither of which the Government can claim credit for?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3934ef2cec94c6a8f24b7f74da7c30f\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: Selective quoting has its limitations. I would suggest a couple of other things that Dr Bollard says in the recent Reserve Bank annual report, when he points out that the global financial crisis \u201Chighlighted New Zealand\u2019s external imbalances, demonstrated by our deficit in the balance of payments on goods and services, and our negative net investment income position. These deficits are now \u2026 improving.\u201D For example, the current account deficit averaged about 8 percent of GDP over the last 4 years of the previous Government; the current account deficit is now just 3 percent, and is forecast to remain below 5 percent. Dr Bollard also noted that \u201CHouseholds have been reducing mortgage debt where possible, and have been \u2026 cautious about re-entering the housing market\u2014attitudes that have been reinforced [positively] by recent tax changes.\u201D All these things, and other things that the Reserve Bank governor has said, have pointed out that the rebalancing this economy needs so much is occuring.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223559937a9ea048a589033f0b138d862f\u0022\u003EJohn Hayes\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has he seen about business attitudes to the recovery?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002222a5aaeb21964ab7a7b6581b05b535bc\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: The Minister noted yesterday that the National Bank\u2019s latest business outlook survey showed that business confidence has picked up in October. A net 24 percent of respondents expect general business conditions to improve in 12 months\u2019 time, up 10 points on the previous month. These surveys, of course, continue to fluctuate, and, as I have said, the economic conditions remain challenging for many businesses as the economy makes the necessary adjustments away from debt, consumption, and housing speculation towards saving, investments, and exports.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239794dfd2c3943018cc136746b9ef4a5\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: When he told the Finance and Expenditure Committee yesterday that \u201CThis is not the typical recession where we come out of it aggressively.\u201D, did he deliberately choose his words to directly contradict and undermine his leader, who had predicted exactly the opposite?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229854ec16c7ff47d8a5bcd7e874cb27e1\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: Of course, I cannot verify the exact comments the Minister of Finance made at the select committee yesterday. I point out to the member that the Prime Minister\u2019s full quote from March 2009 is that \u201Cby the end of 2009 early 2010 this time next year we\u2019ll be starting to come out of that and I think actually starting to come out of it reasonably aggressively, I\u2019m more optimistic about 2011 than 2010 but nevertheless I think 2010 will be positive.\u201D The reality is that those statements were proven entirely correct. We started to come out of recession by the end of 2009, 2010 will be positive, and 2011 will see a considerable improvement. In terms of aggressive growth, the House should note that the New Zealand economy has actually grown more in the last 9 months than it did in the whole 4-year period before that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022847e290a244a445b8d66e54e3ff790d3\u0022\u003EResearch and Development\u2014Technology Transfer Voucher Scheme\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022 data-id=\u0022b7b3df65f62449a1a58ff6a530a5abb3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b7b3df65f62449a1a58ff6a530a5abb3\u0022\u003ECOLIN KING (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Research, Science and Technology: What recent announcements has he made that help businesses to undertake research and development?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022 data-id=\u0022a7911c21b3a44795a263fabe076330d2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a7911c21b3a44795a263fabe076330d2\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP (Minister of Research, Science and Technology):\u003C/span\u003E Last Wednesday I announced further steps in the Government\u2019s innovation strategy. This is one of the six elements of the Government\u2019s economic growth strategy. Six research institutions have been approved to undertake research and development for the voucher scheme. This is a scheme for small to medium enterprises, under which they can essentially get a voucher worth around $100,000 and perhaps up to $1,000,000, matched one-for-one by the businesses, and they get their research done by these institutions. The initial six institutions are the University of Auckland, Otago University, the University of Canterbury, Auckland University of Technology, WelTec, and Industrial Research Ltd, covering, of course, polytechnics, universities, and Crown research institutes in order to cover the full range of participating research institutions. There will be more announcements down the track.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ffff330f-1757-41d6-9973-25244f0fdada\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218e08b2206a24c1d9b3a3cc2bbbee18a\u0022\u003EColin King\u003C/span\u003E: What other announcements has he made?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277b6c8efa21d4ee5a2f750f31e7f5276\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP\u003C/span\u003E: On 6 October I also announced a TechNZ grant of $3.7 million to Compac Sorting Equipment, an excellent company in Auckland\u2014in Maungakiekie, in fact. It is a niche producer that has 40 percent of the global market in its sector and exports to 30 countries. It increased its revenue by 20 percent. It is that kind of commitment that really drives growth. I should also mention the grant of $5.8 million to Weta Digital, which was announced in July 2009. That was to be matched 2:1 by Weta Digital. Of course, that kind of grant only matters if films can actually be made in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b87022298344f629708bcaef47e6764\u0022\u003EDavid Shearer\u003C/span\u003E: How has the Minister explained to businesses that the amount of money for research and development under his grants scheme is less than half of what they would have received under the 15 percent tax credit, and that they now need to apply to a Government bureaucracy that will decide whether their research and development is worthy of funding?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d4940662aa141aa886756062f0fcc0d\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP\u003C/span\u003E: The very first thing businesses say to me is how pleased they are to have a National Government in office because of the responsible fiscal management that we undertake, rather than the wasteful expenditure of the previous Government. They are very pleased to have the more targeted approach that the Government has announced, rather than the discredited tax credit scheme of the previous Government. The system is seen as effective, focused, and driving innovation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002278fa63007b344b21a4cc180104f157a7\u0022\u003EDrink-driving, Blood-alcohol Limit\u2014Public Support for Reduction\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022ece402c785e6403f93ce4375b8138fac\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ece402c785e6403f93ce4375b8138fac\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: Have the views of 76 percent of the respondents in a scientific poll by the Herald on Sunday who say they would not drive after drinking beyond an effective blood-alcohol limit of 50 mg caused him to reconsider his decision not to lower the adult blood-alcohol limit for driving; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u0022ced79f55712c4014928365e78bdf259e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ced79f55712c4014928365e78bdf259e\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Firstly, I must point out to the member that the survey he referred to did not refer to a blood-alcohol limit as his question suggests, but to the number of alcohol drinks people can drink before driving. The distinction is important because public opinion surveys over the years have shown a disconnect between those surveys that discuss the number of drinks someone drinks versus what they think the adult blood-alcohol limit should be lowered to. In fact, the Minister of Transport survey published in the Safer Journeys: discussion document in August 2009 showed a similar result to this one. I have consistently stated that we need an enduring consensus for road law changes, and we need to know the actual level of harm caused by drivers with a blood-alcohol level between 0.05 and 0.08. The reality is that we do not have that information currently, but with the law change that is currently in front of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee as part of the amendment bill for land transport safety, we will.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cf8def6fb154495a7d80ee0beb090e7\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Can he not see that he has misjudged this issue, when not a single submitter at the select committee he has referred to has appeared to speak in favour of the current 0.08 limit, that over 30,000 people have signed up to the Two Drinks Max campaign since Sunday, and that a majority of MPs in this House would vote to lower the limit if there were a free vote; and, given how many good decisions this Minister has made on road safety, why is he being so stubborn on this one?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e8c7f871e2344b390e51c8bc4356c2e\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: I am reasonably new to this place but I have to say the select committee process often brings out people who are most interested in some form of change, and obviously that is the situation that has occurred in this place. The reality is that this has been an emotional issue in this country for many, many years. The previous Government knows that, because it made no attempt to change the law during its 9 years in Government and suddenly it is a very urgent matter for it to address today! I think that in order to form an enduring consensus on what would be a significant change in traffic law, we should be prepared to change the law so we can collect the actual data before proceeding with such a change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c55500b05b31441581d9a642bc0a88ad\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Why will he not take advantage of the political consensus that he has been offered and the overwhelming public support that is now absolutely clearly there, so that he can tell the submitters who come to the select committee and who have sadly lost family members and friends that he is doing everything with the full support of Parliament that is in his power to make our roads comprehensively safer?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248c0cd3aa4704f07ab8fea413f33e816\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: I think there are a couple of things there. Firstly, I think most of the member\u2019s question was answered by my previous answer, but I point out to members that this change being proposed would, sadly, not solve a lot of the issues that we see in terms of drink-driving on our roads. Unfortunately, very many of the issues that we see on our roads are from repeat drink-drivers who are already over the existing legal limit. That is why the Government has made the changes it put in front of the select committee in terms of a nil limit for repeat drink-drivers, in terms of doubling the penalties in prison for those subject to the worst offences that cause death, in terms of the nil limit for young drivers, and in terms of the alcohol interlocks. All those measures will also help\u2014in fact, I suspect, more aggressively\u2014in reducing the carnage from alcohol on our roads.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200cb9706a3b74bc59c17eba8903c4b10\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: How on earth is it inappropriate for him as Minister of Transport to refuse to endorse the Two Drinks Max campaign, as he claimed it would be on Tuesday?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a065e12836dd4be19e46c757e7960cd0\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: Again, I say that I am reasonably new in this place but I would have thought, as the Minister whose job is to make these sorts of decisions, signing up to public campaigns is probably not a way to show people that Ministers bring an open mind to these decisions when they make them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229eb7777212f24ad6b0b7534791d994ec\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: When he said that the television poll that said that two-thirds of people were in support of lowering the alcohol limit was not enough and that he would need to see it at 75 percent, does that mean that he will now set a new, higher target, seeing that his earlier one has now been met by a scientific newspaper poll, and do we really need to get to North Korean levels of support before he will finally admit that he has this issue wrong?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022322df00a06b847888b8bea0cdf5547ad\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: I point out to the member that, as I said in answer to the first question, the Ministry of Transport survey published in the Safer Journeys: discussion document in August 2009 showed a similar result to this. But, again, it was about the amount of alcohol people felt they should drink before they drive, rather than whether the limit should be lowered. Right throughout recent years when those two questions have been asked in different ways, there have been different numbers of people who support a change. The reality is that this a contentious issue, and it has been a contentious issue for many, many years. It is important to collect the data. The previous Government had an opportunity to do just that, way back, I think in 2001, but turned it down and refused to make any change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002281289e7e810f45678a07696bf39a2f30\u0022\u003ECoastal Management\u20142010 New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u0022518f7fe6f31f4c169aa0a85150abe6ff\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022518f7fe6f31f4c169aa0a85150abe6ff\u0022\u003EJACQUI DEAN (National\u2014Waitaki)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Conservation: What steps is the Government taking to improve coastal management?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u0022a0d2382062b84e49b3868793e5b543a6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a0d2382062b84e49b3868793e5b543a6\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Conservation):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to announce that I will be recommending that the Governor-General approve the 2010 New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement, which meets the Government\u2019s promise to provide more national guidance for local authorities to meet their obligations under the Resource Management Act. The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement will provide stronger direction on natural character, outstanding landscapes, and biodiversity; provide updated policy on managing coastal hazards; and emphasise the priority the Government places on public access to the coast. I thank the board of inquiry for its contribution to this new policy statement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ccb60462a1384a37b85f647f6c0f44cb\u0022\u003EJacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: What new types of protection will be included in the 2010 New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002246740dfa1d9a4e2f89da7022730e6417\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: I am very pleased to announce for a start that some of New Zealand\u2019s finest surf breaks will receive additional protection and recognition as being nationally significant. Those surf breaks are in Northland, Raglan, Coromandel, Gisborne, Taranaki, Kaik\u014Dura, and Otago. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ca4f36de1934491b8f9b2b13631ccffc\u0022\u003ETe Ururoa Flavell\u003C/span\u003E: Kia ora t\u0101tou. What will be the practical impact of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill, which allows iwi and hap\u016B to take part in statutory conservation processes within their relevant common marine and coastal area?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022242588d41bd14a6b9c211afa277e6d1c\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: In noting that the bill is the responsibility of the Attorney-General, I point out that the practical impact of the universal award, which provides for iwi and hap\u016B to take part in statutory conservation processes, is that it formalises many of the current practices of the department\u2019s consultation with iwi and hap\u016B. These include processes relating to marine reserve applications, marine mammal sanctuaries, permits for marine mammal watching, and proposals to extend conservation protected areas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276d6a232a00e411888d22083b3771cdc\u0022\u003ETe Ururoa Flavell\u003C/span\u003E: What is envisaged will be the effect of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill, which allows iwi and hap\u016B with recognised customary marine title the right to give or withhold permission for specified conservation activities and the right to participate in certain conservation decisions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022580e25f43a614c4cb1e517a81e697cb8\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON\u003C/span\u003E: If iwi or hap\u016B gain customary title they have a right of refusal over whether marine reserves or conservation protected areas are established or concessions granted in the customary title area. The right relating to marine reserves and conservation-protected areas is subject to an essential-protection purposes test, which the Minister of Conservation may use to override the customary titleholder\u2019s view. In using the test the Minister must have regard to the views of the customary title holder and other criteria set out in the bill, including protection of rare or unique habitats.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022dcba440eeaa648eabb5994733ce18dfc\u0022\u003EForeshore and Seabed\u2014Taip\u0101 Point Land Occupation\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u00226cd24351571446669935fb9b6528753a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226cd24351571446669935fb9b6528753a\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Attorney-General: Why has the Government not done more to deal with the occupation of the Taip\u0101 Point public reserve by foreshore and seabed protesters?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u0022b09a5b428966445a866096237d3fc625\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b09a5b428966445a866096237d3fc625\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General):\u003C/span\u003E The protest on Taip\u0101 Point public reserve is happening on the dry land reserve owned by the Far North District Council. It is for the council to serve a trespass notice on the occupiers. This could then be enforced by the police, or the council could apply to the court for an injunction, as happened recently in the Coromandel region. Ministers cannot direct the police on operational matters. I refer the member to section 16(2) of the Policing Act 2008. It is also not for central government to interfere in the operational affairs of local government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d34faf784bae4071925695975afd8dca\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Given the assurance that the Attorney-General offered to a public meeting at Taip\u0101 recently, why has his Government not acted to help the council and the local community enforce the law at Taip\u0101?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224b3832383a0e45e2b1c56158c1c44788\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: I gave a number of assurances at Taip\u0101. They included my willingness to consult with the people up there, quite apart from the select committee process currently under way, and my assurance to ensure that any legislation restored access to justice and respected property rights\u2014two points that the audience certainly recognised.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf90309f994942f7adab5601569ffdc0\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Is it true that senior local government representatives have personally asked both him and the Prime Minister for help to enforce the rule of law at Taip\u0101, and why have both of them left the local council to deal with the problem alone?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226524a8a360c144dea76dc6365abd9e03\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: A number of people have contacted me. I do not know that they are necessarily senior members of the local council, but certainly people who were in the audience at my public meeting at Taip\u0101 have expressed concerns. As to what the Government is doing, I have already said, in my answer to the primary question, exactly what the appropriate course of action is. I am sure the member does not want me to start issuing directions that would contravene the Policing Act or interfere in the affairs of local government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b99e2991bad34a8b90af01a342b38b35\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Attorney-General accept that the false expectation his Government and the M\u0101ori Party have created around the foreshore and seabed has fed the aggressive behaviour of the protesters at Taip\u0101?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ce1d5750ba7436685f72608e7d79b6c\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: No, I think that is an absolutely ridiculous proposition. Both the M\u0101ori Party and National are concerned about two things\u2014restoration of the right of access to justice, and property rights\u2014and I would suggest that the actions of a few miscreants should not be allowed to get in the way of a principled debate on those two very important issues. The Foreshore and Seabed Act is disgraceful legislation and needs to be repealed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c53e4642-d448-4d84-abfe-0443fe24aae9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b1fbb27b81b44cebe9ca77b10d455d3\u0022\u003EHilary Calvert\u003C/span\u003E: Why will the Government not refuse to proceed with Ng\u0101ti Kahu\u2019s Treaty settlement until their representatives are prepared to obey the rule of law and cease their trespass and occupation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022811498369f4448938948d17235060d6d\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: Ng\u0101ti Kahu has a longstanding Treaty grievance, and it is my responsibility as Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations to negotiate a just and durable settlement. A very odd proposition, in my view, seems to be implicit in that question\u2014that the actions of a few should condemn an entire iwi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a72cc3842dc448b6b8954da6430fa0db\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Has it not all gone too far when, just hours ago, the democratically elected far north mayor was thrown off the Taip\u0101 public reserve, and does this not show that the New Zealand Herald was right last year in its editorial dated 8 March, when it stated: \u201CReview of foreshore law opens wound that had begun to heal\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fd837e585f4f4a5daf6d3ac937ee8517\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I disagree with that editorial\u2014wounds had not begun to heal. The Foreshore and Seabed Act was a real problem. It continues to be a problem. Until fundamental principles of access to justice and respect for property rights are restored for a substantial section of the population, this issue will continue, and I would hope that the Labour Opposition would be prepared to deal with this matter on a principled basis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002283d3022fd16249e1b789fd84cec0ecd6\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table an article. It is a press article, but it is from the Northland Age, which is not in circulation. It is entitled\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9817abe17de4773bbebe2aa0745a1a8\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, no. As a Northlander, I have to say that Northland is not so backward that we do not have access to those sorts of press articles.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002250e1f2d02f964dffa0b693d739085666\u0022\u003EEmployment Legislation\u2014Urgency\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022 data-id=\u002256310c9b364c43b2af89501bdad2f49e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002256310c9b364c43b2af89501bdad2f49e\u0022\u003EKEITH LOCKE (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Economic Development: Why is his Government intending to change industrial relations law under urgency instead of through the normal parliamentary process?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022b718348ea0954a649a775c00298a65db\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b718348ea0954a649a775c00298a65db\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E Because it will ensure the incomes of many hundreds, if not thousands, of New Zealanders and will lead to a very large contribution to the overall economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c30cf75260943f989b740a6f5feb8dd\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: Why is the Minister, in legislation as he has presented it, overturning a decision of the Supreme Court from 2005 at the request of Warner Bros?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f8fdc96c359b4feca26b47184b90117c\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I have not presented the legislation to the House, nor has Warner Bros made that request.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002230a6006724da40babeef27b4e4bd0ec9\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Government\u2019s readiness to acquiesce to Warner Bros\u2019 demands encourage other overseas film companies to push for more tax breaks and expect the Government to take their side in disputes with local workers; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221bda4f2d17504c188356428a6d4f68e4\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002254a7df724c174fb78160f16721b9d401\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Is it the Government\u2019s intention to bring legislation to the House to amend the Large Budget Screen Production Grant Scheme to incorporate the enhancements that the Prime Minister agreed to yesterday?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200e03ac983634cac8a09a7b602a70b36\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Work is being undertaken to determine whether it is a legislative change or a policy change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8bf50b8062c466993682e84c6dec15e\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: Would our pride in the Hobbit movie being produced in New Zealand not be enhanced if we knew that our actors were guaranteed the same right as their counterparts in other Western countries to collectively press their claims for decent pay and working conditions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223dabe0a6d0264a93b88511f00d8b5a11\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I think the questioner misunderstands how the industry works in New Zealand and assumes that people engaged on these productions are poorly treated. They are not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002284adbb1f68f3496c9d178c2f5dbdedcf\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My question was not about whether actors were poorly treated by their employers. My question asked whether they had the right to collectively press their claims for decent pay and working conditions. The Minister did not answer that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002273a414e47b0d412a8db8428f1f5590e4\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I do not think the Minister dodged the question. He answered the question in the way that he saw fit, and I cannot be too pedantic about exactly how the Minister should answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022894ab185d79545e8aebbc0c51fad6cab\u0022\u003EDrinking-water Standards\u2014Unsafe or Untested Water\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022 data-id=\u00226b6b41faa2d54982ad2ae11aea047b9c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226b6b41faa2d54982ad2ae11aea047b9c\u0022\u003EBRENDON BURNS (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: Is he concerned at the report in yesterday\u2019s Press saying that one in five New Zealanders are drinking water that is unsafe or untested, and that five of 12 hospitals and health services with their own drinking-water supplies have failed to meet the minimum standards?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022 data-id=\u00222638e0f7de854b23a8075f972f1ad047\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222638e0f7de854b23a8075f972f1ad047\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, I am concerned about the report in the Press, as it misrepresents the Ministry of Health\u2019s Annual Review of Drinking-water Quality in New Zealand 2008/9, which was released in June, 4 months ago. It is quite incorrect to say one in five New Zealanders is receiving unsafe or untested drinking-water. In fact, over half of those people are outside the regime, as they supply their own water\u2014for example, through rainwater tanks. The key finding of the Ministry of Health\u2019s report is that the number of people who had bacteria detected in their water fell from 3 percent to 2 percent, which some might describe as a reduction of 33 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e4a410153d148e8bad4a207061dca3d\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister agreeing with his ministry\u2019s report identifying that hospitals, 20 percent of schools, and many other suppliers are not delivering safe water to what it says are 137,000 more New Zealanders than in the previous year surveyed, or is he siding with his bench mate who last week told the House that the drinking-water standards are \u201CRolls-Royce\u201D and unaffordable?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022deaab3dab1054a69b5e79daa3f87c58a\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: I think it is very important to look behind what is being mentioned by the member opposite. If, for example, we look at his description of \u201Cfive of 12 hospitals\u201D not complying, I think we should be clear that three of those are small clinics the size of a house, on Great Barrier Island and Waiheke Island, that are supplying water equivalent to local home supplies. Another is a facility owned by a trust, with which the district health board is working to reduce the risks. The fifth is Princess Margaret Hospital in Christchurch, which remained in this status while that member\u2019s Government was in office.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223ad38ab597ce4987ab325df6ee59561b\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: Why did the Minister blame the 4 September Christchurch earthquake for delays in the review of drinking-water funding introduced by the previous Labour Government, when he said in announcing the review 14 months ago that he expected it to be completed \u201Cearly next year.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5e20b1bea5c47259506e263f7f8b7f1\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: The report has taken longer to prepare than had been expected, but announcements will be made in due course.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267aa5137-7503-4a8f-bde1-1811615598e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022500220a00f1d4ba88906e16c57c34fc2\u0022\u003EBrendon Burns\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Minister give all New Zealanders on a reticulated supply an assurance that their water is, or soon will be, safe to drink, or will he continue to wring his hands and wash his hands of the issue, saying it is local government\u2019s responsibility, despite the Government\u2019s having frozen the funding and having put a 3-year moratorium on meeting the minimum World Health Organization guidelines for safe drinking-water?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a83ea07a-806c-45ad-95bb-eb2c481cd0e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002202684951c0664150ad436f580c791e72\u0022\u003EHon TONY RYALL\u003C/span\u003E: It is the responsibility of water suppliers. We know that to be the case, because that member\u2019s Government passed the legislation to that effect while in office.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227e7b4067e4cd41d68c3fd6bd4ef94aec\u0022\u003ETourism\u2014Value to Economy\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022 data-id=\u0022d12acf712f824b0aab080a8eb0351ade\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d12acf712f824b0aab080a8eb0351ade\u0022\u003ETODD McCLAY (National\u2014Rotorua)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Tourism: What recent reports has he received on the value of tourism to the New Zealand economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022 data-id=\u0022fe86db6b94274c4394f5dfb3534ae94f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fe86db6b94274c4394f5dfb3534ae94f\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Acting Minister of Tourism):\u003C/span\u003E I have seen some great reports, most notably the Tourism Satellite Account prepared by Statistics New Zealand for the year ended March 2010. It shows that a record $22.4 billion was spent by international and domestic tourists, up from $21.9 billion in the previous year. Spending by international tourists increased by $150 million during this period, making tourism New Zealand\u2019s largest export earner, worth $9.5 billion to the New Zealand economy. That demonstrates the value of tourism to the New Zealand economy and shows that the Government\u2019s decision to put an extra $50 million into tourism over the past 2 years was an excellent one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6121426ebdd4b848e318b5b6e3dccf0\u0022\u003ETodd McClay\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has the Minister seen on growth in tourism numbers from Australia, and how has the Government encouraged tourist visitations from Australia?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c67149aa72b4a62b317301dd6b12712\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: We always knew that Australian visitors would be vital to keeping the sector going through the recession. In 2009-10 Tourism New Zealand worked with regional tourism organisations and commercial airlines to promote New Zealand to Australians, and $10 million was spent on joint ventures. So it is good to announce that Statistics New Zealand figures show that in the year ended September 2010 visitor numbers from Australia were up by 7 percent, to 1.122 million. It is clear that this Government initiative has paid off.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224771a15ed4eb4c70b7ca836666e9acd2\u0022\u003ETodd McClay\u003C/span\u003E: What recent initiatives has the Government taken to increase awareness of the New Zealand tourism brand overseas?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4e8b5d0240a4a9897927476cdd3dc55\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Last night the Government announced that it has agreed to work together in a long-term strategic partnership with Warner Bros to promote New Zealand as both a film production and tourism destination. New Zealand will also host one of the premieres of the Hobbit movies. These arrangements are likely to be worth tens of millions of dollars to the New Zealand economy and the New Zealand tourism sector. It is a further example that this Government is looking to increase the value of tourism to New Zealand and to grow the economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225dec486fc210426d8bbed395f13af52a\u0022\u003EState Housing Acquisitions\u2014Budget 2010 Allocation Compared with Budget 2007\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022 data-id=\u0022f19c7671a5734608a4df482c59972ab1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f19c7671a5734608a4df482c59972ab1\u0022\u003EMOANA MACKEY (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Housing: How much is in Budget 2010 for the acquisition of new State-owned houses and how does that compare to the $48 million in Budget 2007 for State house acquisitions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022 data-id=\u00220c0c6c4ace15412e90ad45a0335f2b8f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220c0c6c4ace15412e90ad45a0335f2b8f\u0022\u003EHon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing):\u003C/span\u003E The Housing New Zealand Corporation has budgeted $74 million of its own income to build 241 new properties and purchase a further 96 properties. It has also budgeted an additional $40 million to lease 455 new properties. The National Government has not got a particular appropriation for State housing, but it is investing in $5.8 million worth of community group houses. That will help community groups to house people who have particular, complex needs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226719350536f946a79bded8dd2a806bd7\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I did not hear an answer to the second part of the question about the comparison with Budget 2007.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290ec2ee11bf94e16992dd358a793195e\u0022\u003EHon PHIL HEATLEY\u003C/span\u003E: The question gave the figure for 2007, and I gave figures of the current Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022059d2390b2e042afb600008275f3069e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I will let the member asking the question follow that up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229aa7ebcbdb7c42cbbf37d68dac7e5889\u0022\u003EMoana Mackey\u003C/span\u003E: Can he confirm that of the $18 million in Budget 2010 for acquisition and improvement of State houses, $6.5 million is for the Housing New Zealand Corporation\u2019s energy efficiency programme, $5.7 million is for Healthy Housing\u2014a reduction of more than $9 million\u2014and $5.8 million is for community group housing, leaving precisely zero dollars for new houses?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fad17d9c5896450d99e7f738c99705f8\u0022\u003EHon PHIL HEATLEY\u003C/span\u003E: I think I made it crystal clear that in the final year she is talking about, the Housing New Zealand Corporation will build 241 new properties, purchase a further 96 properties, and lease 405 properties. That the funding does not come from the Government but comes from the Housing New Zealand Corporation\u2019s annual billion-dollar rental income makes no difference to all those hundreds of families that will be housed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b56ade08fc4437a90c453ca989724bb\u0022\u003EMoana Mackey\u003C/span\u003E: Does he remember criticising Labour for funding a net increase of \u201Conly\u201D 475 State houses in 2008, and will he retract that criticism, given that he has announced that he will \u201Cslow down and probably stop\u201D building up the Government\u2019s housing stock?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc18c753147f4da0aa0e02968d954cb6\u0022\u003EHon PHIL HEATLEY\u003C/span\u003E: I remember rightly criticising Labour for a lot of things.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a078b18075ec49ddb1312ca738728e07\u0022\u003EMoana Mackey\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the report from First National Real Estate, released today, outlining a severe shortage of rental properties; the report from his own Housing Shareholders\u2019 Advisory Group pointing to a current housing shortage of 70,000 homes, which is set to get worse; and the report from Jennian Homes, released yesterday, saying that home builders are suffering because the building sector has never been this quiet; if so, why is he the only person who thinks that now is the right time for the Government to stop investing in housing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200124284a6fb404ea4daf337654844bc\u0022\u003EHon PHIL HEATLEY\u003C/span\u003E: I released a report saying we think there is a shortage in housing, so clearly I am well aware of that; it is just that I do not believe that the Government is the one that has to run out and build them all. We would like to work with community group organisations across the country and resource them to build, buy, and lease houses in order to house more people who are struggling, like the struggling families on the waiting list.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd03df62aade49d29a325146681f0c27\u0022\u003EChester Borrows\u003C/span\u003E: How does the $100 million provided by the Government in February 2009 for upgrades of State houses compare with the funding for upgrades in Budget 2007-08?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a72e228cb5d4245b1b5d9d9bf971663\u0022\u003EHon PHIL HEATLEY\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, this is fascinating! The National Government invested $109 million on more than 13,000 upgrades of old, cold, and mouldy houses. That is a grand total of $109 million, compared with the $7.5 million invested by the previous Labour Government. In other words, the Labour Government invested only 10 percent of what National did in 2009. Do members know why that is? It is because the National Government and John Key believe that the quality of housing for our tenants is just as important as the quantity of housing for our tenants; otherwise, we would house them in dog kennels, like the previous Government did. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cafb4d227e4243a4b4e2b32fd33bc3e0\u0022\u003EMoana Mackey\u003C/span\u003E: How many people could have been housed with the $1.6 billion being spent on the P\u016Bhoi to Wellsford \u201CHoliday Highway\u201D, now known as the \u201CSteven Joyce Road of Personal Significance\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265ff1ba70ea04c9e98e3795a35b322f2\u0022\u003EHon PHIL HEATLEY\u003C/span\u003E: At this time, although it is way at the top of my list, I have not done that calculation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022879191fc523c4f7886564be3942f64b0\u0022\u003EChester Borrows\u003C/span\u003E: What has been the result of the additional $109 million?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbb83aab-9566-44c4-9029-8bda4aaca7f2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9e73be408a64a3d9742208f71fba61d\u0022\u003EHon PHIL HEATLEY\u003C/span\u003E: In 2009-10 more than 25,000 upgrades of State houses were carried out. Housing New Zealand Corporation tenants across the country benefited from improved insulation and heating. Their homes were damp-proofed. New bathrooms and kitchens were fitted as well, and other vital improvements carried out. Those improvements enhanced tenants\u2019 living conditions by making their homes warmer, healthier, and much safer. John Key, the Prime Minister, is not a slum landlord. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d504ea51d0014f869d33ecd66e04dc30\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248132410754d4026a8ebe65e137aea11\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: No, but he gets a free house.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b73bfb9235847cea27e6ecabcceefcc\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: There will be no interjection while I am on my feet. The last part of the answer was in response to a question from one of the Minister\u2019s own colleagues, and there is no need for gratuitous comments in response to questions from one\u2019s own colleagues. I am perfectly happy for him to compare what this Government is doing with what the previous Government might have done, but I am not going to have patsy questions used to make gratuitous comments. The Minister has done that on a couple of successive days now, and that is why I am raising it, because it is not fair. If members opposite are foolish enough to ask political questions, the Minister can give political answers. I have no problem with that; we have heard a few of them today. But I am not going to have patsy questions used to make gratuitous comments. I have no problem with his comparing performance but I will not have gratuitous comments. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea6fe82f987b49cfba29d2ab9a0a6637\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I thank you for that ruling. You have made that ruling on a number of occasions over the last couple of weeks, and it has been repeatedly ignored by National Ministers\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa0ebf99f76c47b3834f531aad087dd1\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am on my feet, and I do not need any assistance. I have made clear what I intend, and there is no further issue. My insisting on Ministers not doing that will not be assisted if members of the Opposition try to take advantage of it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002237f74a4b51e04badae9eef24897aead7\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is quite a separate point of order but it might assist the House. I just want to make it clear that we do not associate ourselves with the comments of my colleague with regard to the highway\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220864c6365e12477fade9cc09535f3f9a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002204ce0927432e493285355d09b30f4d47\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: We know that it was you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d373e53ed90451d90f1ebd9ea4e41a6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Speaker must not be brought into the debate\u2014although I sympathise with the member\u2019s point of view!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227738e4e6284e4af49a90108e7d64ff58\u0022\u003EInformation and Communications Technology Delegation\u2014Visit to China\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u00228e69c305ecca426f8318fd5809628346\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228e69c305ecca426f8318fd5809628346\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Communications and Information Technology: What results have been achieved to date by the recent ICT trade delegation he led to China?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u00222de5a92d281b4ae0830da4359d4d9865\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222de5a92d281b4ae0830da4359d4d9865\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Communications and Information Technology):\u003C/span\u003E Many of the companies that participated in the delegation are following up very strong leads facilitated by their meetings last week with some of China\u2019s largest information and communications technology firms. For example, Tomizone is looking to increase its roll-out of Wi-Fi hotspots in two Chinese cities, Datacom is looking to develop service centres for new Chinese customers, and Mobile Mentor is negotiating with China Unicom to provide training in the use of new smart phones. The delegation facilitated introductions between New Zealand firms and some of the largest information and communications technology providers in the world. Deals that could result would bring millions of dollars of value into the New Zealand economy and would demonstrate our firms\u2019 abilities to compete in the world\u2019s fastest-growing information and communications technology market.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002254f5ffe72d484301b1dc1914605af7ee\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: What feedback has he received from companies who participated in the recent information and communications technology trade delegation to China?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022226e6b102c7e4d3b928555424339756d\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: All participants greatly valued participating in the delegation and the reception they were given by their Chinese counterparts. Thanks to the excellent work by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade they were given high-level access to executives in large companies. Opening doors to some of China\u2019s largest information and communications technology firms is not easy, but the New Zealand firms have demonstrated their preparedness and have impressed their Chinese colleagues. This was the sixth such delegation to China this year, which underlines the Government\u2019s determination to continue to grow our trade and orient New Zealand to the export-led growth that we need to both grow the country faster and create more jobs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e8c27e8d67314a3da966707a052fd153\u0022\u003EUrgent Debates Declined\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002227b6c038153e4d7a91428ef114dc1fd2\u0022\u003ELarge Budget Screen Production Grant\u2014Criteria Changes\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022 data-id=\u002271b5581ec7cb4750b7af6d1c86ce8ed3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002271b5581ec7cb4750b7af6d1c86ce8ed3\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have received a letter from the Hon Trevor Mallard seeking to debate under Standing Order 380 the announcement last night regarding changes to widen the qualifying criteria for the Large Budget Screen Production Grant. This is a particular case of recent occurrence involving ministerial responsibility. The member in his application acknowledges that legislation is to be introduced today that relates to one aspect of the agreement between the New Zealand Government and Warner Bros relating to the Hobbit movies. The member\u2019s application relates to another element of that agreement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003EThe test for whether a particular case of recent occurrence requires the immediate attention of the House is a high one. It is relevant when considering whether a matter requires the urgent attention of the House to consider whether the matter proposed to be discussed must come before the House reasonably soon in the form of legislation, and whether there are other parliamentary means of debating the subject. In addition to today\u2019s legislation there will be other opportunities to consider the criteria for the Large Budget Screen Production Grant. Select committees are currently considering financial reviews and there was a question for oral answer today. I am not persuaded that the business of the House should be set aside today. The application is therefore declined.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022136ac3f5e8a5449aa1bb54f139f13c92\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022136ac3f5e8a5449aa1bb54f139f13c92\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. It is a very narrow point of order, and not disputing in any way your ruling, but it goes to your words \u201Cin addition to the debate today\u201D. Can I take it from that that it will be appropriate for today\u2019s debate on the employment relations legislation to be slightly widened in order to consider these matters as well?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u002203bd5f5be341456cb999f50028074055\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002203bd5f5be341456cb999f50028074055\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Mallard clearly, as a member of one of the Opposition parties that was provided with the bill earlier in the day, knows its content. He will also know that it is an extremely narrow bill. I do not think it would be appropriate for the Speaker to rule that where a bill is presented to the House, matters completely unrelated to that bill\u2014completely unrelated to that bill\u2014can be part of the debate on that bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00227b43cc71f7a049c8a9d0b63838779983\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227b43cc71f7a049c8a9d0b63838779983\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, given that assurance from the Minister about the total lack of a relationship between the two, would you like to review your ruling?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb346f00880c42b889ff69b500442a96\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb346f00880c42b889ff69b500442a96\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A nice try! What I will say is the Government has chosen, for whatever reasons, to put a bill on a controversial issue through all its stages under urgency. There therefore is not the opportunity for the bill to be considered by a select committee and for public submissions to be heard on it. In those circumstances, it would be my belief\u2014but, of course, it is up to the presiding officer in the Chair at the time\u2014that in the first and second readings, and especially the second reading where the wider context of the bill is debated, the fact that the bill is being put through without the possibility of select committee consideration does mean that the debate could be widened somewhat around the context of the bill. The honourable member makes a perfectly fair point that if the Speaker believed that that was not possible, maybe the Speaker should have allowed an urgent debate on the matter. I am not sure which the Government would prefer\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220eb72c1ad942446fb648b53f3d0d7b0a\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Not that you would take that into account!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a75598084414c43bd57e805614d4916\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Not that the Speaker would take that into account! I can assure you that the Speaker has had no communication with the Government whatsoever on this matter, and its view does not enter the Speaker\u2019s consideration of the matter, but if the Government wants to make an argument in the way that it has\u2014but the fact is my decision was influenced somewhat by the fact that the legislation is going through under urgency without select committee consideration, and therefore in the second reading in particular the context of the bill would be relevant.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002216325f1bf85e4e5d969d94571ea392ae\u0022\u003EUrgency\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022635bcfd88094408a987064c8ff2d8dc4\u0022\u003EUrgency\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00227eefe37d73b24e5c9ef764b05795b33d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227eefe37d73b24e5c9ef764b05795b33d\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That urgency be accorded the introduction and passing of Government bills. It is the Government\u2019s intention to bring to the House two bills under this urgency motion for consideration by the House. One of them, as is well known, relates to the employment status of persons employed\u2014or, I should say, engaged\u2014in the film industry. [Interruption] There is so little joy among Labour these days that its members take any opportunity for a little bit of light relief in their life. The second bill deals with matters relating to provisions of a legal nature. I am sure that the need for urgency in the second case will be apparent when the bill is introduced.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022157cc436c60349f381d56459316afc4f\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That urgency be accorded.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 4; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000194\u0022\u003EThe result corrected after originally being announced as Ayes 69, Noes 51.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022436de2dac9e049ee873f74bae32957c0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022436de2dac9e049ee873f74bae32957c0\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I ask you for some clarification as to whether Standing Order 55(2)(b) applies in this particular case. I will not go into the matter surrounding the second bill, but you will remember that at the Business Committee there was discussion of a bill on legal matters. An undertaking was given by the Labour Opposition\u2014and, I think, by all Opposition members at that committee\u2014that because it was an important but not contentious piece of legislation we would get it through the House by 6 o\u2019clock, and I think it followed some discussions on the bill that were led by Nathan Guy. The Business Committee was given notice of the intention to move one piece of urgency for a specific matter, and it was agreed that there is not any intention to sit between 7.30 and 10 tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00224d76560467fb4f1d994720130542c9d8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224d76560467fb4f1d994720130542c9d8\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E The problem with the suggestion made by the member is that the assumption behind what he is suggesting is that there had to be agreement about whether there was urgency. There was, in fact, and the effect of that is that the House can sit till 10 p.m. tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00228e1b2d829fe348c09c0bb3f6e6886cca\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228e1b2d829fe348c09c0bb3f6e6886cca\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I think this matter goes to the purpose of Standing Order 55(2)(b), to the discussions before, and actually, to a certain extent, to the integrity of the Business Committee. If the Business Committee is led to believe that there is to be urgency for a particular item, as we were\u2014without going into it, because it is not appropriate to go into detail at this point as to the item\u2014and urgency is used for another purpose, it is my strong view that Standing Order 55(2)(b) does not apply, because otherwise the Business Committee could be consistently misled as to the nature of urgency. I think that would lead to a breakdown in the trust that we have developed\u2014and I have seen, in my experience over the last 18 months or so, a committee that works very much on the basis of trust.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00226fa4bf73d8f34e7e95b59019b27bf643\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226fa4bf73d8f34e7e95b59019b27bf643\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I appreciate the comments the member makes about the need for trust in these matters. None the less, Standing Order 55 accords the opportunity for the House to sit till 10 o\u2019clock on a Thursday night if the intention of the Government to move urgency is notified to the Business Committee at the meeting earlier in the week, which it was. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThere is no requirement for the Government to negotiate what the urgent business will be. The mere fact that it is a matter of urgency would tend to indicate that it is one of those matters that come up from time to time and need to be dealt with in such a way\u2014quickly. Therefore I do not think there can be any contradiction here. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EConventions on how the House operates are changing, and I am very supportive of those changes. For example, we know that in the second week of the November sitting the House will be taking urgency, and everyone will know well ahead of time what work we are doing. There is a notice of motion on the Order Paper\u2014it has been there all year\u2014looking for a way to extend the hours of the House, because we think that would be worth considering. The halfway house that I have introduced\u2014by indicating a long time out when urgency for the purpose of getting additional hours is required\u2014is, I think, a good development, but it is a halfway house and it has no standing in Standing Orders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EStanding Order 55(2)(b) is specific: \u201Cif the Government has advised Business Committee of the intention to move on a Thursday to accord urgency to business, the sitting on that Thursday is suspended between 6 pm and 7.30 pm and between 10 pm and 9 am,\u201D. There is no requirement in that Standing Order for the Government to notify what business it is taking urgency for at that time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022 data-id=\u0022001420c0582b41ecacdbdb620ff07d26\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022001420c0582b41ecacdbdb620ff07d26\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have heard sufficient on this matter. I think the matter is quite clear. The Standing Order, as the honourable Leader of the House has pointed out, does not require the Government to advise the Business Committee of the precise nature of the business. If the House is to sit between 7.30 and 10 p.m., all that the Standing Order requires is that the Government has advised the Business Committee of its intention to accord urgency to business. The Government did that, and it has successfully moved a motion to take the House into urgency. As I see the Standing Order and the advice I have received, that is the situation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022ed81bdd61b084ad8a995cd6bf04d62f9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ed81bdd61b084ad8a995cd6bf04d62f9\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I will not litigate your ruling, but I suggest that at some stage the Standing Orders Committee could look at this matter, in this particular circumstance. As I remember, the purpose of this Standing Order was to allow members to plan later in the week\u2014to get notice early in the week of a change that was going to occur late in the week, and plan their arrangements in their electorates. It was on that basis that, as you remember, I left the room in order to seek an assurance from our member that we could get the legislation through the House by 6 and therefore not notify. In the end, I think the Standing Orders Committee has to look at whether this Standing Order, as it is now written, achieves the purpose of giving members notice when it is brought into effect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022 data-id=\u0022abe6a2b4a4a94f9ba99651cfd37598cd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ac169d29-4849-42c2-a4a7-f344fd416503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022abe6a2b4a4a94f9ba99651cfd37598cd\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It is certainly something that the Standing Orders Committee can do, and I hear what the honourable member is saying with regard to members\u2019 ability to plan their business. It is a significant issue. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002271316fd0cf014eaf9eece35d56f939b5\u0022\u003EEmployment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b3e178cfa2fd44bca0f56cde7f00e513\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u00225fe6b9d0345e43e08db74863666bc2d4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225fe6b9d0345e43e08db74863666bc2d4\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. Over the past weeks industrial issues have highlighted a significant concern about the way that the international film industry operates. The Government is moving to ensure that New Zealand\u2019s law is clear on the distinction between independent contractors and employees in the film production industry. This legislation will provide film producers with the confidence they need to make movies in New Zealand. The film industry is worth $2.8 billion to the New Zealand economy, and the two Hobbit films alone will bring in $670 million. It is essential that we protect this industry and the livelihoods of the thousands of hard-working Kiwis who depend on it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThe Government is introducing this bill to provide certainty and clarity at the outset about the status of workers such as actors, crew members, and other production personnel involved in film-related work. The bill makes it clear that the status of these workers as contractors or employees is based on the decision they make at the beginning of the employment relationship. If they sign on as independent contractors, they are independent contractors. If they sign on as employees, they are employees. This change reflects common industry practice. Actors, crew members, and production staff are commonly hired as independent contractors. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThis bill amends the Employment Relations Act 2000 to provide clarity and certainty about the status of workers involved in film production work, including production work for video games. It does not cover production work on programmes initially intended for television. It will address the uncertainty that can arise about the employment status of these workers, and prevent unnecessary delays and litigation. Most people have agreed that these workers are independent contractors. However, the potential for disputes about employment status creates uncertainty for film producers, particularly if a dispute arises after production has commenced. This uncertainty can increase the cost involved in producing a film if it delays filming. The uncertainty has also been added to by the international boycott supported by local unions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EUnder the current law, a previous agreement in relation to a person\u2019s employment status can be challenged and overturned by the courts. Despite what the contract or agreement states, the courts can look through it and decide whether the relationship is a contract for service, or a contract of service. These legal challenges can create uncertainty for all the parties involved, and can create high legal and compliance costs to reach a resolution. We need to provide this clarification so that the film industry will continue to make a significant investment in our economy and will film the Hobbit movies in New Zealand. Therefore, it is appropriate that this bill be considered under urgency and through all stages. The Hobbit was the catalyst for this amendment, without a doubt, but with or without The Hobbit, the uncertainty still remained. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EFilm workers are intelligent, and they understand perfectly the difference between being a contractor and being an employee. This law does not alter how they will approach their employment arrangements. It is business as usual. This law does not remove rights from anyone. It is not retrospective, and it does not affect any existing employment agreements. Neither is it a new concept; sharemilkers and real estate agents already have industry-specific exceptions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThis dispute began because a union without a mandate issued an international boycott against The Hobbit as its first action in an effort to negotiate a collective agreement, which is illegal under New Zealand law. For the unions, this issue was never about workers\u2019 rights; it was about power. This bill responds to the needs of the film industry by providing the certainty needed to continue making films in New Zealand\u2014not just the two Hobbit films but major films to come. The Government believes that this bill is in step with industry practice, and is a simple and common-sense response. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00227c2a86221afd44c392aaf56287227c99\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227c2a86221afd44c392aaf56287227c99\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the motion be amended by omitting \u201Cnow\u201D and adding \u201Cthis day 3 months\u201D. I want to make it very clear that Labour supports the Hobbit films being made in New Zealand. The decision to film them in New Zealand is fantastic news for our film industry and our tourism industry, and it is very important for the economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHowever, this matter has been totally mismanaged by the Government, by John Key, and especially by the Hon Gerry Brownlee. It is yet another example of how our relaxed Prime Minister has ignored what has been going on for nearly 2 years, then has let it boil over into controversy, and has had to come in with a patch-up job\u2014and a very, very expensive patch-up job at that. If the Minister in charge of this area, the Minister for Economic Development, was on top of the issues, he would have seen what was coming down the track. If he had had regular meetings with Warner Bros, as Ministers before him did\u2014and I say that they were mostly convivial meetings, but every now and again there was some tension as the issues were worked through\u2014if the Minister had done that, then we would have had a sort of arrangement whereby people picked up the phone, and whereby Gerry Brownlee and John Key stood beside Helen Kelly when the issue was sorted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWhen the issue was sorted, it included an email from Warner Bros on 18 October. That is when the industrial relations issues were sorted. I have heard Gerry Brownlee describe the $140,000 exercises on an annual basis as \u201Ch\u0101ngi and hui\u201D, but those were the meetings that helped with the continuing investment of movies in New Zealand. I think that that is something that has been particularly useful to New Zealand. I might say that my only regret about being part of that is that I never actually got to go to the Oscars. I do not want to criticise Helen Clark, but she was not always very generous to me as far as travel was concerned; at the point that the Oscars started I got on the plane to come home. There are one or two stories that are particularly interesting from that time, which some members have heard and which I might tell in the Committee stage. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI also want to ask Gerry Brownlee about Sir Peter Jackson and his review of the New Zealand Film Commission. Peter Jackson made some very good suggestions in that, and what has Gerry Brownlee done with them? Can he remember receiving the report? If he had focused on his job\u2014I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I know that I speak relatively loudly, and sometimes I interject a reasonable amount myself, but there appears to be someone who has shifted his seat and is continually interjecting. I wonder whether I might have some protection from the Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e5e4d0fb742b45b09fcb63950bb9b025\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: I say to members that there was some interjecting when the Hon Kate Wilkinson was speaking. I thought that was reasonable, but I have to make the observation that the tenor and the tone have gone up subsequent to that. This will be a robust debate. There will be interjections. I say to members that we should be reasonable about it; we want to have a free flow of debate. Mindless shouting will be out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022096c29ba419e48a4856ea6a58743fc88\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I refer members opposite in particular to the recommendations from Peter Jackson in his review about the importance of film incentives and of getting them right. He is absolutely right in that because every time we had a discussion in Hollywood with one of three or four studios, on each occasion we discussed the incentives. They were adjusted and they were tweaked\u2014sometimes it cost us money and sometimes it did not\u2014on things like the timing and the avoidance of foreign exchange risk. There were a lot of changes that occurred but we knew that if there was an issue, both sides could pick up the phone. We talked regularly because we had a good relationship, although I say that once or twice it was not quite as good. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to talk about process, as well. Labour received a copy of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill at 12.40 p.m. today, despite promises from the Leader of the House that we would have it at 9.30 this morning. I want to say that in our time, an undertaking made by a Minister was kept. If we undertook to supply a bill at a particular time, we did. Maybe we were not as free with our undertakings, but when we were seeking support, as the Prime Minister did, we kept our word because that was important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThis bill changes employment law in a way that is not necessary. It is absolutely unnecessary. If this was a critical area, as the Government claimed, why was Kate Wilkinson not at the negotiating table with Warner Bros? Why was Kate Wilkinson not the lead negotiator when in fact Gerry Brownlee and Steven Joyce were doing the work? I must say that I think it is a little bit sad for that pair that the person who ended up actually doing the work was Steven Joyce. I also say that it is really interesting that Bill English promised there would be no change in the law and no more money. Where was he today to answer the question on behalf of the Prime Minister? Bill English said there would be no more money and no change in the law. I want to say that I am not at the point, because we do not know all the details yet about the money, where I am criticising all of it, because I think some of it was necessary. I will be very critical about a direct advertising subsidy for a US company; that is absolutely wrong because it is not available to New Zealand companies. It is a very uneven playing field. I am prepared to look\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a45aa37ce20406a963f8e6e3c166e4a\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: How long a list do you want of companies that the Labour Government preferred during its time in office?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e369a24e72b41e89475420854de929c\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I think it was never a US company over a New Zealand company in those circumstances. It was never a US company with a specific arrangement like that over a New Zealand company. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMembers opposite have been trying to say that this does not weaken the law, so why are they doing it? Who gains and who loses?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b233e025bcb2400f96f1d1e1d13508ae\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re strengthening the law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220594c2e6d0dc436fa0cd3f920bf641fd\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: It strengthens the law on the part of employers; I agree with Gerry Brownlee. This strengthens the law on the part of employers and reduces the protections that are available to people within New Zealand. There are very basic protections in New Zealand labour law, and one of the things that Warner Bros told me when I worked with the company was that it actually liked New Zealand labour law. I will tell members why. It is because we do not have the rigid occupational classifications that most Western countries have. Warner Bros often used to refer to set construction. In the United States, the United Kingdom, and most parts of Australia when constructing a set, someone who uses a hammer is not allowed to use a paintbrush. One is the job of a painter and the other is the job of a carpenter. Although Mr Assistant Speaker Barker might approve of that sort of arrangement, it is not one that we have had in New Zealand for a number of years, and Warner Bros told us that the arrangement here meant it was able to pay more reasonable wages but ended up with more productivity as a result. So our labour law arrangement was something that attracted Warner Bros and other companies to New Zealand, rather than being something negative, as has been indicated by members opposite. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI finish with one point: what does it look like for New Zealand as a democracy, as a country with integrity, and as a country with sovereignty when a group of people come from offshore, and shake us down for $33 million and for a change in our law that undermines the rights of New Zealand workers? That is the approach the Government has taken. It opens up New Zealand for anyone who wants to try to shake us down and I think it is a real pity. It is a backward step for democracy. John Key\u2019s leadership has taken us backwards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00228c7c8c3d867f471b86524d6dcef6f16a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228c7c8c3d867f471b86524d6dcef6f16a\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E National will most certainly not be agreeing to the amendment in the name of Trevor Mallard. We will be supporting the motion moved by the Hon Kate Wilkinson. With regard to the last speaker, Trevor Mallard, let me say that the only foreigners who came to this country and shook us down were the Australian unionists who came in here and destroyed exactly the sort of settled industrial relations arrangements that Trevor Mallard spoke of. That is absolute fact.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EEight weeks ago this film was going to be made in New Zealand, and then Mr Simon Whipp, the Australian unionist, got the International Federation of Actors to put a black ban on the film, telling all actors not to sign on unless it was with a contract negotiated by the Australian union\u2014and every member on that side of the House knows that; they have seen that resolution. I ask them what on earth the Council of Trade Unions has abandoned workers in this country for. Why was it not the New Zealand unions that stepped up and worked for actors and others in this country? The unions did not do it; they simply abandoned actors to the Australian union. I say to Mr Mallard that he should make no mistake: the only foreigners who have come into this country to shake us down have been the Australian unions, led by Mr Simon Whipp.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EMr Mallard\u2019s speech was a very sad rewrite of, or attempt to rewrite, history. There is no way in which the relationship between the New Zealand Government and Warner Bros is any worse as a result of this\u2014far from it. Fortunately, we have been able to pull out of the fire a dreadful situation, and turn it into something that will be particularly good for the New Zealand film industry in the long run. Mr Mallard has asked who wins, who gains, and who loses. I can tell members that it is the workers in that industry who have won out of this\u2014it is the workers in the industry. I am wearing my red tie today, which is something I usually never do in this House, in solidarity with the workers who marched on Labour Day in support of the Government\u2019s actions in this case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EWe have a dynamic film industry in this country. It has been built up by very creative people, and built up by the expertise of the technical crews who have worked behind the films. But all that has been put at risk in the last 7 or 8 weeks by the Australian union, so let us clarify how that has worked. Firstly, a film was made here earlier this year by Warner Bros called Yogi Bear, and that film had no problem, whatsoever; there was not a squeak or a skerrick of a murmur from the union. It let that film slide through. But as soon as the big numbers came on the table, and as soon as the big opportunities for New Zealanders came on the table, without any reference to Warner Bros and without any discussion with Peter Jackson, the Australian union set out to put a black ban on that picture. That is absolute fact.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThen we had the sorry spectacle of the Council of Trade Unions being put in a position of having to support that position. I feel sorry for Helen Kelly. I think she has done the union movement in this country irreparable damage, at least for a long number of years, because it has been put on the back foot in having to defend the indefensible position taken by that Australian union. But I have seen in the street some of the actors who want to work on this production, and they were protesting against the union\u2019s activity. Anyone on that side of the House who wants to say that people somehow are being misled, or otherwise, assumes that those actors are not intelligent enough to work out that without these films being made here, this industry will not grow. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThe Government has moved to try to get things back on the right track. I want to make it very clear that Warner Bros did not tell us what to do. The executives laid out in front of us their deep concerns about the security they would have for making a film in New Zealand\u2014in this case, two films in New Zealand\u2014when at any time a union in Australia could call for industrial action that would slow them up. I want an explanation from the great party of the workers, the Labour Party, as to why it supports Australian unionist activities in New Zealand. It is a pretty simple question. Are New Zealander leaders in that movement not capable of representing those issues?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EFurther, it is well known that most people engaged for their skills, for their trade, and for their creativity in the film industry are engaged on the basis of being a contractor to that event-based employment opportunity. They get a number of opportunities that arise from that, in relation to taxation, etc., and they have the freedom to run their own lives. I ask what is so wrong with that. This industry pays at the higher levels; Mr Mallard made that clear in his speech. So why is there so much animosity towards this industry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EI can say that a collective contract for something like this simply will not work. I do not believe for one minute that Sir Ian McKellen, or any of the other international stars who might end up in this production, were running around saying that they could not wait for Mr Whipp and his Australian union to sort out a collective contract for them to sign up to. But I will say that if every worker or every person engaged in producing that film were paid the same as Sir Ian, then the rest of them might well want to have a collective contract. So a whole lot of mismatches in there are problematic. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EFurther, a wee time ago there was a case called the Bryson case. What came out of that was that if the inland revenue tests were applied in Bryson\u2019s case, it was deemed that he might not have been a contractor and that the relationship was more in the nature of employer-employee. That proved to be very, very expensive for the production company, so the Employment Relations (Film Production) Amendment Bill sets out to make it abundantly clear that if someone is employed\u2014or, should I say, contracted\u2014for services on these films, and others, then that person will be treated as a contractor with no right to go and have that status questioned. People will say that that is a removal of rights, but if someone sign up and says that he or she wants to be a contractor, then where is the right for the person who is on the other side of that\u2014the contractee\u2014to expect that that is what the person is. I think it is utterly ridiculous to have a provision that says that people may run off at any time to the Employment Court and ask for help to change their status. Steve Chadwick over there is shaking her head and saying that that is ridiculous. She is right; it is utterly ridiculous. But that is what happened in the Bryson case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EI will finish my speech by saying that if Simon Whipp the Australian unionist had not put the black ban on this bill, we would not be in this situation. We would not have had to go through the exercise we have gone through over the last couple of days. I want to make it abundantly clear, again, that there has been no request or\u2014the Opposition would say\u2014pressure from Warner Bros to change our law. There has been agreement between the two that this is an issue, and that this needs to be sorted out. That is what this bill sets out to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EFinally, I have some simple questions for the speakers to come: why do New Zealand workers need an Australian union representing them in this industry, and what has that Australian union achieved for them? I say that it has achieved nothing but grief. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00227998fda3352b41d9b58e02cb58f2bdef\u0022\u003EVoting\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225f1f1a5d95924f8d9829eedb2de020cb\u0022\u003ECorrection\u2014Urgency\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022 data-id=\u0022f53a2cef5532471d8ba7643f2348a49b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f53a2cef5532471d8ba7643f2348a49b\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: The vote on the urgency motion was incorrectly announced. The record will be changed to read the result as Ayes 68, Noes 51. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c4cbd7cc70044461a4b6796b0176ef8a\u0022\u003EEmployment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ecbd3da9026b4c4aa98afe09594a6d92\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000244\u0022\u003EDebate resumed.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u0022af4cf007bdc442378695558f1573eff1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022af4cf007bdc442378695558f1573eff1\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I intend to put a few facts into the mix today. We have just listened to the most ridiculous set of misleading half-truths, stereotypes, and absolutely ridiculous comments from the Minister for Economic Development. But before I do that I want to make a few points on my behalf and on behalf of my colleagues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI reiterate the point made by the Hon Trevor Mallard that on this side of the House we value our creative industries. We take great pride in our creative industries. If we look at the track record of the previous Government, we can see absolute chapter and verse how we supported the creative industries in this country. So, first of all\u2014fact\u2014we support the creative industries. Just ask the people who work in those industries about the last Government\u2019s support for their industries. Secondly, we want The Hobbit to be made in New Zealand and are glad that it is being made in this country. Like everybody else in Parliament, and like all of the people in New Zealand, we are proud of films like The Lord of the Rings films, and I am sure we will be proud of The Hobbit. I want that on the table as a matter of fact. That is what was driving some of the polls referred to earlier; all New Zealanders want to see this film made here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EBut I want to dive beneath that, to look at some of the detail and try to get a few questions answered. We know that the creative industries provide jobs in this country. We know that economically they are very valuable in terms of the money spent in New Zealand. We also know their value for tourism. But we have to have some answers to our questions. This whole debacle has been a major embarrassment for our country. To watch Government members across the House acting in the way they have in relation to Warner Bros has been an absolute embarrassment for this country. What about the economic and political sovereignty of New Zealand? I intend to ask some questions on that. I intend to ask some questions on how members opposite handle disputes, because, honestly, it has been appalling. There is a labour dispute, and where is the Minister of Labour? Nowhere to be seen. Thirdly, I intend to look at the actual issues at stake in this dispute, and, fourthly, to look at the actual nature of the bill before the House. We will be debating the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill over several hours. There are many questions to be answered, and I hope the media will start to dig beneath the headlines and ask some hard questions of the Government, because they need to be asked. Once the public starts to hear the answers to some of these questions I think we will see quite a different reaction from the one we see at the moment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EOn the issue of economic and political sovereignty, I want to know whether this Government can confirm that labour laws should be changed in response to domestic concerns and issues. Maybe the Minister of Labour, if she is so inclined, could confirm to us whether that is the case\u2014that labour laws are a domestic matter and should be changed in response to our own domestic concerns and issues. If not, on what basis should labour law changes be contemplated? That is my first question. My second question is whether the Minister is aware of other sovereign States that have changed labour laws in response to the demands of foreign corporates. Let me say that again: which States have changed labour laws in response to the demands of foreign corporates? I am aware that in South-east Asia there are quite a few examples of what are called export processing zones where exactly that has happened\u2014where countries have changed labour laws to meet the needs of foreign corporates\u2014but it is not something I have seen happen in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b711e9ec36da4612b06377e725a5e618\u0022\u003EKeith Locke\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I cannot hear Carol Beaumont because of the shouting. I think\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222fe420782e734f41950ce025888c7a4b\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: You can\u2019t help good luck sometimes!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ecc7713bb4f49e1883186fee9b4c7fd\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: Humour is appreciated but not on this particular occasion. The member makes a fair point; this is a chamber of free speech, and free speech means that people are free to speak and that members are able to listen to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dfd1268e68514ea9b618e574a82d9e1b\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: You wouldn\u2019t want to pay for this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac5c7e6ea0204b9285d8083cad4ccb4c\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: I am giving a ruling. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f5873d304364f6bb7ab1f86312c4367\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT\u003C/span\u003E: As I was saying, it is very important to consider why sovereign nations would change their labour laws in response to the demands of foreign corporates. The only examples I can come up with involve export processing zones in South-east Asian countries. Perhaps the Minister of Labour, if she can be bothered, might answer those questions. The other thing I would like to know is whether we can get some confirmation that there are elements of our labour laws that will not be changed in response to demands by foreign corporates. Are we going to say that any item in our law is open to change if foreign corporates demand it? Perhaps we would reduce the minimum wage if a foreign corporate wants to come here but thinks it is too expensive to employ New Zealand workers. Should we change the minimum wage and say that it can be less for employees of a foreign corporate? This is about a Government that seems willing to make changes to important domestic matters at the behest of foreign corporates. That is my first lot of questions. I hope the Minister will take the time to reassure us on those matters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EIn looking at the Government\u2019s handling of this dispute, I point out that the Hon Trevor Mallard has talked about the issues related to the incentives for film companies operating in New Zealand and has asked some questions about them. I note that Sir Peter Jackson raised questions in July of this year about the level of incentive. I have no idea why it was not dealt with by the Government separately from this dispute, but somehow it has now become an outcome of this dispute.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI want to talk more about the issue of the so-called lack of clarity over the legal status of people working in the creative industries. I am sure that my colleague Charles Chauvel will deal with it in a lot more detail, but I can say that there is no uncertainty. As others have said, including members across the House, a lot of the people in the film industry operate now as independent contractors. That is not in question and nobody is disputing that. The Bryson case that has been referred to has not led to the status of a whole lot of people suddenly being changed. This is all a red herring. That 2005 Supreme Court decision has not led to widespread change in the industry. I do not know what the matter is that requires clarification by the bill. We have been told it is about clarifying the status of people in the industry, but their status is quite clear, and the decision of the Supreme Court was quite clear, so it is not about that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis bill provides a default provision. As I read the bill in the short time I have had it, the default position is that people will be independent contractors. It goes on to say who those people are. It talks about \u201Cactor, voice-over actor, stand-in, body double,\u201D etc., but also goes on to talk about any person engaged in film production work in any other capacity. That could be the person who answers the phone. I am not sure that such people really require clarification of their status as independent contractors. I am sure that that will come up further on in this debate, but I want to keep going with the questions I want to ask.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI am concerned that this bill will be used to undermine wages and conditions, and I want to know that that is not the intention. Independent contractors, when they are famous actors and so on, are clearly well-paid people and clearly choose that status, but it seems to me that no other person in the film production industry benefits from having the status of independent contractor. In fact, they would lose a lot of protections that exist under employment law, and they would be required to do a number of things, like pay their own tax, accident compensation levies, and so on. There is a risk factor if this status is intended to be extended to cover people other than the people being talked about\u2014the actors, the technicians, and so on. The Government might wish to keep talking about high-paid actors, but many in this industry are not well paid, and I am sure that other members will talk about that. But what we know is that this Government puts in place shonky arrangements then extends them elsewhere. We need only look at the 90-day bill, which introduced 90 days\u2019 employment with no rights, to see precisely that situation occurring.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe real issue\u2014and I will come back to this point in a later speech\u2014is collectively negotiating terms and conditions, and this bill does not deal with that issue, at all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022 data-id=\u00221b1879c595fb49199bf20d6da64d3f93\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221b1879c595fb49199bf20d6da64d3f93\u0022\u003EKEITH LOCKE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E The Green Party is strongly opposed to the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. This is a very sad day for New Zealand, because not only is the Government moving legislation through this Parliament at the behest of a foreign multinational, Warner Bros, which is an affront to our sovereignty, but also it is completely abusing the parliamentary process. It is rushing important industrial legislation through Parliament, through all stages, in a few hours, under urgency and is denying all chance for the legal profession, employers, union leaders, and members of the community to make submissions on it. In fact, members of Parliament have had only a couple of hours in which to look at the bill and prepare their contributions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EAny other bill sits on the Table for 3 days, which means that members of the public, including those following this debate, have the chance to figure out what the bill is before we discuss it in the House. There will be a lot of confusion out there among the people listening to this debate on the radio or watching it on TV. MPs are not being given a proper chance to scrutinise this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EIndustrial legislation is very tricky and complicated legislation. In the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee this morning we finalised a couple of bills: the Holidays Amendment Bill and the Employment Relations Amendment Bill (No 2). Those bills have been around for months. We received many submissions on them, we had many debates on them, including debates on interpretation, and they were quite divisive in many respects. That shows the complexity of industrial law, and it is quite wrong to rush such law through Parliament. That is particularly so given that Gerry Brownlee said, when I questioned him earlier today, that Warner Bros has not said that this bill needs to go through this week. Well, why are we pushing it through this week? Either there is some misinformation there or we could have a proper select committee process on this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EWhat is the problem with having a proper select committee process? The Minister of Labour said that the bill does not really change anything and that we are just creating some certainty. I think Gerry Brownlee had a slightly different interpretation. This bill produces more uncertainty in our industrial relations law because the concept behind this bill is quite different from the concept behind the rest of the Employment Relations Act. That concept was clarified in the 2005 Supreme Court decision of Bryson v Three Foot Six, which defined what an employee is. That decision was codified and explained by the screen producers organisation, the Screen Production and Development Association of New Zealand, or SPADA, which produced a little document on what it would mean. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EEssentially, the Screen Production and Development Association explained what we would call the duck test\u2014that is, if something walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. In this case, the association laid out things such as the control that actors have over their work situation, where it happens, what is done, and the timing of it, etc. In reality, a lot of those things are under the control of the director, so in that sense, independent contractors are similar to employees. Another test the association outlines is the extent to which workers, when going into this job, provide their own equipment, take financial risks related to the production, and so on, and generally actors do not do that. So there are a lot of parallels with the work that actors actually do in being employees. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EThis bill goes completely in the opposite direction from the duck test. It says that when the employer, or the film producers, and the actors or people in the film industry in general sign a contract, what they say in that contract\u2014whether the actor is an independent contractor or an employee\u2014is what determines rights from there on. That is quite contrary to the general theme of the Employment Relations Act. Where that puts actors at a disadvantage is that now employers know that under this arrangement they do not need to give actors the right to collective bargaining. They will say that if actors want to be in their movie, they will give them a contract that says they are independent contractors and not employees, and that they can take it or leave it. If they do not take it, they do not get the job on the film. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EThat will mean that these people then lose all rights to collective bargaining in relation to their employer\u2014the film company\u2014and that, of course, is a big problem. It will provide a feast of work for lawyers and judges in the future, who will bring back that Supreme Court decision and look at it as it applies to the Employment Relations Act as a whole. They will say that this amendment is in conflict with that Act, and they will ask whether such a person is an independent contractor or an employee, and they will ask what that person\u2019s rights are. It will be a legal feast. That is why we need to take submissions on this bill, rather than just rushing it through. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EThere is a whole history of people like actors bringing their skills and labour to a short-term work situation or a fixed contract. For example, many people in the construction industry get a job on a building for a fixed period of time. They are paid certain amounts, and even though they are contractors contracting for that work they retain rights similar to the rights of employees under the Employment Relations Act. It is also good for the film industry to give film workers and actors more rights. In my experience, the more rights that people have, the more confident they feel, and I think confidence is a big thing in the acting profession. If actors are kicked around and denied their rights, then their work will suffer and the film will suffer. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EAll of us here\u2014every New Zealander, I think\u2014wants The Hobbit to be a success. This debate has never been about whether The Hobbit should be produced here. Everyone wanted it to be produced, directed, and made in New Zealand. We in the Green Party are saying that it would be a more successful film if the rights of actors and film workers in general were respected and not undermined in this way. I agree with previous speakers. Sometimes over the years we have talked about banana republics and Governments that have been\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa7dff502e024fd18d04d26e38643db4\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Banana constitutional monarchy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223a9ed3ea65f84f40be05116880bc426b\u0022\u003EKEITH LOCKE\u003C/span\u003E: I agree with the interjection. We are not even a banana republic; we are a banana constitutional monarchy. So we have a couple of things on our hands here. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EThe term \u201Cbanana republic\u201D was originally used as a reference to countries, in Central America in particular, whose dominant industry was bananas. The big banana companies, like United Fruit in earlier times, or Del Monte, would essentially run the State, because they had such a big weight in the economy. Now we see that New Zealand, a developed and multifaceted economy, is acting in the way of the banana republics.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EWarner Bros comes along and says: \u201CWe\u2019re not going to make this film here unless you give us more money and change your industrial laws to suit us, and bow and scrape.\u201D So we forget about our sovereignty and forget about our honour. Do we not have honour as a people? We can just say: \u201CYes sir, no sir.\u201D, and then pretend it is all for the good of the workers concerned. In fact, if we study the Employment Relations Act, we see that it does not have any good spin-offs for this bill. This bill is in contradiction to the Employment Relations Act, and the Green Party is very opposed to it. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022f2b401b2e61047a9b920a7530210838c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f2b401b2e61047a9b920a7530210838c\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am not sure whether it is your responsibility or the responsibility of the Government, but I have been informed that this legislation, the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, has not yet appeared online on the New Zealand Legislation website. People are now ringing to ask why the normal practice of\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022676377bd14fd4e03be2a67f5d3701e32\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s the Attorney-General\u2019s responsibility.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218773cb33fc74bbcb2fd560d425f5bcd\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I am informed that it is the Attorney-General\u2019s responsibility. But through you I ask the Leader of the House to ask the Attorney-General to ensure that New Zealand Legislation is updated so that people who are looking for this legislation can get it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209c361331fdc4726a1211aafba1b862c\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: The member has made his point. It is not a point of order of the House; a point of order of the House is about the order of the House. The Government\u2019s requirement here is to have a bill on the Table. Of course it would be in the public\u2019s interest to have the bill available online, and I am sure the Attorney-General will send a message to make sure that that happens in due course.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022 data-id=\u0022a2894862a8df4fe684c673f87b22ea80\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a2894862a8df4fe684c673f87b22ea80\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I rise joyously to support the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. We have heard from all the political parties present today that they want the Hobbit movies to be a great success. Every political party also says they want the Hobbit movies to be made in New Zealand. I can assure this House that there is only one reason why these movies are to be made in New Zealand, and it comes down to one man, our Prime Minister, John Key. It is impossible to imagine that Helen Clark would have had the ability to sit down with Warner Bros, negotiate this deal, and give Warner Bros confidence. As for Phil Goff, he has been deafening in his silence, while New Zealand has\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267431f57-e958-4c83-b438-7da8061d479e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022feb28158a4c24395b61246c6889dec51\u0022\u003EPaul Quinn\u003C/span\u003E: Where is Phil Goff?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022062529b3e7ae4d6cbc2457677c8605f1\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE\u003C/span\u003E: I do not know.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f2445388ff934932b19e65d67ad99816\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member cannot refer to a member who is not here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022956a2decc2b0435c877d92ed9651133a\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE\u003C/span\u003E: Quite. I will not refer to Phil Goff again. Trevor Mallard would not have been able to sit down with Warner Bros and negotiate a deal. I do not think Russel Norman would have been able to sit down and negotiate a deal with Warner Bros. We are very fortunate. One thing we know about our Prime Minister is that he can cut a deal. He can look Warner Bros in the eye, as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, give it the assurance it needs, and protect New Zealand\u2019s interests. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003ELet us be absolutely clear about the sequence of events. The Hobbit movies were to be made in New Zealand\u2014and it is all very well for Labour Party members to talk about foreign interests\u2014until a foreign union turned up in New Zealand. On 17 August Mr Simon Whipp of the international actors union from Australia\u2014he is not even a Kiwi\u2014threatened a global boycott of the Hobbit movies and turned it\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a78ab5abf94941688ab3c47d5ec699e2\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Shh!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022777da18032d04842992d591b8682fb6f\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE\u003C/span\u003E: I know Labour members hate hearing this, but it is the truth. Simon Whipp turned up here and threatened a global boycott of the movies, and it turned pear-shaped. By the way, I waited to hear the Labour Party\u2019s condemnation of that attack. I waited to hear the Labour Party\u2019s condemnation of this overseas union. What did we hear? Nothing. There was deafening silence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003ESo outrageous was this union\u2019s behaviour that we had the remarkable experience of New Zealanders spontaneously organising themselves to protest, on Labour Day, against the union movement and its attack on New Zealand and on the fundamental interests of workers in this country. Where was Phil Goff? We did not hear a thing. Where was Trevor Mallard? We did not hear a thing. Where was Parekura Horomia? Actually, I think I know where he was, but I am not allowed to say. There was nothing from the Labour Party and nothing from the Green Party, yet they come to the House and say they would like the Hobbit movies to be made in New Zealand and to be a success. Those movies were going to go down the gurgler. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003EThe National Government approached the ACT Party and asked whether we would support legislative change. We asked what it would do. It said it would clarify that if a worker signs up as an individual contractor, that is what that worker will be. That is not bad, is it? If a worker signs a contract to be an individual contractor, that is what that worker will be. We said that of course we would support it, because we think that English words should mean what they say. If those words specify an individual contractor, it is not an employment contract. What could be easier to understand than that? I can understand Warner Bros scratching its head, thinking about our Supreme Court and the way it interprets simple contracts, and saying: \u201CWow! You sign up an individual as a contractor, and it might turn out they were an employee.\u201D That is a big risk, and of course the ACT Party was happy to support that change. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003EI heard Trevor Mallard ask who wins and who loses. I think it was a genuine question from Mr Mallard, so here is the answer. New Zealand is the big winner. It is a huge winner because these movies are to be made in New Zealand, and they were not to be made in New Zealand. The film industry in New Zealand is clearly a big winner. It is also very, very clear that tourism is a big winner, particularly with the documentaries that go on the DVDs, which will be huge for New Zealand. It is also very clear that the workers in New Zealand are big winners, not just in the film industry but right through New Zealand. The confidence that this will put into the market place and into the economy, and the tourism it will generate, will mean they are the big winners. Undoubtedly the Prime Minister of New Zealand is a big winner, because he single-handedly pulled it off. Where was Phil Goff? Where was the Labour Party? Where was the Green Party?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce9d4019ef484af9bfac679a411b9dac\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Nowhere.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d0e78864a7a8405ab3a4167b5270f236\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE\u003C/span\u003E: They were nowhere. The Prime Minister went out and did it. I would like to think that some of that glory will reflect on the ACT Party and, indeed, on the M\u0101ori Party and United Future, and the good people of Epsom will think it was not too bad. We got The Hobbit because we have a good Government, not that ragtag bunch over there who would have destroyed New Zealand\u2019s opportunities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003ETrevor Mallard asks who the losers are. Let me think. I do not think it went very well for Mr Simon Whipp. I do not think it went very well for the international actors union. I do not think they are the winners; I think they look like losers. I do not think that it went very well for Helen Kelly. I do not think the Council of Trade Unions came out of this smelling of roses. I do not think the Council of Trade Unions came out of this too good. I do not think it looked very good for the New Zealand union movement. But the big loser has to be the Labour Party. The big loser has to be Phil Goff. He thought that Labour members would come to this House and oppose this bill. Is that possible?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e19aaba5d0904ea4beb9f8d5d714daf6\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Poor Rodney!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bc1e9f65-e08b-4939-867c-22ef093e2a4e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002293b88ff183d1494c95d5456be5a927a2\u0022\u003EHon RODNEY HIDE\u003C/span\u003E: Poor Mr Darren Hughes! Mr Darren Hughes says: \u201CPoor Rodney!\u201D. I did not lose my seat at the last election; that member did. I actually kept my seat and increased my majority. I did not know this, but it turns out that that member was a Minister, and now he is sitting on the Opposition backbenches, and he says: \u201CPoor Rodney!\u201D. I say: \u201CPoor Darren Hughes!\u201D because the Labour Party is tied to the union movement. The fact that the Labour Party president is the leader of the New Zealand Amalgamated Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, and the fact that all of Labour\u2019s funding comes from the union movement, means that Labour is boxed in on the wrong side of this argument. They are against the interests of the people of New Zealand. The Labour Party members are the losers in this. I tell Darren Hughes to be happy over there. Because of his party\u2019s decision on this day, he is going to be a long time in Opposition. I have not even got on to the Greens yet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022 data-id=\u00223337849e1e034d8281e0b6faec017ac5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223337849e1e034d8281e0b6faec017ac5\u0022\u003ETE URUROA FLAVELL (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Deputy Speaker. Kia ora t\u0101tou katoa, e hoa m\u0101, i roto i te Whare I t\u0113nei ahiahi. Clearly, the issue at hand has fascinated everybody outside the House before today, and today. The debate captures our imagination and fascination. Putting aside the celebrity aspects associated with the profile of actors and film makers in the public psyche, it has had the ability to touch on a huge range of issues of high importance to our national reputation. The issue that has resulted in the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, a tiny 3-page bill, has the potential to have massive impacts upon the tourism industry, film production, the entertainment sector, industrial relations, our international status, foreign investment, workers\u2019 rights, and the fate of our own domestic economy. That has been the general tenor of the discussion up until this point in time. It is also an issue that has compelled New Zealanders to take action: to take to the streets, for goodness\u2019 sake; to flood email addresses with a heap of traffic; and to lobby the Government to listen to them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EM\u0101ori, like other people, are represented at every level of the film production industry. An increasing number of M\u0101ori are working in the film production industry, especially as actors and stunt crew. This bill specifies the range of occupations that it encompasses. To cut to the chase, what is the bill all about? Some members have alluded to this, but I remind those who are listening to this debate that the bill amends section 6 of the Employment Relations Act 2000, which relates to the meaning of the word \u201Cemployee\u201D. As a result of this legislation, the meaning of \u201Cemployee\u201D will now specifically exclude \u201Ca person engaged in film production work as an actor, voice-over actor, stand-in, body double, stunt performer, extra, singer, musician, dancer, or entertainer\u201D, and also will exclude \u201Ca person engaged in film production work or in any other capacity.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EAs an indication of just how widespread the impacts of this legislation will be, I say that even within our own very small team here in Parliament we have amongst our numbers people who have worked in the film industry. I will leave it up to members\u2019 imaginations as to whether that was in performing stunts or in the art of acting. Be that as it may, some might say that amongst the current cast of MPs we also have those who have had their fair share of time in front of the camera. Some have been elevated to a national audience by University Challenge, and others have been in Dancing with the Stars or have hosted Asia Downunder, to name a few programmes. So the experience of being in front of a camera is not new, both within the realms of the House right now and within the parliamentary complex. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EThe bill provides incentives for film production to be carried out in New Zealand, not only by foreign production companies but by local production companies as well. From our perspective that is great news for M\u0101ori film makers, and it is great news for the broader workforce engaged in film production. In saying that, we acknowledge that all of the people who are pursuing careers in the film industry must be made aware of the importance of securing satisfactory employment agreements with the production companies that they may work for, as the Employment Relations Act will no longer cover them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EI will also touch on some of our concerns that have emerged about workers\u2019 rights under this bill. For those who have worked in the film industry, it would seem that the procedures in place provide for a certain degree of rangatiratanga on the part of the individual when engaging in film work. I use the word \u201Crangatiratanga\u201D deliberately, because I think that one of the opportunities that can arise in situations like this is that it places incentives on the need to encourage wh\u0101nau to be pretty much self-reliant and to show their economic leadership. According to those in the know, contracts are negotiated between cast and crew members and production companies. The nature of the contract is wholly dependent on the diligence of the individual or group that negotiates it. This is not so much a case of survival of the fittest as one that points to the significance of the collective will in negotiations. It is also evident in the recent comments from New Zealand Actors Equity that it will take steps to ensure that its members sign appropriate employment agreements with film production companies. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EAs we have watched this issue unfold it has been obvious that the film production family in New Zealand is a very tight-knit community, albeit very small. Those involved in the industry have told us that major issues that arise on sets tend to spread throughout the entire industry grapevine. Perhaps that is why this issue has generated such intense interest, because future career prospects and economic opportunities have seemed to be very vulnerable to the personalities and politics involved. But we cannot get away from the fact that an amazing opportunity for film making is now right on our doorstep, which, as others have said, 24 hours ago did not look in any way, shape, or form to be likely. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EI will share a comment from my colleague Mr Hone Harawira about the enthusiasm that he has gained from talking to people like Lawrence Makoare and others in the film industry\u2014M\u0101ori, that is\u2014about the amount of work that they got throughout the making of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and about how just being part of that project changed their lives. According to Hone, it gave them a vision of what else they could be, and it provided them with a place in history. One just cannot beat that kind of experience and that kind of exposure to things that those people might otherwise never have got involved with, had those films not been made in Aotearoa over the last few years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EOn that note, I will share another breaking-news moment in the history of Parliament. It is from an email we received earlier today from Hone, which I will read for the record. It states: \u201CCongratulations to John Key for pulling off this deal.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EBut, of course, it is just not a matter of breaking news, box-office sales, or multimillion-dollar investments that we are talking about in this bill. We have some concerns about the vexed issues of precedent, or of anomalies that have not been worked through. As a case in point, I wonder whether the Government would jump as rapidly through hoops to bring in pay parity for employees of M\u0101ori and iwi health providers. That is an ongoing policy concern that is almost certainly in the national interest to resolve. We have M\u0101ori nurses and health workers in the non-governmental organisation sector who are being paid 25 percent less than those who work in the public sector. They do not go on strike, because of their total commitment to the people whom they serve. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EIn October 2004, 20,000 New Zealand Nurses Organisation members in the district health boards won a benchmark fair pay settlement, which closed the pay gap between nurses, midwives, and health care assistants employed by district health board, and professionals who work in other roles requiring similar skills, experience, and qualifications, such as teachers and the police. That was good news for those who work for district health boards. However, the settlement left New Zealand Nurses Organisation members in the primary health sector significantly lagging behind. Although the pay gap has now almost closed for most of the primary health workforce, the pay parity gap for M\u0101ori and iwi primary health providers\u2014at least in the workforce\u2014is now about 25 percent. It is not as though the solution to that issue would take a task force or an urgent ministerial inquiry to resolve; it is pretty straightforward. Pay parity would mean better health and well-being for our communities and for all New Zealanders. The policy problem is that those of our people who work for M\u0101ori and iwi health providers have the skills, qualifications, and experience that are essential to improve health outcomes for M\u0101ori, yet they receive far lower salaries than their equivalents who work for district health boards. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003EIt will be a great day when the health and well-being of M\u0101ori are accorded urgency, and the needs of M\u0101ori health workers are elevated to the level of being a national priority. That this issue has\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe146e945bb54da885ce5614220afe46\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have indicated to the member twice that his comments should be relevant to the bill. This is not a bill about health issues; it is about employment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022410525d92f844aa28c419c05dd2ab25c\u0022\u003ETE URUROA FLAVELL\u003C/span\u003E: I am closing anyway, but I was making the point that issues around pay are relevant to issues of employment. So I say that\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225fda2bbe8e2c44189c1096aa47263112\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s the feature of an embarrassed party, because this\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002287b45543ded14e48bef89f255c612022\u0022\u003ETE URUROA FLAVELL\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you very much, Mr Hughes. I was making the point that it would be great if the needs of health workers were elevated to the same level of national priority as the interests of those working on the two movies related to The Hobbit. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003ENevertheless, we do not want to close off the opportunities for New Zealand to benefit from the immediate opportunities in the film production industry, and to that end the M\u0101ori Party will support this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022 data-id=\u002257b2eec53cff4fbcb911e593dad242cc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002257b2eec53cff4fbcb911e593dad242cc\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage):\u003C/span\u003E The Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill is a very simple bill. It clarifies existing film industry practice and provides greater certainty for producers, investors, and workers, and I am very pleased to support it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EI was rather disappointed in the contribution from Mr Locke, a fair-minded chap who tries to look at both sides of the issues. I was not at all surprised by the response of the Labour Party, but Mr Locke, at least, tries to look at both sides of the issues. He raised a couple of points about the interference of foreigners in New Zealand. I had hoped that he would at least try to be consistent in his outrage about all forms of foreign interference in our film industry, and I will read into the record just a couple of comments that I think need to be read in as part of the permanent record of this House. On Monday, 11 October Helen Kelly of the Council of Trade Unions attended a meeting of actors in Wellington, representing the position of Actors Equity, a body that says it is independent of Australian unions. It is worth quoting from an article on Screen Hub, written by someone attending that meeting. Asked at the meeting why New Zealand Actors Equity had not taken a full board vote before inviting international guilds and unions to bring pressure to bear on the production, Ms Kelly reportedly told the meeting: \u201CYour Australian leaders have been acting in your best interests.\u201D Asked why local actors were not being afforded the chance to sort out any dissatisfaction about terms and conditions via their local representatives, Ms Kelly responded that international unions have more muscle. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EToday some people are claiming that the unions have said that there would not be any industrial action on The Hobbit so all this is unnecessary, and that they simply could not understand why a studio that is investing many hundreds of millions of dollars in New Zealand\u2014in New Zealand jobs, in New Zealand\u2019s future, and in our film industry\u2014may have some reticence about taking the unions at their word. One needs look no further than the statement from Actors Equity on Radio New Zealand just last Friday: \u201CWe\u2019ve been trying this with local productions for a couple of years. The difference with The Hobbit was that we did have some support from outside unions. We didn\u2019t encourage them to bully Peter Jackson. They came on board and supported us of their own accord.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EAnother myth perpetrated by the unions is that the industrial relations dispute had nothing to do with money, but was about terms and conditions of employment. On 27 September the Australian unionist Simon Whipp told the Otago Daily Times that the issue was all about the payment of fees. Last Friday Robyn Malcolm was quoted in the Dominion Post as talking about securing financial benefits for those involved in the production. Is it any wonder that investors are reluctant to take the word of the unions in this matter, and have sought that the matter be clarified? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EWhen Simon Whipp told The Hollywood Reporter that union success with The Hobbit would pave the way for unionising other productions in New Zealand, and Helen Kelly told Newstalk ZB that her primary focus was to \u201Cunionise the film industry, what was the problem with that, and that Peter Jackson was a spoilt brat\u201D, is it any wonder investors get nervous about the unions\u2019 true intentions? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EWhat is most revealing is the point made by Mr Hide and Mr Brownlee: \u201CWhat do the workers think about all of this?\u201D. One need look no further than Labour Day, which is the day set aside for workers, when thousands of people marched up and down this country against the unions\u2014on Labour Day, of all days.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c67d5d5f4cbe4a53af2c6557c57c5bb8\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: In their thousands.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224f81b061d54d4c3e82015f94bf226485\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: They marched in their thousands, as Mr Henare said. Thousands of people cheered that great New Zealander Sir Richard Taylor, in Civic Square. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EEarlier today a true worker in the film industry, Mark Harrison, stated he did not have any concerns about the proposed legislation. He said this is an area that has needed clarification, ever since the Bryson case. It should have been changed by the Labour Government. But was there any chance of that, given that Mr Chauvel, who is a member of the Labour Party, acted for the Council of Trade Unions as an intervener in the Supreme Court? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003EI think it is pretty clear that the Labour Party, once again, is shown to be more concerned about the unions than the economy. That has always been the case, whether it was the Waterside Workers Union in 1951, the Seamen\u2019s Union in 1970\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002249348d01f5704c6a86dc856640238896\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: And the boilermakers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002241146229-4d11-415b-a4ac-f4e2b923e95d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002297ff32133d5b4d6f9ec6a62a167ed571\u0022\u003EHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014the Boilermakers Union over the BNZ building, or Actors Equity in 2010. The unions come first; the economy comes second. All I want to say is that I very much look forward to next year\u2019s election, in the marginal seat of Rongotai, when Annette King\u2014the self-proclaimed \u201CMP for Weta\u201D\u2014and I can discuss some of these issues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u002246f77c270ae9430f82d7d32ed36ffa29\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002246f77c270ae9430f82d7d32ed36ffa29\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E The first thing I want to say in this debate is that as a proud Wellington MP I am glad that it seems the Hobbit movies will now be made in this city. I was glad that the Lord of the Rings movies were made here. The investment in the city of money, energy, and the local talent that our local film industry was able to showcase made me really proud. The New Zealand landscapes displayed internationally through those movies married really well with the \u201C100% Pure New Zealand\u201D campaign that was run so effectively by Tourism New Zealand at the time. It is also great that a whole range of local businesses did well out of the films being made here. My own former law firm acted for one of the financiers of the films. I think it is useful to reflect on the fact that all of that happened under a Labour Government. I hope we will see similar benefits from the Hobbit movies that we saw from the Lord of the Rings movies, including a boost to our local film-making industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EBut there is a big difference. The Hobbit movies, thanks to the mismanagement that we have seen from the Government, come at a great cost to this country, one that New Zealand did not have to pay to have the Lord of the Rings movies made here. The Government proposes to rush through under urgency in the House today and tomorrow all the stages of a completely unnecessary law change. There will be no select committee scrutiny of the legislation. There will be no public or expert submissions heard on it. There will be no advice from officials to members on the amendment. I want to explain to the House\u2014to \u201Cread into the record\u201D, to quote the words used by the previous speaker, the Attorney-General\u2014why this amendment is unnecessary and undesirable. I hope Mr Flavell listens, because I think his speech was an extraordinary example of how one can, in advocating for something, use reasons that undermine one\u2019s advocacy for the position that one is taking.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EAs Christopher Finlayson told the House, I was a member of the legal team that acted for the Council of Trade Unions in the Supreme Court on the Bryson v Three Foot Six litigation. I was really proud to accept the union\u2019s instruction. The Minister seems to think that is not a matter of pride\u2014to be available to one\u2019s clients, to take their brief. He should know, as the leader of the legal profession, that there is no more sacred duty on a lawyer than to do that, when approached. I was glad to argue the case. There was fantastic argument in the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court listened carefully to the issues that were presented to it and dealt with the matter very carefully.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EBecause we heard a complete mishmash of a summary from Gerry Brownlee as to what actually happened in the Bryson case, it is useful to give the facts. In that case, a model maker had worked variously for Weta Workshop and Three Foot Six Ltd. Three Foot Six was a company specifically established to administer the production of the Lord of the Rings movies. During the production of the movies Mr Bryson worked fixed hours: 7.30 or 8 a.m. to 6 or 6.30 p.m., with 45 minutes for a lunch break, every day. He was part of a crew of 42 working similar fixed hours. He worked only for Weta Workship and for Three Foot Six. In his first few weeks he received on-the-job training in what he was supposed to do for Weta Workshop, and he got an individual initial pay rate of $18 an hour. These are the classic indications in our law of the existence of an employment relationship. But 6 months into that relationship Mr Bryson, in common with the rest of his crew, was given a document by Three Foot Six referring to \u201Ccontractor\u201D and \u201Cindependent contractor\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThose are the facts of that litigation. The long and the short of what the courts decided to do\u2014[Interruption] That is right, 6 months into the relationship Three Foot Six proffered a document mis-describing the relationship as one of an independent nature rather than one of employment, which it clearly was. And that was what the Supreme Court confirmed in the litigation. Despite Weta Workshop handing Mr Bryson a document describing him as a contractor, he was clearly an employee by every test known to the common law and applied in this and every other common law country for over 100 years. The Supreme Court also confirmed that if the parties had bothered to clearly and correctly label their relationship from the outset, New Zealand law would have provided the flexibility for them to choose whether to be in an employment or a contracting relationship.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThis bill will not actually fix anything. There has not been a flood of litigation since the Bryson case; in fact, that case, which is 5 years old, is the last leading case on the question of how one determines in this country whether a person is an employee or a contractor. So much for the great doubt that is said to exist in our law on this point, and that is said to be some sort of block on incoming foreign investment that we need so badly in this case that we will do anything, including subvert the processes of this House, to change the law in order to accommodate a foreign investor.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EBut the problem with this legislation, with the amendment proposed by the Minister of Labour, will be apparent to any employment lawyer looking at its provisions. In any case where anyone asserts that they are in an employment relationship, under the proviso in clause 4(2) the court will still have to undertake the very exercise that it undertook in the Bryson litigation. What the proviso says is that if there is an employment relationship or if the person complaining is a party to an employment relationship, then they are not subject to the exclusion in the amendment; they will be subject to employment law. Well, how does anybody determine whether a person is subject to an employment relationship? They go through the tests that the court had to go through in the Bryson case to determine whether an employment relationship exists. That is the recipe for litigation that the Minister is creating in this rushed and botched legislation. Far from creating some sort of certainty that is said to be sought here, we are participating in the creation of massive uncertainty by unleashing on the courts and on the parties to litigation in these sorts of disputes the very sort of inquiry that the Minister thinks she will extinguish. As I say, the courts will have to go through the mixed inquiry of fact and law to determine whether, in any case, an employment relationship exists. An employment contract does not have to be in writing, as the Bryson case made very clear. The courts will have to go through the tests, look at the reality of the relationship, and determine whether, in any case before them, there is in fact such an employment relationship.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003ESo after this legislation has been rushed through the House, every time there is a dispute in the film industry, what will happen? A person will say \u201CI am an employee. I am subject to an employment contract.\u201D They will do that because it is cheaper to take a personal grievance than it is to take a commercial dispute through the ordinary courts. Then the courts or the employment relations authority will have to do exactly what they did in the Bryson case. This Minister, through her inexperience, her lack of knowledge of employment law, and her failure to seek the most basic advice and follow the most basic process\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224535cbce552e40ca90481b0af0f70bbf\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Ha, ha!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fdd96c97cb78445ab241110c282ba5a5\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL\u003C/span\u003E: She and the members opposite think it is funny, but they are about to put employers in this country through a major new series of employment litigation, which has not been seen in this area for 5 years, and which they will be responsible for resurrecting. We are tying ourselves up in knots, we have sacrificed our sovereignty, and we have thrown out due process, all for an amendment that simply will not do what the Minister thinks it will.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022 data-id=\u0022afc309f5a7fc46058fb8682999bbb0af\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022afc309f5a7fc46058fb8682999bbb0af\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Immigration):\u003C/span\u003E Talk about being able to get on the wrong side of an argument. The diatribe we have just heard from Charles Chauvel sums up where Labour is going wrong. With his legal background, he has gone into the very depths of the detail of his legalistic arguments, and he is completely out of touch with the majority of New Zealanders. He says that this bill will not fix anything, but I can tell members exactly what it has fixed. It means that a production worth $670 million to the New Zealand economy is now going to be made here in New Zealand. Apart from Labour and Green members, there is unanimous support out there in New Zealand for what happened yesterday. John Key has literally saved the day, and this legislation is saving this massive, important project for New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3348e6201364a698e801a257fef9ebf\u0022\u003ECarol Beaumont\u003C/span\u003E: What about some facts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7f436a7c4794816bcaed744d9255b82\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Carol Beaumont is showing why the people of Maungakiekie will never vote her in, because, quite frankly, she is completely out of touch with reality on this issue. Charles Chauvel said that this legislation was unnecessary. Well, it was absolutely necessary if we were to keep this project in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ELabour members\u2019 response to this issue shows us how tied up they really are with the union movement and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, because that is where their funding will come from at the next election. There is no question about it. So when members of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions were out there making complete fools of themselves over this issue, Labour members had no option but to back them. It was indicative. It must have been the first Labour Day when we actually had anti-Labour marches. The coalition of Labour and the unions has been quite amazing; they have been able to direct public opinion with incredible force directly against them. If those members over there were in charge, they would have been quite happy to see the Hobbit project go offshore. For the cost of $33 million, we will get a $670 million boost to the New Zealand economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ELabour used to fancy itself as the party of the arts, and the party of the film industry; that has been totally blown away. That member, Carol Beaumont, is so out of touch. If she thinks that her party now has any credibility with the film industry, she is out to lunch. Darren Hughes is not saying much, because he knows that his party is on the wrong side of this argument.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI want to talk about the fantastic work that the Prime Minister did yesterday saving this project for New Zealand. Those members\u2014there are about 40 of them\u2014are the only people in New Zealand who feel that what happened yesterday was the wrong move for New Zealand. It was fantastic for the country, and it was fantastic for the tourism industry. One in 10 visitors to New Zealand comes to New Zealand because they have seen The Lord of the Rings. It is amazing but it is true. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI ask whether members know about the publicity that money just cannot buy that this project will bring to this country. We cannot quantify the positive benefits; they will be massive. I must say that John Key really did a great thing for New Zealand yesterday in getting Sir Peter Jackson and Warner Bros to actively market New Zealand in every DVD sold of the Hobbit movies.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003ESo there we have it. The Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill is important legislation. It specifically clarifies the employment situation for people working in the film production industry. It gives them a choice: they can decide at the outset whether they want to be contractors or employees. This legislation makes it clear. It is absolutely clear that in order for Warner Bros to make this movie in New Zealand, the legal situation had to be clarified.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EQuite frankly, beforehand, there was a lot of uncertainty. The public needs to remember that before the unions got involved, with the backing of Labour, The Hobbit was being made in New Zealand. It was only once the unions, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, and all the rest jumped in that the project was thrown into major jeopardy. It became a fifty-fifty prospect at best. It took the Prime Minister, specifically, to come in with his skills and his powers of negotiation to save this project for New Zealand. He deserves full credit for what has gone on. It is a great thing that this production will be coming here. Certainly, anyone with any sense will be commending this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u00221f8155ca37b64c348e95e71380f805fb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221f8155ca37b64c348e95e71380f805fb\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I have no doubt that Sir Peter Jackson wanted The Hobbit made in New Zealand, just as I have no doubt that the film workers wanted The Hobbit made in New Zealand; that the New Zealand unions wanted The Hobbit made in New Zealand; that National wanted The Hobbit made in New Zealand; that the Labour Party wanted The Hobbit made in New Zealand; that the Greens, ACT, and the M\u0101ori Party all wanted this movie made in New Zealand; and even that Warner Bros wanted this movie made in New Zealand. Why did all of those people want that movie made in New Zealand? It is not because the National Government or John Key walk on water, but because we have a highly skilled film industry that will make a good movie at a good price. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWhat has gone on here is a game of brinkmanship\u2014brinkmanship by all parties. Some of that brinkmanship ended earlier than other brinkmanship. The brinkmanship by the union movement\u2014and there was brinkmanship by the union movement\u2014was pulled out some time ago. Indeed, we have the email on file from Warner Bros acknowledging that the union dispute was over. The union dispute was over by 18 October\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022559a41e79d9e4ee9a1181ab92d9de10a\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: American time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4ab7d6e8650448582ce90e2438da28e\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014American time. The brinkmanship in respect of Warner Bros was matched by brinkmanship on National\u2019s side. I am not necessarily criticising it for all of that brinkmanship. The Minister of Finance said that we would not spend any more money and we would not change the laws. The Minister for Economic Development said we would not spend more money. We would not expect them to go into a negotiation saying that there was lots more money, but it was brinkmanship. The brinkmanship went a bit far, and National got a fright because it thought Warner Bros was going to pull the pin, that that side of the negotiation would pull the pin and go somewhere else like Ireland. So National got worried, and it thought about who it could blame. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe brinkmanship was going poorly, so what did National do? It said that it was all the fault of the Labour Party and the unions. The Labour Party and the unions have been the whipping boy for National because the brinkmanship got away from it, and it thought it would lose the deal and get egg on its face. Ever since that risk point was encountered by John Key, every media moment that he has he stands up\u2014even though he knows it is not true that the Labour Party has been involved in any meaningful way in these negotiations\u2014and says that it is the Labour Party\u2019s fault, that it has been colluding with the Council of Trade Unions and with others because it wants The Hobbit to be lost to New Zealand. First, it is not true that we have been involved. Second, it is just not credible to suggest that we do not want The Hobbit made here, just like it is not credible for us to suggest that National does not want The Hobbit made here. This is baloney\u2014this is baloney. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI want to read what John Armstrong said in the New Zealand Herald today in respect of the Government\u2019s agreement to do what is completely unnecessary in respect of our law. It is already clear that in the film industry one can have a contractual relationship rather than an employment relationship; one has just to properly structure it. As Charles Chauvel has already said, it happens every day. If multimillion-dollar businesses, like the businesses that are running this project, cannot properly construct their contractual relationships so that they are contracts of service rather than employment relationships, then they are not as good as they think they are. It is a nonsense to suggest that they cannot already do this within current law. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThis is all about National sticking it to the unions and trying to label the Labour Party at the same time. What does John Armstrong say? He says: \u201C\u2026 the company walks away from what insiders say were tough negotiations with another $13.4 million to offset the films\u2019 marketing costs.\u201D, in addition to the US$15 million in extra tax write-offs. He says further: \u201CFar more unseemly, however, is the Government\u2019s kowtowing to Warner Bros and agreeing to put legislation before Parliament as soon as today to clarify the distinction between \u2018independent contractors\u2019 and \u2018employees\u2019 as it relates to the local film industry.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI think Professor Roth at the University of Otago called it right in one of the major dailies in New Zealand last week when he said that this is just banana republic stuff, rolling over to Warner Bros and changing laws unnecessarily. I do not even think it was driven by Warner Bros; I think it was driven mainly by National and John Key, who were playing a game of brinkmanship with Warner Bros. I can understand a bit of brinkmanship in these negotiations, but it looked like it was going to turn sour, so National wanted someone else to blame. It has tried to draw in the Labour Party as if it was our fault that these negotiations had gone sour, when we were nowhere near it. National has been trying to say that this is all the unions\u2019 fault, despite the fact that the unions pulled out of the game of brinkmanship long before National pulled out. At the end, the two players in the game of brinkmanship were Warner Bros and the Government. Let no one else be fooled: they were the two players left standing in the game of brinkmanship. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWe all know that Warner Bros plays a tough game; it does it every time. There is lots of money involved. It has taken another $25 million from taxpayers through this game of brinkmanship. But what I object to is the Government letting Warner Bros write our sovereign laws in New Zealand when there is not even a material problem to be fixed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b6864c747cf54d09bda759064e6c4d9f\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, right! Who believes that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229be234cf008141d6ad1f1c3ac30493c6\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: If there is a material problem to be fixed, why is it not a problem in other industries? Electricians and carpenters work in all sorts of industries. Cleaners and couriers work in contractual relationships. They are exactly the same issues. They are no more difficult in this industry than in any other industry. Indeed, as Charles Chauvel has said, they have not been a problem in the film industry for the last 5 years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThis game of brinkmanship from the Government was getting worrisome. The Government is on the ropes for its lack of performance in economic development generally. Its Minister for Economic Development, Gerry Brownlee, has failed totally in his ambition to close the wage gap with Australia. It has had problems with mining in national parks. Its economic development strategy has been shown to be in tatters, and it was at risk of losing The Hobbit\u2014it was at risk of losing The Hobbit. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI have to say that the Prime Minister plays a pretty good game of politics; I acknowledge that. But let us acknowledge it for the reality it is. This is a political game. Brinkmanship has been used as an excuse to stick it to Helen Kelly, to stick it to the union movement, and to try to label the Labour Party as being the cause of the problem, when the underlying reality is that there were some tough negotiations going on between Warner Bros and the New Zealand Government. The New Zealand Government took it to the wire. The \u201Csmile and wave\u201D, \u201Cshe\u2019ll be right\u201D attitude of the Prime Minister was carried on probably just a little too long, so they did not get down to the hard end of the negotiations until it looked like the movie was at risk of being lost. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister was very effectively and very politically trying to say that this problem was anyone\u2019s but the Government\u2019s\u2014anyone\u2019s but the Government\u2019s. The Government took the brinkmanship to the wire; so did Warner Bros. Warner Bros released $25 million from taxpayers. That is bad enough, but I can live with it. That is the harsh reality of these transactions with a multinational like that. But there was no need for the Government to roll over and let Warner Bros scratch its tummy when it came to a completely unnecessary change to New Zealand\u2019s laws relating to independent contractors. There is no widespread problem. This is a ruse on the part of the Government to hide how close it took it in its game of brinkmanship.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u002213fd71a3a5734aefb7f6f9c004dd31fc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002213fd71a3a5734aefb7f6f9c004dd31fc\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Let us be clear: the only person who stuck it to Helen Kelly was Helen Kelly, in this incident. She was the only person who did that. The only ones who stuck it to the unions were the unions; they mucked it up hugely. They started\u2014if Mr Parker wants to use the term \u201Cbrinkmanship\u201D\u2014a game of brinkmanship and they nearly killed the Hobbit movies in New Zealand. That is the reality of it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003ELet us be clear: if this Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill does not proceed through Parliament, the Hobbit movies will not come to New Zealand. That is the reality of it and Opposition members need to work that out, because they were incredibly silent over the last few weeks and then suddenly today they have landed on a particular side. They are not on the side of jobs for New Zealanders, they are not on the side of having the Hobbit movies produced in New Zealand, they are not on the side of growing the New Zealand film industry, they are not on the side of New Zealand tourism, and they are not on the side of New Zealand exports and growth. They are on the side of Helen Kelly and her mates, trying to rearrange the film industry to their way of thinking, and actually stopping the films from being produced in New Zealand. That is the reality of it, and it was the industrial action that was causing and creating the doubt for these movies to proceed in this country. That is the reality of it, and we cannot change it. We cannot rewrite history; we cannot say that they did not really mean it, and that they started the brinkmanship but others finished it. We cannot say all that. That is the reality of what was happening, and it was going to be the death of the international film industry in this country. Where were Labour members? Labour members were, quite simply, quiet, and now they are opposing the law that is needed to ensure that the Hobbit movies, and other movies, are produced in this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003EThis Government is proud of its willingness to move to ensure that the two Hobbit movies can be produced in New Zealand. The films are massive undertakings, they will create massive numbers of jobs for New Zealanders, and it is this sort of thing that the Government is trying to encourage. Let it be recorded that it is the Opposition that is trying to stop it, it is the Labour Opposition that is trying to frustrate the views of New Zealanders, and it is the Labour Opposition that does not care about jobs, does not care about growth, does not care about tourism, and does not care about exports.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3c987c0fff548908954cb9693dd108d\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: This debate has concluded. The question is that the amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard to omit the word \u201Cnow\u201D and substitute the words \u201Cthis day 3 months\u201D be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022945e667800864970b697407dbf41aaef\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the motion be amended by omitting \u201Cnow\u201D and adding \u201Cthis day 3 months\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 4; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002251916797ce4041bb9173b84b6b3499a5\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill be now read a first time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 4; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a first time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00222186202c997841e8a6e1568077e5e431\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u00227c361e820d2248b3bf3d74a7df74888b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227c361e820d2248b3bf3d74a7df74888b\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill be now read a second time. This bill is the Government\u2019s response to an issue that has created uncertainty in the film industry. It provides a positive response to these issues by providing certainty for the industry, ensuring that the two Hobbit films are made in New Zealand, and securing thousands of jobs for Kiwi film workers. The film industry makes a significant contribution to the New Zealand economy. It provides employment opportunities and it advertises New Zealand to the world. It is important that we are able to provide the industry with the confidence to continue to invest in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThis bill amends the Employment Relations Act 2000 so that it is clear that a person involved in film production work either is an independent contractor or is an employee, based on his or her employment agreement. This status cannot be challenged in court. The issue is described by employment law specialist Peter Cullen, who says: \u201CIf they sign a document saying they\u2019re contractors, then that should be the end of it. We don\u2019t want some disgruntled person who was happily a contractor for 10 years reaping all the benefits of that when we end the contract saying he\u2019s really an employee and suing us.\u201D Actor Mark Harrison agrees, saying: \u201CThis is an area that needed clarification ever since the Bryson case. It should have been changed by the Labour Government.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThe bill provides flexibility to parties by allowing them to choose to have an employment relationship if that is more appropriate for their particular circumstances. When workers have an employment agreement that provides that they are employees, they will be covered by the provisions of the Employment Relations Act and other employment legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EIn summation, the Government believes that these amendments will benefit New Zealand through providing the film industry with the certainty and confidence needed to film in New Zealand. Further, this initiative will encourage the creation of jobs and economic growth. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022934d3ae08ef64e0aa19ba8504f024643\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022934d3ae08ef64e0aa19ba8504f024643\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the motion be amended by omitting \u201Cnow\u201D and substituting \u201Cuntil the bill has been amended to remove clause 4 and insert a schedule of employee protections\u201D. I think it is interesting, as one has been listening to the first reading debate, to hear the inconsistencies and the divisibility of the Crown being shown so quickly. We heard from the Hon Gerry Brownlee in question time today, and in his speech, an absolute assurance for the House that it was not a requirement of Warner Bros that this legislation be introduced. Then we heard the Associate Minister of Finance Steven Joyce very recently telling us that the legislation is a requirement of Warner Bros.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI know that this matter has been rapidly arranged and is not properly organised, but those Ministers cannot both be telling the truth. I am not going to accuse either of them of lying, but both of them are fixed with knowledge, both of them know what the facts are, and both of them have been involved in the negotiations, and what they said was diametrically, 180 degrees, opposed. I think that that is probably a symbol of the disorganisation that has been seen on the part of the Government on this matter over a long period of time\u2014over at least 2 years. In fact, if Gerry Brownlee had been properly preparing for his role as Minister for Economic Development, he would have spent some time in the United States even before he took up that role, meeting with people and developing relationships so that they could work together properly. But in fact he chose to neglect that relationship. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe have been told that the world is falling apart and that under current industrial relations legislation it is impossible for films to be made in New Zealand. I have with me a list of 120 feature films that have been made in New Zealand in the last decade. I might say that it has been quite interesting to work my way through the list and work out that, notwithstanding my becoming more interested in videos over the last couple of years\u2014not like Mr Jones, of course\u2014there are still quite a few New Zealand videos of feature-length movies that I have yet to see. The point I am making is that those movies have been made. They have been made, the system works, and that shows there is no need for this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI think the Government would be well advised to listen to the comments of my learned colleague Charles Chauvel. Mr Chauvel has a lot of experience working in an area very, very close to this, and is someone who has looked at these issues carefully. In fact, I do not think it is revealing too much to say that he has been doing some policy work on behalf of the Labour Party on the whole question of dependent and independent contractors and the way the line should be drawn in that particular area. We heard from Mr Chauvel in the first reading\u2014and we will hear more of this as we work our way through the legislation\u2014the fact that the Government\u2019s intention with regard to this bill will not be achieved by it. Some of that will be more a debate for the Committee stage, and I am pleased at the earlier ruling that the Committee stage will be a wide debate. We are looking forward to that. But even in the narrow areas that Mr Chauvel will be focusing on, that is the case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI think what we have seen is a Prime Minister who has been too relaxed in the running of his Cabinet. He is a person who has smiled at Gerry Brownlee, as Gerry Brownlee tiptoes\u2014well, he hardly tiptoes\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022390a0eaa80d84a43a90cf0872b5945c3\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Come on!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216dfbcb735c34017acb5be0ed02af1f5\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014stumbles\u2014through this area. We have seen a Prime Minister who has not been holding his Ministers to account for being on top of their portfolios. We have a Prime Minister who is not requiring regular reports on issues vital to New Zealand. It should have been obvious. Certainly in the time that I was Minister for Economic Development, at our monthly meetings we would review items of importance to the portfolio; large-screen productions were always part of that, and we stayed on top of them. We worked out whether any issues were emerging, whether a phone call needed to be made, whether people needed to be invited to New Zealand, whether we needed to spend some time in the United States, whether our consul-general in Los Angeles should make some phone calls or make some visits, and when a Minister should be involved. It is just the ordinary stuff of the organisation of proper Cabinet government. It is part of the organisation of the executive. It is part of the role of the Prime Minister to ensure that the basic work of Government occurs. What we have seen with the approach of this Prime Minister is that he actually is not on top of that part of the job. This Prime Minister does very well on photo opportunities and, frankly, he takes a better photo than many of us. But what he cannot do, and what he cannot keep on doing, is ignore the basic job and be diverted on to the photo opportunities, rather than focus on the job at hand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWhat happens then is what has happened now; we have policy and organisation that end up being run by Kevin Taylor, who is known by Mr Brownlee and Mr Joyce as \u201CCaptain Panic Pants\u201D. They get \u201CCaptain Panic Pants\u201D, Mr Kevin Taylor, running the show, and out of that we get policy and expenditure that is totally unnecessary. Because Gerry Brownlee, Steven Joyce, and Chris Finlayson\u2014as Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, as well as Attorney-General\u2014have not been doing their jobs properly, we have a crisis that is manufactured, in the end, by Warner Bros. Warner Bros can see an opportunity. Warner Bros can see a Government that has not been doing its work. It can see Ministers who are not across the facts and who do not understand the way the movie industry works. They do not understand that when Warner Bros has put $100 million already into producing The Hobbit in New Zealand, the chances are that it will want to do it here. So what do they do? In their panic, they start writing out cheques. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAgain, I want to put on record that I am not opposed to the adjustment of the grants scheme. I adjusted it myself on three or four occasions after discussions to make it more appropriate, to make it work for New Zealand, to make it work for the film industry, and to encourage movies to come to New Zealand. That was a good thing to do. But I do object to writing out cheques not for joint advertising or for the promotion of New Zealand, but for the promotion of a particular movie. It is a direct subsidy; a cheque written out that goes straight into the profits of Warner Bros for work that it would have done anyway. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThere is a precedent for how Governments do this. When they want to promote New Zealand they use our promotion agencies, such as New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Tourism New Zealand. They leverage around the world, off the premieres of these movies; we do that. It is absolutely inappropriate to do what the Government has been doing\u2014that is, throwing cash that we do not have a lot of, according to Bill English, at people, not because it is necessary and not because it makes a difference, but because the Government was not prepared to do the work that it should have done. The Government was caught with its pants down. John Key was caught with his pants down, and Warner Bros took advantage of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022 data-id=\u00222628dfa85fc24ecbb01a102076d4f3c7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222628dfa85fc24ecbb01a102076d4f3c7\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP (Minister of Defence):\u003C/span\u003E I say that Trevor Mallard\u2019s amendment will not be agreed to. It is stupid and it is fatuous. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003ESometimes it is very clear where fault lies and where the jury of public opinion thinks it lies. More important, the jury of the people in the industry knows where the fault lies. It is absolutely clear who the offenders are. This is one of those cases. Unfortunately Labour, due to its ideological blinkers, cannot see that fact. The fault here lies with the unions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fc6a233a847f4160bb21f451d2213b91\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: Wayne was in the Labour Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205c8b04c45404cfda392e92a5da55866\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP\u003C/span\u003E: One of the reasons I left was because of the unions, in fact. In this instance the unions were totally at fault. They caused this. They have caused the disruption, they have destroyed the certainty, and we have had to act. What is the evidence for that? I have to say it is pretty clear. Sir Peter Jackson was in no doubt. He said that the first indication he got of this was a global boycott of these two movies. There was no discussion and there were no negotiations; just the indication, a clear statement, of a global boycott. Meetings up in Auckland run by Jennifer Ward-Lealand, who I have to say disappeared out of this pretty quick, and Robyn Malcolm, who I have to say was a bit slower to leave, organised this global boycott, which was orchestrated by the Australian union. In that circumstance the world had changed. It was no good talking about the previous 5 years, or the previous 10 years, the world had changed due to, as Peter Jackson himself said, the triggering of the nuclear option\u2014do that and one changes things fundamentally. Labour fundamentally refuses to recognise that if certainty is destroyed, then an industry is destroyed, and we came perilously close to that in this particular instance. So we have had to fix that up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003ELabour members say, and I have heard a number of them say it today, that they support The Hobbit being filmed in New Zealand. On one level I guess they do; at an emotional level, I guess they do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221763cba1b9834523a0192156bf9d4e31\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Theoretically.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cfcbfc7a29424ec8b38dc472c81c8533\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP\u003C/span\u003E: Theoretically. But are Labour members willing to do anything practical? Are they willing to do the key things that have to be done to ensure that these movies come to New Zealand? Well, no, they are not. Labour members might say in a theoretical sense they support the film industry, but in a practical sense they do not support the billion dollar movies, not the $100 million movies, not the $50 million movies, and not, in fact, these little videos that have been just referred to. On the big issues on the day, Labour will be judged by the public to be against the Hobbit movies because it has not supported the key thing that matters in this instance. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EI have read the Three Foot Six judgment, in which the court said \u201CIt was not open to the Court to reach a decision that had general application to the film industry.\u201D So even though the court recognised that its decision would cause trouble for the industry, it had no choice under Labour\u2019s law but to rule in the way it did. That is because the 2000 Employment Relations Act required the courts to ignore what was written down in the documents and follow other indicators, which were largely drawn from the Income Tax Act, as to whether there would be an independent contract or a dependent contract situation. The old law had the virtue of certainty. The one thing that business absolutely requires is certainty, especially global businesses and especially when the wreckers of the union movement have destroyed that certainty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EThis Government is about to restore certainty, one way or another. We have said to the people in the industry that they have a choice. If they choose to be independent contractors, then that choice will bind them, which always used to be the law before the 2000 Act, and which was recognised by the Supreme Court itself. If people choose to be employees, then that will also bind them and that has consequences as well. I ask Labour members what is wrong with that. What is wrong with people having a clear choice? There is the independent contract on the one hand, and the employee contract on the other. What is wrong with that? There is a clear choice and effectively a situation where the contracts are of limited duration, not for permanent employment but for event-related situations where there is a clear ability to have that choice. The global industry needed that certainty because it had been disrupted. Who disrupted it? The unions did. Did Labour complain about that? No, its instinctive position was to support the unions. At one level I can understand that; Labour is dependent on union support. But that will also destroy its reputation in the industry at the moment and will destroy its capability to negotiate internationally. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EThis Government is clear on this: we are determined to grow the New Zealand economy. We are determined to do the things that will get innovation into New Zealand. Weta Digital itself received $5.8 million by way of an innovation grant from Technology New Zealand to build its capability. That money would be down the drain if people listened to Labour, because the only relevance of that money is if the movies can be made in New Zealand. One thing has been clear this week, and that is that National supports growth in New Zealand. We support innovation in New Zealand. Labour, on the other side, will go with its cloth-cap mates and will be condemned for it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u00223230d2dbf1f6425f87201df7af94c0bb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223230d2dbf1f6425f87201df7af94c0bb\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Before the Minister of Labour came to Parliament she was a respected practitioner in a respected firm in Christchurch. So I hope she will take a moment to listen carefully to what I say. I repeat the caution I set out in my first reading speech, which was that the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220fdf1537c45d44d49dd6fe7d8d9cbade\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right, I\u2019m so bright!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ac7b24a37da47d3bda95087eb0caa07\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL\u003C/span\u003E: The reason that Mr Henare might also want to listen is that he used to know something about industrial relations when he worked for a union.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f2dfb6e457264360ad8660322ea54c16\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Before he was fired for bottling someone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221971275df09f4c38b2bd38b916b9ac64\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL\u003C/span\u003E: That is right\u2014before he was fired. But he might want to have a listen, just like his colleagues, because the problem with this bill\u2014despite all the union bashing from Mr Joyce and others, and despite all the rhetoric\u2014is that it does not do what National thinks it will do. It will have real and problematic consequences for this Government from its small and medium enterprise constituency and others if National allows this legislation to pass in its current form. All I am doing in this second reading speech is asking the Minister to consider with some care what I am saying. I am not motivated by any desire other than to see this Parliament get the law right and to not make fools of ourselves on this occasion. But I fear that if we pass the legislation in its current form, as we appear likely to do, that is exactly what we will do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe bill on its face provides that a film production worker, as defined, is to be excluded from the definition of \u201Cemployee\u201D under the Employment Relations Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1adb1c40aee433fa83e5c127a1cf534\u0022\u003EHon Dr Wayne Mapp\u003C/span\u003E: Unless they choose otherwise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224154a900fd7b45feae77192bca8fceb0\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Mapp is right\u2014unless they choose otherwise. A proviso deals with that in clause 4(2) of the amendment bill. Here is where the problem arises. The proviso is poorly drafted. It is poorly drafted and it will allow for a litigation bonanza if it is allowed to be maintained in its current form. I will repeat what I said in my first reading speech to describe why that is. The proviso applies employment law, notwithstanding the principal provision in the amendment, to a person who is \u201Ca party to, or covered by, an employment agreement that provides the person is an employee.\u201D So the first problem is that it is a circular definition. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe second problem, and this is where the litigation bonanza will arise, is that as soon as anything goes wrong in a workplace relationship\u2014let us use the generic term\u2014in the film industry after the passage of this legislation, aggrieved parties will submit a personal grievance to the Employment Relations Authority and say that they should have the benefit of the proviso because they are subject to an employment agreement. They will do that because it is much cheaper, as we know, to pursue a personal grievance than it is to mount a commercial dispute through the Districts Courts or through the High Court. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EBut how will they be able to do this? Well, most people with some experience in employment law know a couple of basic things. Firstly, an employment agreement need not be in writing. Nothing in this legislation\u2014again, despite the rhetoric we have heard from members opposite\u2014will change that basic attribute of the law. Its existence and terms in any case are a mixed question of fact or law, in the first instance for the Employment Relations Authority and thereafter for the courts to determine on appeal. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EHow will they do this? How will the courts decide whether there is an employment relationship on foot that allows somebody to claim the benefit of the proviso? They will apply the tests that were applied in the Bryson case. The reason they will do that is those tests, despite what Mr Mapp said, have been applied by the common law courts to determine whether an employment relationship exists in any case for about the last 150 years across the common law world. Mr Mapp can shake his head as much as he likes, but if he reads the Supreme Court decision he will see that much of the criticism that was directed at the Employment Court judge was that she was said to have erred in law by applying some new test to discover the existence of an employment relationship beyond what would have applied after 2000. She is said to have misapplied the TNT Express Worldwide case, which was the leading case before Bryson. The Supreme Court said that there was actually no great difference in the tests. The law was not substantially altered on this point by the 2000 legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EI was astounded to hear the Minister quote an actor from Christchurch saying that the Labour Government should have fixed the law on its watch. The fact is that this was the last piece of litigation that dealt with this question in New Zealand. Five years ago the law was settled by the Supreme Court in the Bryson case. The reason the law has not been touched since then is that it is settled. It is really clear. The tests that should be applied to determine whether an employment relationship or a contracting relationship exists in any case are clear and settled matters of law. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EWe heard members opposite say that the law should be that if a label appears in a relationship\u2014if somebody says they are a contractor, or that someone is a contractor to them and they are that person\u2019s principal\u2014then that should be the end of it. What if the facts in Bryson apply? What if the relationship bears no resemblance to an independent one? What if it is clearly an employment relationship by law? Should we condone the sham? Should we participate in the lie? Should Parliament say that the party with the economic power can call it whatever it likes, even 6 months into the relationship once it is well on foot, and that will be an end to the inquiry? Is it saying that, never mind whether the relationship is clearly something other than one of principal and contractor, if the person in the relationship with the economic power wants to call it that of contractor, then that should be the end of the inquiry? I do not think so. That will never be the law in this country, because the common law courts will never apply the law in that way\u2014they never have. I seriously doubt that unless this Parliament uses the clearest words, which it is not doing on this occasion, it ever will. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThanks to this amendment we will see more litigation, not less. This is a major own goal on behalf of the Government and the Minister. I ask again that they reconsider the drafting and that they think about whether this sort of legislation ought to be rushed through under urgency. In rushing through legislation that she thinks will provide certainty in the film industry the Minister is opening up a whole new area of uncertainty. Parliament will be led tonight into sharing that error unless there is a rethink. It is caused by rushed drafting, and because this amendment will not receive proper scrutiny. Unless there is a rethink it will be passed through all its stages in a matter of hours. There will be no select committee process. We will not hear from employment practitioners or Employment Court judges who sometimes take the time to submit on employment law reforms. I guess no one should be surprised by this. By my count this is the 42nd non-Budget piece of legislation since November 2008 to be the subject of the suspension of the Standing Orders. There is a reason that over the past 25 years we have bothered with the select committee process. People out there actually know more stuff about things than we do, and sometimes it is a good idea to take their temperature on these matters. This is certainly one of those occasions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThere is a final reason why our process today is so deplorable. If we put aside the bad drafting, which could well have the opposite effect of what the Minister intends, and if we put aside the poor process that is again being adopted here by this Parliament under this Government, the problem is that we are doing it at the behest of a foreign corporate. Whatever happened to being ambitious for New Zealand? Whatever happened to choosing a brighter future? What about owning our future, as a start? On that ground, as well as the other two I have described, this is a very sad day for New Zealand and for this Parliament.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022 data-id=\u002266f316c5068a49468f7eabefc1baf297\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002266f316c5068a49468f7eabefc1baf297\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E I am speaking today on the \u201CWarner Bros Employment Relations Amendment Bill\u201D. I am speaking today to the Warner Bros Parliament, sponsored by Warner Bros\u2014a Parliament that is now in session under the instruction of Warner Bros, so that we can pass legislation in urgency for the benefit of the multinational corporation called Warner Bros. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThe Green Party is very pleased that The Hobbit is in New Zealand. The Green Party is very pleased that we have kept The Hobbit in New Zealand, but we do not believe that it was necessary for the New Zealand Government, National, to give away our sovereignty in order to keep The Hobbit in New Zealand. The National Government has compromised the sovereignty of New Zealand and of this Parliament in order to satisfy the whims of the multinational corporation called Warner Bros. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThis Parliament is now the Warner Bros Parliament. The majority in this Parliament are now voting literally under the instructions of the executive of Warner Bros. Warner Bros is giving clear directions to the National Party\u2014and, no doubt, the ACT Party\u2014majority, whose members came to this House today in order to vote for a bill written on behalf of Warner Bros. Warner Bros executives and lawyers did the drafting of this legislation. Warner Bros executives have been involved in giving the direction to the New Zealand Government in order to pass this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThis is a shameful day for what used to be called the National Party but is now called the Warner Bros National Party. It used to be called the National Party but now, sponsored by Warner Bros, the Warner Bros National Party is passing legislation in this House at the behest of Warner Bros.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bd620b0f4b7646e9b9a3c37bf3382e66\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I bring to the attention of the House what this speaker is doing. Under the Standing Orders he is unable to imply or convey that members of this House are under the influence of members from outside this House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002292bb4e0934d6420589ac8863f64060d0\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I think it has long been the case that there is an ability to refer to parties in that way. I do not think there has been any direct suggestion on the part of Mr Norman of corruption, as was implied by Mr Tremain. I think Mr Tremain might have drawn attention to it. No one is suggesting, for example, that that point of order was sponsored by WingNut Films or anything similar to that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a6a2cfa9539a4db3b65ad12d82e29222\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: I refer to Speaker\u2019s ruling 52/1. The member has been implying that we have been under the direction of Warner Bros, which he cannot do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022970f970feaa34e4ba901004e403a0ba4\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to the point of order\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226259414672ea408083f227eee81bed53\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: No, I do not need any\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1d26fae75a34b609485e34c59fe13d8\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: It is about me, Mr Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226743931b2ded463f8d72652def31dd41\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I am on my feet. This is a robust debate. I do not believe that the member has breached the rulings on page 51 of Speakers\u2019 Rulings, and there are two or three. He is skirting with a notion and being quite colourful, but it has to be quite a significant statement to breach page 51 of Speakers\u2019 Rulings. I have been listening very carefully and I will continue to listen carefully. I caution the member that he is on the bevel, shall we say. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e53e320484e5474abf858e73d89016f8\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: We are speaking today about the Warner Bros Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. The Warner Bros bill is sponsored by Warner Bros, which has promoted the language in this bill. It is being promoted in the House by the National Party, which I have been calling the Warner Bros National Party because it seems to be promoting a bill that is to the benefit of the Warner Bros. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EWe are here under urgency. The entire New Zealand Parliament is operating under urgency in order to satisfy the demands of a multinational corporation called Warner Bros. This is a very sad day for this Parliament. Around us on these walls we have the names of battles that were fought in order to protect the sovereignty of this country. People gave their lives in those battles to protect sovereignty, yet the National Government, working under the instructions of Warner Bros, is introducing a bill into this House that contravenes\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e28b1913fa804106a8e0874d9296dafc\u0022\u003EHon Dr Wayne Mapp\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I refer to Speaker\u2019s ruling 52/1: \u201CIt is not in order to say that the Government or a member has been dominated by, has received instructions from, has received directions from,\u201D. The word \u201Cinstruction\u201D was used by the member. I believe that he has strayed beyond what is appropriate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0c796f687f94b599d0f677308c097b3\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I did caution the member that he was on the slope, or the bevel. The Speakers\u2019 rulings on pages 51 and 52 state quite clearly that members cannot accuse a party or a member of taking instruction from outside the House. In that respect, if the member used those words, and I believe he did, then he crossed that line. I just caution the member. He is dancing on a bit of a pinhead here and I will pull him up if he crosses the line and say that he has done so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a7b66949d0f743d5b6d75ec9e4c14d2d\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EHere we stand in this Parliament, acting under urgency, which the National Government has introduced in this House. For the sake of demonstrating the problem, I have called it the Warner Bros National Party. I am not suggesting that National is corrupt\u2014I am not suggesting that, at all. What I am suggesting is that we in this House today have been called together because Warner Bros wants us to pass this bill. I am not suggesting that the National Government or any particular member is acting under the instruction of Warner Bros; what I am suggesting is that the National Government has worked with Warner Bros so that we have before us tonight this bill and we are acting under urgency. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EI ask whether that is really why all the people commemorated by the names of battles on the walls around us fought wars to protect the sovereignty of this country. I ask whether we fought to have parliamentary democracy in our country so that a multinational corporation, Warner Bros, can effectively write the law of this country. Is that what it is all about? Is that what it has come to? In 2010, after all of these years and all of these struggles to protect our democracy and sovereignty, here we are today at the behest of Warner Bros, which is promoting this legislation. We are acting under urgency to put forward legislation that suits Warner Bros. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThe second point I will talk about is the so-called great negotiating strategy of the National Government. If we are to accept the word of Warner Bros, on the face of it, it said that industrial relations was an issue for it. The Council of Trade Unions and the unions came out and said that they would guarantee that there would not be industrial action. If the Government was acting in the best interests of New Zealand in the negotiation between Warner Bros and New Zealand Inc, then the Prime Minister would have come out and said that he accepted the word of the trade union movement that there would not be industrial action, in order to maximise the negotiating position of the New Zealand Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EIf we wanted to maximise our negotiating position in the negotiations with Warner Bros, then we would have accepted the word of the trade union movement. The Prime Minister would have come out and said that he accepted there would not be industrial action, which would have undermined the negotiating position of Warner Bros. The Prime Minister did the exact opposite. He came out and said that he did not trust the word of the trade union movement and that he did not believe what it was saying. By doing that, he made it easier for Warner Bros, right? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003ESo in a negotiation between the Prime Minister, representing New Zealand, and Warner Bros, the Prime Minister was on the side of Warner Bros. Instead of being on the side of New Zealand Inc, the Prime Minister negotiated on the side of Warner Bros by saying he accepted that there would not be industrial peace and that he did not believe the word of the trade union movement. By doing that, he made it easier for Warner Bros in the negotiation. It was a negotiation between New Zealand and Warner Bros in which the Prime Minister was on the side of Warner Bros, because he was saying that he did not accept the word of the trade union movement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EIf we accept Warner Bros\u2019 argument that industrial legislation was one of the negotiating points on the table, then surely the Government representing New Zealand should have tried to get the maximum best outcome for New Zealand. Instead, the Prime Minister actually helped Warner Bros\u2019 position in the negotiation when he said that he did not accept the word of the trade union movement that there would be industrial peace. That is a fundamentally ridiculous negotiating strategy. If we have the best interests of New Zealand Inc at heart, it does not make any sense to argue a case that helps Warner Bros\u2019 position. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister argued a case that helped Warner Bros\u2019 position during this negotiation. We do not know how much that has cost us, so the whole project is somewhere in the order of $100 million in terms of tax incentives. We do not know how much that has cost us. Because the Prime Minister argued a position that helped Warner Bros in the negotiation, we do not know how much that added to the bill for the New Zealand taxpayer. We know that it did not help New Zealand in the negotiations to have the Prime Minister assisting Warner Bros by undermining the trade unions\u2019 assurance that there would be industrial peace. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EWhy would the Prime Minister do that? It does not make any sense. If our Prime Minister is the great trader, the great negotiator\u2014and I accept that he has a lot of experience\u2014then I ask why he would take a position that assisted the other side. It is not logical unless, of course, the National Government actually wanted to weaken industrial relations legislation anyway, and that is the sad truth at the heart of all of this. National is happy to weaken industrial relations legislation and to make it harder for workers in the film industry than it is currently. That is the tragedy at the centre of this matter. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThe last thing I will say\u2014and I will say this to Labour and National\u2014is that there is a logical outcome to free trade and globalisation. When we embrace a free-trade globalisation agenda, sometimes we find ourselves dealing with a company like Warner Bros, which is globally mobile. It has mobile capital. It deals with nation States that are trying to deal with mobile capital. The free-trade globalisation agenda has made it harder for us in those kinds of negotiations. It puts us in a more difficult position. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EWhen we embarked down the globalisation pathway, the Greens and others had a lot of criticism of that pathway. We said that it strengthens global capital and weakens nation States. What we have seen in the last 48 hours is a graphic demonstration of the reality of the difficulty nation States have in negotiating with those global giants. I do accept that it was a difficult position. The Government made a mess of it, but it was a difficult position. I would ask those who have embraced a free-trade globalisation agenda to think about the logical outcome of that particular strategy and the difficulty it puts the Governments of democratically elected nation States in vis-\u00E0-vis globally mobile capital. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022 data-id=\u0022e637a1d548fc460089acc6dd4e562e13\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e637a1d548fc460089acc6dd4e562e13\u0022\u003EHon HEATHER ROY (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak to the second reading of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. The ACT Party will be supporting this bill, as we have already indicated. I will not use my full 10 minutes, but I will make some brief comments about what was said by the member we have just heard from, Dr Russel Norman. The capacity that people have to turn what they have seen happening into an argument that suits themselves is amazing, is it not? We have heard all sorts of things about the unions, and I will come back to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EFirstly, I say to the Green member that those who participated on our behalf in the battles commemorated around this debating chamber\u2014not that they knew they were doing that at the time or knew what would happen in the future\u2014were fighting for freedom. That freedom extends to freedom in the area of employment. What we see in this legislation is a clarification of the sort of arrangement that somebody wants to have with the person who is paying him or her. That might be in an employment capacity, with an employer and an employee, or it might be a different sort of arrangement that somebody wants to have, in terms of having a contract. This legislation clarifies the difference between those two arrangements, and that is a good thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EMy regret with this bill is that it is called the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I would like to have seen this bill called the \u201CEmployment Relations Amendment Bill\u201D, and to see this provision apply not just to film workers but also to all across the board. That would have had me standing here very proudly on my feet to say that we were doing the right thing for the entire population of New Zealand, not just for those employed in the film industry. But this is a very good start. We will see what will happen with this bill, because who knows where it might lead. That is certainly the hope of the ACT Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EI would like to come back to some comments made by the Green Party member, who was the previous speaker, on the unions. I ask how he could have possibly turned such an abortive attempt by the unions to do something positive for New Zealand into something that was completely counter-productive. It is also why we find ourselves in this very debating chamber tonight, when members could have been off home at 6 p.m., as they normally are on a Thursday evening. They could have been back in their constituencies, serving all New Zealanders, not just trying to patch up a botched job due to the inadequate actions of the unions. We had people here from Australia. Do members think that the chappie from Australia actually had any intention of helping New Zealanders get The Hobbit made here? Absolutely not. He had not a jot of an intention of doing that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022001171e528f1402295ad0a8eedc0fda7\u0022\u003EHon Dr Jonathan Coleman\u003C/span\u003E: He said he didn\u2019t care.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c4674c896db410b860cae490adc935e\u0022\u003EHon HEATHER ROY\u003C/span\u003E: That is exactly right; I thank Dr Coleman. The chappie from Australia said that he did not care whether The Hobbit was filmed in New Zealand. The reason we are here tonight is the parties on this side of the House\u2014the National Party, the ACT Party, I think United Future, and definitely the M\u0101ori Party\u2014care about having The Hobbit filmed here, and that is why we are supporting this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EI regret that this legislation will apply only to the film production industry. It should apply across the board, to all New Zealanders, so that they can choose what sort of employment circumstances they want. I will end my call there. ACT will support this legislation, and we think, for the very right reasons, this is an important move for New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022 data-id=\u0022ae610515445946929c4cecad7b7a5e59\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ec266512-9fe8-47da-883e-48f046ee5059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ae610515445946929c4cecad7b7a5e59\u0022\u003ETE URUROA FLAVELL (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker Roy. I am enjoying listening to the discussion, with ears fully open, and will continue to support this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u0022c53fa099d67d4ff4b2435d8b9561e306\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c53fa099d67d4ff4b2435d8b9561e306\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E Today we are discussing the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill and I think it is time we looked at the reality of what is happening in this House at the moment. The unions went out there and lost a big deal for New Zealand. They went out too hard, and they were going to lose this huge deal for New Zealand actors, New Zealand artists, and New Zealand tourism. They stuffed it up; that is what happened. John Key and his team went in and negotiated a deal that has saved the deal for New Zealand. That is what the public knows. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThe Labour Party and the Green Party members are sitting in the House tonight, in the knowledge that they lost it. They know they stuffed it up. They know that their mates made all the mistakes. They come in here and talk about sovereignty and issues like that. They are trying to defend themselves and their actions, and say that it is something bigger and different. The reality is that they were donkey deep with the unions. They were behind the unions. They set it up. They were trying to disrupt things and make sure this deal did not come to New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003ELabour members did not want the Hobbit movies filmed in New Zealand. They did not want them here. They disrupted things for political purposes. The reason we are here now is that the Labour Party lost that deal. National has made the deal happen, and today we will be defending that in this House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThe public out there know that the Government has acted in the best interests of New Zealanders, in the best interests of our actors, and in the best interests of our artists, and that it has the best interests of our film industry at heart. It is not a puppet for a union that is trying to make political capital out of events. It is not a token supporter of this industry, which Labour has been for the last 9 years. We are real, we are there, and we are supporting this industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EHow dare those members come into this House and try to say that this debate is something about sovereignty, when they are trying to cover their tracks. They know deep down in their hearts that they wanted New Zealand to lose The Hobbit. That is what the Labour Party wanted and what the Green Party wanted. They did not want the best thing for New Zealand; they just wanted to lose it so they could go out and say that National has not delivered for the film industry. I tell those members to get in the real world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022abecbef81cfb42edb51a02b872fd3b4b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022abecbef81cfb42edb51a02b872fd3b4b\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. It is out of order to question motives or to attribute motives in a way that causes offence. I have taken offence at the comments the member has just made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022881d6afbb6b2445398dc0916e6f7e787\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I am trying to be consistent here. I initially ruled that Dr Russel Norman was on the slope but not out, and I feel that David Bennett was in about the same territory. He was heading to be out, but I do not believe he actually crossed the line. This is a robust debate, but I do not believe that he made an accusation of improper motive; I do not believe he actually did that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u002277d7829e6d6448f2af69d575e542efe3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002277d7829e6d6448f2af69d575e542efe3\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak on the second reading of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. When I spoke in the first reading I proposed a number of questions. Just to recap, I was looking at issues about sovereignty\u2014and other members have spoken about that\u2014the economic and political sovereignty of our country. I was looking at the ability of this Government to handle industrial disputes, and I will talk a little about that in this contribution. I also talked about the many questions that the public and the media will be asking, I believe, over the next few weeks, as we get over the hype and get down to the reality.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI would like to inject some facts into the debate. I think the contribution made by the previous speaker questioning the commitment of this party to the film industry, and to the creative industry more generally, was just ridiculous. On the facts, on Labour\u2019s record, it will be seen that that is the case. I think it might be worth that member taking the time to have a look at what was done under the previous Labour Government, in terms of our film industry. I also think that the facts so far have talked about what the real situation is in relation to the clarification of the status of workers in the film industry, and I will come back to that point.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI think Charles Chauvel raised a really important point about what this bill will do, and whether it will have some fairly major consequences that will be in complete contradiction of what the Government says it is trying to do; I hope that the Minister is taking that seriously. David Parker also raised some very important issues about negotiation and brinkmanship, and the Government\u2019s role there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EFacts are important in a debate, and I hope that members on the other side start to inject some facts into the debate instead of spin after spin. I am sure the speaking notes of members on the other side of the House say things like: \u201CRemember to praise the Prime Minister; John Key saved the day.\u201D, and \u201CRemember to attack the unions.\u201D, because, after all, unions of course could not possibly want jobs in this country\u2014that would be hard to believe, would it not? I am sure the third part says: \u201CDon\u2019t forget to say that Labour doesn\u2019t want The Hobbit made in New Zealand.\u201D This is all completely ridiculous spin. Spin is what it is. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe list of questions I raised in my first reading speech have now been added to, and after dealing with the matter of this dispute I will hopefully come back to my additional questions. The Government\u2019s role in the handling of this dispute, I think, has been quite extraordinary. The Minister of Labour has been completely absent, and that has been the situation since this Government was elected. In any situation that has involved difficulties in relation to negotiations, and at times when some big issues have been on the table, there has been no sign of the Minister of Labour. She is just not interested in getting in there and trying to work with the parties.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe reality has been that the change that was being talked about, the issue that was on the table, was not about clarifying the status of people in the film industry. It was not about whether they were independent contractors or whether they were employees, so goodness knows why we have this legislation in front of us. The issue at dispute was about independent contractors trying to improve their situation and their conditions of being independent contractors, and having the ability to act collectively to do that. It was not about getting a collective employment agreement, as some have asserted; it was about acting collectively. That is not a surprise. It is something that has happened before. Others in this House are fully aware of the importance of the pink book that sets industry standards. The dispute was about trying to improve on those standards. That is what was at stake there. International actors organisations were supporting New Zealand actors in that intention. That is what was going on. It was not about whether people were independent contractors or employees, and whether they were negotiating a collective employment agreement; it was about whether they were able to act collectively to improve their situation. The bill before the House does not deal with that issue, so I just make that point.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI have been listening very carefully to the debate, and I think that more and more questions are coming up. I hope that the New Zealanders who are listening to this debate will take the time to think through some of these things. I am sure they will, because people are not stupid. People do not think that this is about whether Labour wanted to destroy The Hobbit and the chance for The Hobbit to be made in New Zealand. That is clearly ridiculous; it is not about that issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWhat did Warner Bros require, or not require? We have heard completely different views. Mr Joyce said that Warner Bros did require this legislation that is before the House, and Mr Brownlee said that the company did not require anything\u2014that none of this was Warner Bros\u2019 idea; it was the Government\u2019s idea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EAnother question that has been added to my list asks why there is such a need to attack unions and vilify people like Helen Kelly. What is that about? I think that what is going on here, despite Heather Roy\u2019s great assertions about freedom, is that the other side of the House has no commitment to the freedom for workers to join together collectively, and no commitment to the freedom for unions to attempt to improve the situation of people in their industry so they can act together. In fact, legislation that we were dealing with in the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee just this morning shows quite clearly that this Government is willing to reduce rights, and to attack workers\u2019 conditions and their ability to organise. So I think that the reason for speech notes across the House, and for every single member across the House to attack unions, is that that is what those members believe. They believe that unions have no role. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EFrankly, I think the vilification of Helen Kelly is most unfortunate. Not too long ago John Key was very pleased to ensure that Helen Kelly was right there at the Job Summit, and National was supposedly great friends with the trade union movement. But I think that this bill is about the Government not liking the opposition that the trade union movement is putting up to the changes that this Government is putting in place; the trade union movement is calling this Government to account for a lack of focus on jobs and on skills. When people start to analyse the facts, they will see that the Council of Trade Unions intervened to try to resolve this dispute, and in fact it was successfully part of doing so. That fact has been conveyed. People can deny it as much as they like; the facts are there. Warner Bros knew that the ban had been lifted, that the dispute was settled, and that the parties intended to renegotiate the pink book I referred to earlier.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI will raise a few other questions. As I said, I hope the Minister has taken very significant note of what my colleague Charles Chauvel, who is an expert in employment law, has said about this bill, because it is important that we look at it. This is the problem in forcing through legislation under urgency, and in not getting advice or submissions or having people who know what they are talking about when analysing legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EAnother question we need to ask\u2014and I am sure the public will be asking\u2014is why on earth would there be truth in what the Government has been saying about Labour not supporting the film industry or The Hobbit being made in New Zealand. I have already commented on our track record and I think the facts speak for themselves, but let us use just common sense and logic. We, like everybody else, as all the speakers from this side of the House have said, are very proud of our film industry. We are very proud of the contribution that films like The Lord of the Rings have made to our economy in providing jobs and in profiling our country. So what the Government has said just does not stack up. I wonder whether members opposite think that the entire country is going to let them get away with the assertions and untruths that are coming through in this debate. I think that people will start to unpick the facts, now that the issue of The Hobbit being made in New Zealand is settled. They will start to look at what happened and at who said what. They will start to ask some of these questions, so I think members really need to start debating the facts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EFinally, going back specifically to the bill that we are dealing with in this House tonight, I say that this bill will not fix the problem that those across the House say exists. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022 data-id=\u0022cf18fc0667594a129b690127f59d3f12\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cf18fc0667594a129b690127f59d3f12\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Let us be quite clear in the second reading of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I will quote John Armstrong, that great resident\u2014although he has not got his citizenship yet\u2014in the New Zealand Herald today. He said: \u201CThe Government has made the right decision for the film industry and for the wider economy.\u201D So why are we not happy? We should be happy. Do members know why? Because there are thousands of jobs being created by none other than John Key and Warner Bros sitting down and seeing whether they could not work through the issues. There will be the promotion of this country around the world, with the help of people who know what they are talking about when they make movies\u2014that is, Warner Bros. That is a great thing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EAnother thing that we should be happy about is that there will be at least $700 million going into our economy. That is not a maximum; that is a minimum. A minimum of $700 million will go into our economy, and who sneezes at it? The Greens and Labour. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002273ca99fea50d4f6a934b02c6bd730c00\u0022\u003EKelvin Davis\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re sneezing at this dumb law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002279f4390a445d408090c381969fa969f6\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, that is right. That was from the member from up north somewhere. Basically what he is saying is that the workers do not count. In the last couple of days the union movement and Labour went and scabbed on their own members. They went and scabbed on workers in this country, and all the ex - union officials know what I am talking about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ff800a65f5746a4baaff5cdaac3b323\u0022\u003EHon David Cunliffe\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I take offence at the use of the word \u201Cscab\u201D in relation to the Labour Party. We may be many things, but we are certainly not that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228649ec2d09734d16a949ef781304c983\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I am reflecting on that word. I am uncomfortable with it, so I ask the member to desist from using it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258b86507fced4296929515ff85be6f34\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, well, I am not allowed to say\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fc2fe9dc30a34b53be020104135ae0f5\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am going to ask you to be a little stronger on that word. It is a word that has been ruled out, and people have apologised for it in the past. To be absolutely clear, for members of the labour movement it is an extremely offensive term. I think you need to look at the face of the member who used it to see that he knows that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223ed44aba1d924a258b24212c5d565913\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: Throughout yesterday the Opposition, particularly Mr Iain Lees-Galloway and the member across the House, Kelvin Davis, used the term \u201Cbent over\u201D, which is exceptionally offensive, particularly because that party claims to look after women\u2019s rights and gay rights. I have to say that that was particularly offensive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c33a30adf0eb44d58fe1afeae74afebd\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I happened to be in the Chair at that time, and I asked that member to desist in much the same way as the member has been asked on this occasion. It is a robust debate, as one would expect. I have said to the member to not use the word again, and I will stand by that. I understand what other members have done, but this a robust debate. I ask that the word not be included from this point on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226d10d1dd92f4fb9ba224c031bd6a086\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I want to try to get this one right, because I cannot remember whether there is still a list of proscribed words, but there certainly used to be a black book to which Speakers went that had a list. That list included the word \u201Cscab\u201D. The problem that I have is that previous Speakers have repeatedly ruled it out. It now appears like you are saying that it is not something to be withdrawn and apologised for, when previous Speakers have ruled in the opposite direction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec24029df42540599f23fc70e8e1abb0\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: The member will know that I have been here for some time as well, and I have quite a good memory. I am trying to recall any circumstances surrounding this word. I agree that it is an inappropriate word to use in this House. I have been looking at Speaker\u2019s ruling 55/7, which states a word or phrase is inappropriate if it will bring disorder to the House. I have simply ruled out the word. From this point on, it is not a word that will take place in this debate . I stand by that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b15e83d5c46463da2d3dda22f8b0cb1\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: If I am not allowed to use that word, how about\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233bffa83b18141f29140b32c67d457dd\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think you are aware that notwithstanding the unfortunate nature of your ruling, he is not allowed to refer to it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206f4cf0f70f748a4ba68a28af0758271\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: The member ought not to have referred to it as being \u201Cunfortunate\u201D on my part, as well. We will put this word and any acknowledgment of it completely away.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228e5dd850585e4c19a8952bc3c65a6f11\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Not a problem. \u201CRogered\u201D is another word\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226a529fcc994d4ea38a4dcae4520bb1e4\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. If we go back to just the first three words that the member used, we see that they were a comment, again, on your ruling. I think there is a matter of being able to take an instruction from the Chair, rather than to comment on the rulings the Chair has been making. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a8215f5c92a4d9d898dd7a1da09f5dc\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I think it is now time for the dinner adjournment, where we shall all partake of some sustenance and reflect on our good behaviour in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002255082998873e43e49ea74c5f8fbf0747\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Before the dinner break, I was told that I should not use a certain word. I am asking for clarification. Am I not allowed to use the word full stop, or only in\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022feea5ca4cc644c789df1e2be0ec9906c\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am not aware of the word. At this stage we are starting a new session after dinner, so I ask the member to continue. It depends on what the word is. If it offends somebody, or someone sees it as a personal reflection under Standing Order 116, they can object to it and take offence. Let us move on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022499137eb67734bbeb69da7442bbd1688\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Every word has a genealogy or a whakapapa of where it comes from. The word that I am not allowed to use\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f84a240bc7bc4ab6914d669c5db532c9\u0022\u003EJacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: What word?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228dc979e299284737aa473c04a1f74d8f\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: It is like \u201Cfink\u201D, \u201Cinformer\u201D, \u201Ccanary\u201D, \u201Cnark\u201D, \u201Crat\u201D, \u201Csnake\u201D, \u201Csnitch\u201D, \u201Csquealer\u201D\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e768a2a51d3a4d7f8d66e3f04281600d\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: This is a \u201CTau\u201D. It\u2019s self-definition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220031eb8933eb486d8e82146a62d7793a\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: I do not get upset by those members. They know what they are and they know what they and their mates, them and that mob from Australia, did to workers. \u201CMob\u201D is not a derogatory word; in fact, the Aboriginal people use it as a word for a group of people. The mob from Australia came over, then Helen Kelly and that Malcolm woman conspired. They thought they were conspiring. I suppose one, Robyn Malcolm, did it because she really wanted The Hobbit to be made in New Zealand, although I have my doubts. As for the others, I say that Helen Kelly would not know what time of day it was over this issue. She fell for the trap that was put there by the Australian guy\u2014what is his name? Steven Fibs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9f634d5b16d4ea086af11ee9323a59e\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Simon Whipp.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022901978f15ddf4b9c9cee2cd9742f6cd1\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Simon Fibs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c54024570874404baaab7a9cd582068\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Whipp.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222df89ee67a06448088be15469f3c1d8f\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Simon Whipp. I am sorry; those Australian names are hard to pronounce.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d1b6b5f2a1a482aab62031cb70837b1\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Those f\u2019s and w\u2019s. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022781b2d596a2b4e91b6b7d07639d0c606\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: That is absolutely right. I will continue: \u201Csnitch\u201D, \u201Csquealer\u201D, \u201Ctattle-tale\u201D, \u201Cweasel\u201D, \u201Cwhistleblower\u201D, and this one to round it all off: \u201Cblackleg\u201D. That is a really nasty one. They all come from the word \u201Cscab\u201D. That is right; I have said it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f5ddc1d2f386438688e2049cbf26d6cb\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. We had quite a long discussion with the Chair previously, and it was made clear that that word could not be applied in the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022405e7111a0f54e4b84bfb3b4f4e353ba\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I thank the member for that. I watched that interchange before the dinner break. The member cannot use the word \u201Cscab\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270b2db71ff7e4fd9a0989f44da8ee286\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you. This is nothing more than a failed attempt by the Australian to do what? I do not know. To ruin the film industry? I say congratulations to our Prime Minister. The members opposite say that it cost us. I say to them, listen, it cost us nothing. It cost us nothing, because we will get thousands of jobs in return, and $700 million at a bare minimum will go into the economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EWhat we are doing here tonight is not about railroading workers\u2019 rights or taking away rights; it is about saying that if someone signs on as an employee, then that is what they are; but if someone signs on as an independent contractor, then that is what they are. That is what we are doing tonight. To say that we are in the hands of Warner Bros and all that sort of Cold War stuff is really old socialist, Commo, red, pinko rubbish. It harks back to a golden age when some of this House followed some naughty people from around the world who were communists and Trotskyites. It is really hard case to listen to some of the speeches from the other side of the House. It really does hark back to a golden age for them, but this country and this House have moved on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EWe want to see a thriving film industry. By doing what he did the other day, John Key has saved the film industry. In fact\u2014and I might finish on this point\u2014he took away any chance, although it was very slim, that the Labour Party had of winning the next election. He took it away. Now what we see in the House tonight are some kids who are really, really disappointed that they have had their little toy, their little dummy, taken off them. That is what we have. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u00220f9ef4bfaba744d39cce050e9bff7587\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220f9ef4bfaba744d39cce050e9bff7587\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Well, I will not make reference to who the dummy is around here. I think it is obvious that some people enjoyed a good dinner before they came back to the House, given the mispronunciation of names that was prevalent in the early part of the previous speech. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EAs I said in my address on the first reading of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, it is pretty clear that there has been a lot of brinksmanship around The Hobbit. There was brinksmanship by the unions, there was brinksmanship by Warner Bros, and there was brinksmanship by the Government. We all know that Warner Bros plays a hard game. It did it when Labour was in Government. It always tried to ratchet up the terms and conditions that it got so as to make its film enterprises more profitable, and it has done it again with this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EAccording to Mr Tau Henare, what has happened here has cost nothing. \u201CIt cost us nothing\u201D was the phrase he used. Warner Bros has had $34 million in extra money out of the New Zealand taxpayer\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222e455a8c4d6b4320a7d34d3a0e634dfc\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Same as the private schools got.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f5120a4eaa7f43c5a4cae72323fd726d\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, it is the same as the amount of extra money that went into the private school sector in the Government\u2019s recent Budget\u2014$34 million was at stake for Warner Bros. It is a lot of money even to Warner Bros, and it played a game of brinksmanship. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EIt is also true that the union movement had played a game of brinksmanship earlier. The union movement had pulled out by 18 October, yet some parties to this debate have had the dishonesty to assert that after 18 October, the union movement was still holding a gun to the head of the other parties involved. We had an email from one Warner Bros person to another on 18 October, American time, showing that Warner Bros knew by then that the threat that it perceived to be apparent from the union movement\u2014the threat may have been overstated, but it was whatever threat Warner Bros saw\u2014had gone. Yet after that date we had the Government pretending that that was the reason it had to take this step in respect of this law change, which has been forced upon us. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWe also heard Mr Henare say that what the Government is doing is making it clear that if people are contractors, then they are contractors, and if people are employees, then they are employees. That is not what this legislation actually does. Phil Twyford described this legislation to me in his office before the dinner break as formalising a fiction. That is a very good description of what is happening here. It allows people to pretend that an employment relationship is a contractual relationship, and even if it is an employment relationship, they will call it a contractual one. It formalises a fiction. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWhy is that important? It is important because there are different rights and responsibilities, depending on whether people have a contractual relationship or an employment relationship. Contractors do not get holiday pay, they pay their own tax, they are not entitled to the minimum wage, and they are not entitled to sick pay. That is absolutely permissible under our system of law. I am not criticising that; people can choose to have a contractual relationship rather than a relationship as an employee. But the point is that they can already do that at law, and we do not need to have this law, which effectively formalises a fiction. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EPeople can, under this law, have an employment relationship, but, at law, it will be a contractual relationship without employee protections. That is what this law does, and it is completely unnecessary, because the law relating to contractual relationships is already clear. It has been clear since the Supreme Court decision that was referred to in earlier speeches was delivered 5 years ago. That law has not been problematic since. The organisations that are involved in this multi-hundred-million-dollar enterprise have the very best of lawyers. They have the very best of systems. They can ensure already that they engage people through contracts as contractors rather than as employees. They do not need this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe reality is that this legislation is a piece of political opportunism by the Prime Minister and the National Government. They played a game of brinksmanship in respect of whether they could get Warner Bros over the line. I am not blaming the Government for all this brinksmanship; Warner Bros always plays this game. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister and the National Government were not sure that the $34 million they eventually paid was going to get them here. They thought that they might lose this deal to Ireland or some other film-making country, so they wanted someone else to blame\u2014despite the fact that the unions had already stopped their game of brinksmanship and despite the fact that the Labour Party has never been meaningfully involved in these negotiations. Indeed, I can attest to that. I remember talking to Trevor Mallard, who said that it would be inappropriate for Labour to be stepping into this space because that was the role of the Government, and that if he had been the Minister\u2014and he used to be the Minister\u2014and a National Opposition had involved itself in those negotiations, then he would have thought that that was inappropriate. That is why Trevor Mallard said that we should stay out of these negotiations, and we did. So for the Prime Minister to assert that we are somehow complicit in trying to undermine the likelihood that The Hobbit would be filmed here is absolute rubbish. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI will deal with something that Rodney Hide said. Rodney Hide came down to the Chamber and said that Labour members were without principle. That little hobbit is the man who came to this Parliament and put David Garrett into the position of his law and order spokesperson, after he had taken a donation from the Sensible Sentencing Trust. He put him in that position, knowing that he had used name suppression to keep his conviction for stealing the identity of a young child for the purpose of passport fraud out of the public eye. That sort of double standard is what I call a lack of principle. That is a lack of principle. I say to Mr Hide that he should not come down here and talk about principle, and neither should the Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister described Mr Hide\u2019s dealing with those issues as \u201Cwell handled\u201D. That is a lack of principle from the Prime Minister. That is a lack of principle from ACT. I tell Mr Hide that he should not come here and lecture us about principle, because those are both unprincipled acts. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThis legislation is unnecessary. I agree with those people who say that it is not all the fault of the National Government that it had to pay more money in order to secure the Warner Bros films. I agree with that. We did it ourselves when in Government. However, I would criticise the way that the Government has done it, as it is funding an individual enterprise, rather than changing the criteria for major films that could be applied to other enterprises. To me that is really just interfering in an individual contract too directly, rather than using a principled approach.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267431f57-e958-4c83-b438-7da8061d479e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f838a847c22402c874bb0d7e9a28160\u0022\u003EPaul Quinn\u003C/span\u003E: Come on, David. You know about contracts\u2014interfering in the Auckland Airport sale.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022156eda2f6fe64604bafe07797b9f1420\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Paul Quinn asks about the Auckland Airport sale, but actually I was exercising ministerial discretion. The member obviously does not understand the difference. National would have approved the sale of Auckland Airport to overseas interests, just as National has allowed its tummy to be tickled by Warner Bros and allowed our labour laws to be changed as a consequence of this deal, and just as it has ticked off every land purchase sought by overseas owners since it took office. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThis legislation is not necessary. It formalises a fiction. We see that the Minister of Labour, with this rushed legislation, has already had to put an amendment on the Table, because she learnt from what Charles Chauvel said in an earlier contribution. Charles Chauvel was right, and I see the Minister is nodding. I thank her for the acknowledgment that Charles Chauvel was right on the point that this law, as drafted in this hastily put together legislation, would not have even achieved the intent that the Government wanted to achieve were it not for the amendment that the Minister has now put forward. We will be voting against that amendment, as well, but no doubt National, with the support of ACT and the M\u0101ori Party, will ram it through, under urgency. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267431f57-e958-4c83-b438-7da8061d479e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200f4de7a35e749b29b090933081a70ac\u0022\u003EPaul Quinn\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s a term you understand very well, isn\u2019t it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d2c2a856b0d4531bab6f0247b983f50\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, here we go! We have The Muppets now. We are actually debating The Hobbit, not The Muppets. We have the two elderly puppets on the back row\u2014Tau Henare and Paul Quinn\u2014who are as ill informed as those elderly puppets in The Muppets. They cannot quite hear what is going on, always get a bit confused, and make inappropriate interjections. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThis is bad law. It is unnecessary law. It is driven by a political agenda on the part of the National Government, which was so close in its brinkmanship that it wanted someone else to blame. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022 data-id=\u00229d23559e7b504898b2a3edb8e04e652f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229d23559e7b504898b2a3edb8e04e652f\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to speak to the second reading of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. This bill will bring clarity to an area of employment law that needs it. It will make clear the status of an employee versus a contractor. Basically, employees are employees and contractors are contractors, and someone who is employed as a contractor cannot later be deemed to be an employee. It is as simple as that. It will give certainty to both employees and contractors and, certainly, to the film sector, which welcomed this bill. It is important to note that when individuals want to work in the film sector, it would be a voluntary choice as to whether they will be contractors or employees. No one will be coercing them into either role; it will be a free choice. It is all about choice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThis situation has arisen from the industrial action over the last few weeks, which highlighted this very concern about the lack of clarity, so the Government has responded to it. This bill will rectify the situation so there is clarity and no confusion. Employees are employees and contractors are contractors. It will bring clarity and give confidence to the film sector. The two Hobbit movies will bring an estimated $670 million to the New Zealand economy, and this legislation will protect the jobs of thousands of New Zealanders. Surely that must be welcomed, particularly in this economic climate. The film industry, in total, is worth almost $3 billion to the economy. This bill will help to give confidence to that sector, and that also should be welcomed. I am sure that the Hobbit movies will not be the last movies that are made in New Zealand. I am sure there will be many more, because there will be much more confidence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EI was overseas for the past week, and I was getting reports from time to time. I was quite concerned that the whole situation was unravelling and derailing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022643b2bbec01b40d0916ead135f8e75c2\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: On the world stage!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c95a44ad1264d8ba00224067883e512\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE\u003C/span\u003E: I certainly was. Fortunately, the Prime Minister stepped in and was able to sort all this out. Thank goodness for his doing so. It has been a very sorry affair. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf8ee09cd1174906a0024767e0ec6621\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: That is what the line says, is it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b098a896fdb464b9c4116288c5b6f9c\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE\u003C/span\u003E: No. The Government is determined to use this opportunity to present New Zealand in the best light as a great place to visit, and to promote tourism. I know that this legislation will help with that. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u00225cc1188b513247b0b5282f748414f2de\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225cc1188b513247b0b5282f748414f2de\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: This debate is concluded. We have an amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard. He has moved an amendment to omit the word \u201Cnow\u201D and substitute the words \u201Cuntil the bill has been amended\u201D, to remove clause 4, and to insert a schedule of employment protections. The amendment is not in order. On a second reading, an unequivocal decision must be reached: either the principles of the bill are adopted or they are not. I refer the member to Speaker\u2019s ruling 103/5. An amendment that adds words, attaches conditions, and leaves the House\u2019s decision unclear is out of order. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00229c76da448fe3464e94fa8816952a7b26\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229c76da448fe3464e94fa8816952a7b26\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I want to discuss the ruling you have just made. I refer you to page 365 of Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand by David McGee, and to the section on adverse or reasoned amendments. He says: \u201CAn amendment moved on the question for the second reading may put forward an abstract proposition relating to the bill\u2014what is known as a reasoned amendment. The proposition will be unfavourable to the bill receiving its second reading that day, but it must offer an alternative to the second reading. An amendment declining to give a bill a second reading until certain amendments had been made to it and the money saved expended in other ways, was accepted because it offered an alternative course of action to the second reading.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWhat my amendment does is give an alternative course of action. The alternative course of action is obviously the inclusion of an area of employment protection. So it satisfies that test. I assure you that I have looked very carefully at the Standing Orders and Speakers\u2019 rulings in this area, and I have taken advice on it. The advice that I have is not consistent with the ruling you have given. I do not know whether there is much more that I can say, other than that this is considered, it is reasoned, and it meets the McGee test set out on page 365, and that area of the Standing Orders has not been changed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u002268fd5a93adb344f89d94f652fb5fb4e4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002268fd5a93adb344f89d94f652fb5fb4e4\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I note in regard to the comment relating to McGee, page 365, that a reasoned amendment must offer an alternative to the second reading, and that the issues contained in the bill must be taken up in a different way or forum. The member\u2019s amendment simply offers alternatives for possible consideration in the Committee, if they are, in fact, in order. There is opportunity for the member\u2019s amendment to be dealt with in the Committee of the whole House. I ruled it out for those reasons, so I intend to put the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022223d6b04f7c6456ca51531c82785f1dd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022223d6b04f7c6456ca51531c82785f1dd\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I refer you to the very example in McGee where it indicates that \u201Ccertain amendments had been made to it and the money saved expended in other ways,\u201D. That is something that could also have been dealt with in the Committee stage of the legislation\u2014at least, according to the book by the previous Clerk of the House, and based on the one example, the one precedent example that is given there, and my understanding is that that goes to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill back in 1939. So the precedents are not new for this sort of change, and the advice I have received is that there has been no change in the Standing Orders that would change that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ESo I reiterate that, although it might be an alternative to deal with this in the Committee stage\u2014and I am sure there will be discussions in Committee about quite a large number of alternatives\u2014the fact that it may be dealt with there does not mean it has to be. The example given\u2014money saved being expended in different ways\u2014is something that could also be dealt with very easily within the Committee stage. A finance bill or a Reserve Bank bill are the obvious cases. The case now is that\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u00225ac9896156ec4be08f041ff5202e0668\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225ac9896156ec4be08f041ff5202e0668\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I thank the member for those comments, and I have McGee open at the page. My ruling is based on the fact that the amendment you have put forward is differently framed from what you are referring to in McGee on page 365. The member\u2019s amendment is entirely in terms of omitting a clause and inserting a schedule. This is a very narrow bill; it has only four clauses. So doing what the member wants to do is foreign to the bill, and I have ruled the amendment out of order on that basis. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003ECan I refer the member to McGee\u2014obviously you have McGee there\u2014page 364. It states: \u201COn the second reading of a bill members are asked to endorse the bill by giving it a second reading, but they may instead decide to defer a decision on it or decide definitively that it should not proceed. Deferral or defeat can also be effected by amending the question for the bill\u2019s second reading. The question for the second reading of the bill is open to amendment in a way that is relevant to one of these objects.\u201D The member\u2019s amendment does not ask for a deferral or for a defeat. \u201CAn amendment which merely seeks to add words to the motion does not do either of these things. Such an amendment would attach conditions to the second reading and leave the House\u2019s decision unclear.\u201D On that basis I have ruled the amendment out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00223d3e3b5aa3ee46c3b78a8472a82ecbb7\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote  was called for on the question, That the Employment Relations (Film Production) Amendment Bill be now read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 4; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00227e19412ee72a443bb6bca437424b6b24\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022dce6c0bcc7384093aec04f5e412bc917\u0022\u003EClause 1  Title\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00229ea5c74c921143e78a9bbed5843b1456\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229ea5c74c921143e78a9bbed5843b1456\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E It will not surprise members of the Government that there will be a number of amendments. The first of the amendments in my name indicates that the words \u201CFilm Production Work\u201D in the title should be omitted and \u201CAs Requested by Warner Bros\u201D be substituted. We looked at a number of possible titles, and did so very recently, given the Minister\u2019s adoption of the suggestions of Mr Charles Chauvel. We thought about the title \u201CEmployment Relations (Hurriedly and Badly Drafted) Amendment Bill\u201D, but we thought that you, Mr Chairperson, might regard that as something that is facetious.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe are focusing on trying to get an appropriate title for a bill that is inappropriate, and people who look carefully at this bill will not be able to find a title that fits the bill if it is to be considered in a serious manner. The legislation is to be called the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Act 2010. There is a question there about whether that title is appropriate, whether we want an Act of that sort, and whether this legislation is designed to focus on an employment relationship.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI think if we look carefully at the bill, and at the intentions of the Government in this area, we see that the bill should, in fact, be titled the \u201CNot an Employment Relations Amendment Bill\u201D. To use the vernacular of Tau Henare, it should be the \u201CEmployment Relations\u2014Not\u2014Bill\u201D. The Government is saying that this is not an employment relationship, so why is it giving the bill a title that suggests that it is? I am sure we will work our way over the next period of time around a number of alternatives that the bill could be called. It could be the \u201CEmployment Relations (John Key Kowtowing) Bill\u201D. Mr Brownlee nods his head. I am pleased to see that he accepts the possibility of it being called the \u201CEmployment Relations (John Key Kowtowing) Bill\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022438d77531fd443ffb171993a3c9dfaa4\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: The only one who kowtows around here is that member. Bent over for the unions. That\u2019s him.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220cb43d905ed143c2a0355ee1f857f667\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: He got bent over. He got rogered.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a50ce12b8bf4ae8ab61cca955ad9433\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002237e0aaef757c46b1b6ef282fe52baa1c\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I think I can anticipate what the point of order is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d39087810ff4ef29448a263f534ac39\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: Both of them? Did you get the other one?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229bfe5c7990574a8aacae518bfed1883d\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Well, this is a robust debate. I think when the member starts using words like \u201Ckowtow\u201D\u2014and I mentioned a bevel in an earlier debate\u2014we start down that process where each response tends to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210bd705447e54ccbaede1755598f1d82\u0022\u003EHon Dr Jonathan Coleman\u003C/span\u003E: Escalate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ccfb34f520c4e4b9f5a99614ae58f7b\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I am on my feet, but thank you. Yes, it escalates. I try to be fair about this. We have suggested that the term \u201Cbend over\u201D should not be used in this debate, because of its ambiguity. If we allow it, then things degenerate. In the same way, I could say that the member\u2019s using the term \u201Ckowtow\u201D does exactly the same thing. I will try to keep this debate on a level track. I cannot control what members say; I can only at points in the debate say that we have gone too far.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229672cf45ac334cb5bd7cf842f5439f13\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. That was not actually the offensive term. I do not know whether I have to repeat what Mr Henare said, but he used an extremely offensive term. I ask that he be asked to withdraw and apologise for the unparliamentary term he used.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022095726de6401464f84c0994cbcc54212\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I did not hear; my focus was on something else. If the member said something unparliamentary, let us just withdraw it now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce57abf9d6dd4d79a8393a2a953386b3\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: I did not say anything unparliamentary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227cbf5fbe728d4bcfb458f78bc2e9542f\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I think we now have a question, but we will deal with it through privilege. The member said that I was rogered. I find that exceptionally offensive, and I ask for it to be withdrawn.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a6d1bcbe412d436da5495b55a7587a5a\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I must be sort of pure, because I really do not understand the significance of that term\u2014and I say that genuinely. But offence has been taken, and I ask the member to withdraw.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a73f07f280f425193471699ed51d380\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw. I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. Last night one of our colleagues took offence at something. She asked you four times for the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022353c933047574cc38a83c555ec95b491\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: The member cannot refer to something that is not current. At that time I gave a ruling and I am not going to recanvass that issue. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be4aaf5754d54fe58b5b55edb987846c\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I think if most members argued with you from their seat after you ruled and called you contradictory, you would call them to order. That is what the member just did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9a0f50b03eb4d62b5633c016c065e29\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I was listening very carefully. The member said \u201Cit contradicts\u201D; he did not personalise it. I am prepared to move on with the debate. I am watching very carefully. If I have to be more vigilant about words that are said, I will be. But I want this debate to actually flow. I think that is what we are here for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022beef4fbce2d345a8bb325b8dcd582821\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: Clause 1 is the title clause. It is where we make a decision as to what is an appropriate title for this bill. The Government has suggested Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Act 2010. The Labour Opposition is indicating that it will not support that title, because it is inappropriate from a number of angles. One is that it indicates that a particular relationship is not an employment relationship. This bill denies an employment relationship or the opportunity for people to develop an employment relationship\u2014something that is quite foreign to the approach in New Zealand. It says \u201CFilm Production Work\u201D. Well, if one looks at this bill one sees that it is much broader than film production work. One could start with video games. If Gerry Brownlee and Kate Wilkinson cannot tell the difference between a film and a video game, they are of an even worse generation than I am in these matters. I am pretty Neanderthal as far as these things go, but I know the difference between a video game and a film.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt is a pity that a number of members opposite, like Tau Henare and the Minister in charge of the bill, could not focus on getting a title that more accurately describes the content of the legislation. For example, I think it is arguable that acting is not a core part of film production. A lot of actors do voice-overs, do body doubles\u2014and I think we might have a bit of fun with body doubles as the debate goes on\u2014work as dancers, and work as entertainers. The question is whether all of those people should be covered by this legislation, and in what circumstances it is appropriate to cover them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI am looking forward to the contribution from the Minister in charge of the bill on this particular clause in respect of the appropriateness of the title. I think there will be considerable debate and a number of alternative titles. I think it is fair to say that some of those titles will be facetious; in the end, Mr Chairperson, you may end up ruling out some of the amendments as they come to the Committee, but that will be a matter of judgment for you. We will try to get them to you at least 30 seconds before they are voted on in order for you to give them the consideration that they deserve. I am aware of the rules; as a whip on the other side of the Chamber I did some work on occasions to try to ensure that amendments to title clauses were serious amendments rather than facetious amendments. If they are facetious amendments, of course, they can be debated but they cannot be voted on. Therefore, we will have quite a lot of debate on facetious amendments, and some on serious amendments as well. The way the rules go is sort of unusual. It is quite lovely at the moment, from our perspective. There is not a limitation on moving the amendments; the limitation is actually on their being put. That is what the Labour Party will do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThere are a lot of views around as to better words to go in here. I would be interested in the contribution of the M\u0101ori Party as to whether we could have some translations that would fit better in here. I do not want to refer too directly to Mr Brownlee, or to the description of a relationship that he had at one stage, which suggested that someone was a whale rider. There is a question about whether we could have a translation of that, and whether we could work that into the title. Whale Rider is an iconic New Zealand movie, and one that was made under current legislation. We did not need a bill, we did not need a particular title, and we did not need a new arrangement in order to make it, and maybe that was appropriate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMaybe for the M\u0101ori Party we will go into the more modern era and talk about its subservient approach on this legislation. I congratulate Hone Harawira on withdrawing his vote on this issue, and on not voting with National. Given the approach that National has had to the M\u0101ori Party recently, maybe \u201CBoy\u201D is the right word to be included in the title of this legislation. Maybe that is its approach to the M\u0101ori Party in this sort of legislation. I just want to say that the attitude of ACT does not surprise me; that party thinks that the bill does not go far enough, and I will be interested in its amendments. It might be the \u201CEmployment Relations (ACT Goes Further) Amendment Bill\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00224ce21ede407445f78c5334d76446b435\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224ce21ede407445f78c5334d76446b435\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS (Labour\u2014Rimutaka):\u003C/span\u003E This is the first opportunity that I have had to take a call on the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill; I am sure that it will not be the last. I say, first of all, I am very pleased that The Hobbit is to be filmed here in New Zealand. I am absolutely delighted that it is to be filmed here in New Zealand. I am probably one of the only members in the Chamber who has actually read the book\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022644ce25b888a499c8a9bf43f827246b0\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: No!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229877bdd873fb4096b854d60a7d995872\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, well, there must be others. That is good to hear. I am very concerned about National\u2019s approach to this legislation, which is to take the George W Bush approach: \u201CYou are either with us, or with the enemy.\u201D No subtlety is involved in that, but actually it is a load of rubbish\u2014an absolute load of rubbish. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI went to the movies a few weeks ago; I do not do that very often. I went to see the movie called Made in Dagenham, which was about the women at the Ford factory in London who went on strike and campaigned in order to be paid the same as the blokes. The women were not very popular at the time, either\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267431f57-e958-4c83-b438-7da8061d479e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e02c141a40064ff88bef460c26a5463a\u0022\u003EPaul Quinn\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I have listened carefully to the speaker. This particular debate is focused on the title clause, and he has not mentioned that clause once so far.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022690eb537ab7c42ed9d083f424fe9285b\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: It is, of course, possible in a debate on a clause to go right through a speech without actually mentioning that clause, and for the speech to still be entirely relevant. I think that when the member opposite gets a bit more experience, he will understand that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d3fe33ab9d44c4c8ce3b4f4311f0de7\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: There are some accepted norms about process. One is that a title debate is a very close and tight debate. There is also another expectation that when a bill has not been to a select committee, there is a slightly wider tolerance than usual. I stress that this is not a general debate. The Chair tends to show a little more tolerance about examples being brought into the process. We are debating clause 1, which is the title clause. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022843658b6a47142918dd454fdca65b0d7\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: I am getting to that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226017e57491ab4af880c24f6b02131b40\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Then I invite the member to convince me that that is the case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228de0756736f447189b9b5999e6e3060c\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you very much, Mr Chair. Twenty seconds into my speech, I am getting to the title. I think it is perfectly acceptable to make some preliminary remarks. What I was talking about was\u2014I will come to an alternative title to the bill in a moment\u2014the film Made in Dagenham, and the fact that the women who campaigned for equal pay with the blokes were pretty unpopular at the time. But they kept on going and, ultimately, they got what they wanted. As a result of that, around the world now Governments have adopted equal pay legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EWith that idea of either being for us or against us, which we have heard about from the National members, they might as well call this bill the \u201CYou\u2019re for Us (the Warner Bros - National Party) Or You\u2019re Against Us Bill\u201D. They may as well call the bill that, because effectively that is what they have come into this Chamber and argued. It is absolutely ridiculous. I tell members that the women who went on strike in Dagenham were not anti-car. They were not showing that they were anti-car by going on strike at the Ford factory. The people who are opposed to this legislation are not anti-Hobbit. In fact, I am very keen to see The Hobbit filmed in New Zealand, and I am delighted that that is to happen. I am very pro-Hobbit. We are very pro-Hobbit on this side of the Chamber. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ESo I support Mr Mallard\u2019s amendment to clause 1, which suggests removing the words \u201CFilm Production Work\u201D and inserting the words \u201CAs Requested by Warner Bros\u201D, making this bill the \u201CEmployment Relations (As Requested by Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D. From the minute that the Warner Bros representatives got off the plane, were met by VIP cars at the airport, and were swept away to Premier House, they would have been rubbing their hands together and thinking: \u201CGosh, we had better up the stakes a bit here. We were going in a bit low; we will go in a bit higher. We will demand more, because we know that we have the Government over a barrel. It\u2019s sent these VIP cars out to the airport to meet us. Maybe we can demand whatever we like now, because this Government will just give us whatever we like.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe Government has raised the cost of keeping The Hobbit in New Zealand. The Government\u2019s mishandling of this issue has raised the cost of keeping The Hobbit in New Zealand. That is why the Committee should agree to the amendment put forward by Trevor Mallard that this bill should be called the \u201CEmployment Relations (As Requested by Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D, because that is why we are here. We are here because the Government is basically doing whatever is requested of it by a large, multinational company. That company makes millions, if not billions, of dollars a year in profits, and the Government is giving it more in taxpayer subsidies. The Government is giving the company more in taxpayer subsidies because the Government mishandled this issue from the very beginning. It did not have a relationship with Warner Bros at the very beginning. The Government came into this matter only late in the piece, after it looked as though the Warner Bros studios would be pulling out of New Zealand altogether. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe amendment put forward in the name of Trevor Mallard is in fact a perfectly reasonable amendment to the title clause of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a53c55349f342498bc28ba58146fd7a\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: What is it again?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c686260c99704845b60a25295dd42dbd\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: It is to remove the words \u201CFilm Production Work\u201D from the title, and replace them with \u201CAs Requested by Warner Bros\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b92588e0635467fb0b6b9e1417edd92\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll think about it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022776eefaa143749eeb100a1a9f4de9e64\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, Tau Henare is to think about it. He is in charge; he is in charge of everything. With all of the bitter, twisted resentment that he has over there on the National backbenches, it is good to know that he has still kept his sense of perspective, and that he will consider the amendment put forward by Trevor Mallard. Mr Henare is in National these days; it is hard to keep track of him. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe critical point here in the debate on the title clause is what the appropriate title for this bill should really be. I am not convinced in any way, shape, or form that in the suggested title, the words \u201CFilm Production Work\u201D reflect the true intent behind this bill. John Key is actually\u2014I will give him this\u2014a very, very clever politician. He is a very clever politician, and he wondered how he could do something that he would not normally get away with: how he could turn this situation into something that would allow him to push through legislation that would not normally gain public support. That is why National came up with this amendment bill. I reckon that the Government members went into the negotiations with Warner Bros thinking that they would use this issue as an excuse to push through legislation that they would not normally get away with. What did we hear from Heather Roy before? Heather Roy let slip and revealed the true National Government agenda behind this legislation: those members do not want this legislation to apply only to the film production industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThat is why the title of this bill is misleading. We will be back here\u2014in a matter of months, I suspect\u2014to debate the extension of this provision to every worker in the country. That is just what the Government did with regard to the 90-day legislation, which started out as a trial period. National said it would affect only a small number of people. But what do we know? Within months, because the ACT Party told National to do this, the National members have come back here and are pushing through further changes to extend the 90-day probationary period to everybody.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ESo the title of this bill, which is the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, is actually misleading. We know what the true agenda is. National should just be honest about it and call the bill the \u201CEmployment Relations Amendment Bill\u201D. It should remove the words \u201CFilm Production Work\u201D from the title altogether. We know that that is not what National is aiming for here. It wants to set a precedent here, so that it can come back in a few months\u2019 time and say it does not actually think film production workers should be treated any differently from other workers and this measure should apply to the entire workforce. All of a sudden, all those people\u2014and they are quite vulnerable in some cases\u2014will be pushed out into contract work, and they will lose all their rights to bargain collectively. The cleaners and caretakers, those types of people, will suddenly find themselves deemed to be contractors, and they will lose a whole lot of the employment rights that they have fought hard for many, many years to gain. So the title of this bill is misleading. It is unfair, and it does not give New Zealanders a true glimpse of what the National Party\u2019s real agenda here is. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI am very supportive of having The Hobbit made in New Zealand, and I absolutely reject the notion that by being opposed to a change to the employment relations legislation, we are somehow anti-film or anti - The Hobbit. That is absolutely ridiculous. It is like saying the women at the Ford factory who campaigned for equal rights were anti-car. It is like saying the Labour Party, by arguing against giving Murray McCully sweeping veto powers over the Rugby World Cup, is anti - Rugby World Cup or anti - New Zealand, which the National members claimed yesterday. That is absolutely ridiculous. The public of New Zealand deserve to have more than those types of sweeping generalisations from the Government. We have not heard from those members any detailed arguments about why this legislation is necessary. They have given us a lot of platitudes about wanting to support having The Hobbit made in New Zealand. I support having The Hobbit made in New Zealand, but they have not given us any detailed reasons as to why this legislation needs to go through. Why is it imperative that a person who cleans the offices at a film production studio should be treated as a contractor and not as an employee, which is what this bill does? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThat is one of the reasons\u2014and I come back to the fact that we are debating the title clause\u2014why the words \u201CFilm Production Work\u201D in the title clause are misleading. They are misleading because this legislation applies not just to actors, the extras, the technicians, and so on but also to anybody employed in any way in the film production industry. It includes the people who clean the studios or answer the telephones at a film production studio. It extends far wider than the title would suggest.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022 data-id=\u00225b24274941804fb192f060155f9b86ab\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225b24274941804fb192f060155f9b86ab\u0022\u003EKEITH LOCKE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E I am sure my Labour colleagues will get a chance later on to speak on the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. A lot of good suggestions have come out for a title. One of the problems with them, though, is that they are a little bit long. I am working on shortening the title. For example, just using the term \u201CWarners\u201D rather than \u201Cas requested by Warner Bros\u201D, such as in the \u201CWarners Employment Relations Amendment Bill\u201D, would shorten it a bit. Even the \u201CWarners Bill\u201D could be used to abbreviate it. Warner Bros is responsible for this bill, but we have to give it respect. I do not know whether it is within the Standing Orders\u2014and possibly the Chair or the Minister in the chair, Kate Wilkinson, could inform us on this\u2014to use the official Warner Bros logo. Is that possible within the Standing Orders? The Minister could tell me a bit later on. Certainly, we want to give Warner Bros recognition because it is the force behind this bill. I also think that it will have to cop all the flak for it, and that is fair enough. When opprobrium is heaped on this bill, as it causes all the legal tangles that I referred to in my second reading speech, and that Charles Chauvel went into some detail about, and as it collapses in confusion in the District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court, if it is called the \u201CWarners Bill\u201D we will know who is really responsible. We do not want Warner Bros to get off the hook in any way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EAnother very short term for the bill would be the \u201CNo Strike Bill\u201D. It is very simple, because that is what it is about. It denies workers who are in the film industry the right to any collective industrial action at any stage in the production of film. Basically, it is because an employer, when signing up actors or film workers for a period, can say that they have to sign up as independent contractors with no rights or they will not get the job. There is nothing in the bill to stop employers acting in that way. I think we could have a simple title like the \u201CWarners Bill\u201D, the \u201CNo Strike Bill\u201D, or perhaps we could join up those two concepts and have the \u201CWarners No Strike Bill\u201D. I think in some ways Warner Bros is lucky here because normally when we give naming rights and put logos on things, we charge the company concerned. Again, it might be against the Standing Orders to charge Warner Bros for having its logo on this bill. Even so, we are giving it a freebie. That is in the spirit of the bill and in the spirit of what the Government has done. Is it $100 million? I have lost track of the millions that the Government has just handed over to Warner Bros, but it would be in the spirit of that to give Warner Bros this freebie of naming rights to the bill and its logo on the bill, full stop. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u0022a33eeb6295c1412b88707e0fe1c71433\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a33eeb6295c1412b88707e0fe1c71433\u0022\u003EPHIL TWYFORD (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I also have a suggestion for the title of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I think this bill should be called the \u201CNational Party\u2019s Craven, Cynical Attempt to Claim Credit for Inventing the New Zealand Film Industry Bill\u201D. Is that too long? I do not know. It does not have the virtue of brevity, but it certainly is more accurate than the name that the Government gave this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EWe would think from listening to the debate in the Chamber from the Government benches this afternoon that this movie The Hobbit was the first blockbuster movie ever made in New Zealand, and that the National-ACT Government was the first Government in New Zealand\u2019s history to ever do anything constructive for the New Zealand film industry. We would think that the Prime Minister had saved the day and single-handedly rescued The Hobbit, and that he alone is responsible for saving the New Zealand film industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EI want to table a document during this call that lists the feature films that have been made in New Zealand. It starts off in 1939 with Rewi\u2019s Last Stand, and the director was Rudall Hayward. Over the years there have been hundreds and hundreds of great New Zealand movies produced in New Zealand, many of them with the support of the Government. In 1999 the fifth Labour Government launched a whole suite of policies to encourage the development of the New Zealand film industry. I will read to the Committee some of the names of the films that were produced with the support of the fifth Labour Government. It started with The Lord of the Rings I, II, and III. In 2002 we had Whale Rider, which was directed by Niki Caro. It is a film that many of us are familiar with. In 2003 we had The Last Samurai, which I believe was filmed in Taranaki.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220610627bbaeb49eba224145968982e99\u0022\u003EJacinda Ardern\u003C/span\u003E: What was the company?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269133c34ea104dcc883c15034a2896b5\u0022\u003EPHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I think it might have been Warner Bros\u2014oh my goodness! In 2004 there was a very good film based on the Maurice Gee novel called In My Father\u2019s Den, which was directed by Brad McGann. Roger Donaldson made The World\u2019s Fastest Indian in 2005. Also in 2005, during the term of the fifth Labour Government, Andrew Adamson directed The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was a vintage year. That year Toa Fraser directed No. 2, Peter Jackson\u2014that is familiar\u2014directed King Kong, and also in 2005 Sione\u2019s Wedding was directed by Chris Graham. In 2006, Robert Sarkies made Out of the Blue\u2014a great New Zealand movie. Taika Waititi made Eagle vs Shark, a modern classic of New Zealand film making. In 2007, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was made. In 2008, Second-Hand Wedding was made, and Toa Fraser made Dean Spanley, which was a co-production with the UK\u2014another great New Zealand movie. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EI think it is becoming pretty clear even to the members sitting on the backbench, even to Tau Henare, that the previous Labour Government gave fantastic support to the New Zealand film industry. In fact, 119 New Zealand movies were made during the fifth Labour Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e1da1f4e6aa0448290bd02e382b0f94f\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: So why do you want to ruin the industry then?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265b341bbdc83410eac4e21304603034b\u0022\u003EPHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: We do not. What I object to is this Government cynically manipulating the circumstances of the production of The Hobbit to try to claim credit not only for saving the movie but for saving the New Zealand film industry. The name of this bill should be the \u201CEmployment Relations (Legal Fiction) Amendment Bill\u201D. My colleague David Parker made the argument before that this bill formalises a lie\u2014it formalises a lie. It changes the law so that someone who is patently an employee can be a declared a contractor.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022 data-id=\u0022730208c5598e49f785cb229632e2be13\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022730208c5598e49f785cb229632e2be13\u0022\u003EHon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour\u2014Ikaroa-R\u0101whiti):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Mr Chair. There are some great movies, like Rob Roy, and they have great titles. They make great statements about the wind blowing west and the darkened days arising. For example, The Grapes of Wrath is like what has happened here with the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. We are seeing the drifting and the undoing of working classes\u2019 rights in this country; Mr Brownlee knows that. The member from Wairarapa just signalled that the key issue is that the work is either short-term or long-term. That is the moot point\u2014in this bill it is neither. It is about putting peoples\u2019 security at risk.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003EIt is great that The Hobbit will be filmed here. It is great that the film has remained in this country. When the Prime Minister was on TV and was asked how the deal was going, he said that it was really touch and go. He is a great man; he is a great actor. He put the signal out, but people knew right then that he had the deal sewn up 3 days before it was announced\u2014yes, he had. Mr Brownlee knows that. A lot of us watch movies, so we know who the good actors are and who the slow actors are.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003ETaika Waititi made a great movie in this country, Boy, and I want to talk about M\u0101ori participation, as in The Whale Rider, because I have heard a whole lot of huffing and puffing and rubbish from the M\u0101ori Party member about how the movies will help M\u0101ori people. But this is a disgrace, in the sense that we are helping major corporates when movies like Boy had no support. Is that not amazing? But the Minister sits there and is supposed to be the architect of modern rules and legislation\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207602b1c6cc2485f9571499e97472b00\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Please come back to the title.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad17bbc8e5d2494aae5961831aea1973\u0022\u003EHon PAREKURA HOROMIA\u003C/span\u003E:\u2014in the sense of what should create a good title for this bill. It could be renamed and restated as a whole lot of things. It could be the \u201CPork Pie, Looney Tunes, and All Those Great Titles Bill\u201D. It could be the \u201CWhale Rider Bill\u201D, because it is about riding the workers and trying to use leverage to do what you have sneakily been doing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ad87e8085904f5da50ffba3feb52946\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I ask the member not to use the word \u201Cyou\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022316b773d492a450eaa6cf73ed8978b50\u0022\u003EHon PAREKURA HOROMIA\u003C/span\u003E:\u2014what some of those members over there have been trying to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003EI reiterate what my learned colleague said here earlier on. Those members opposite said that the 90-day bill was for a trial period, but that is what this is: a trial period. All of a sudden\u2014oops, splish-splash, like Mickey Mouse\u2014this bill will prevail over all businesses. So we try to get around that by playing the favourite trick of the corporates and the people who want to control the working class: we move people from full rights within the framework of employment rights to being contractors\u2014as in Telecom and other companies. What is the main nub of a movement like that? It is quite simply that costs and pressures are moved on to individuals. That is real cost saving!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003EI heard Te Ururoa Flavell, for whom I have a lot of respect, mutter and stutter and go on about M\u0101ori workers being behind by 25 percent. He talked about the pay imbalance in relation to pay parity with nurses, P\u0101keh\u0101 and M\u0101ori. Well, some members might think that that is great\u2014and one member over there\u2014that joker at the back there, the party jumper Tau Henare\u2014said that this would give 400 M\u0101ori a job. But I ask what about the other 169,000 who are losing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222bcd8b674b0a4fa68771af4ce4ec85ae\u0022\u003EChris Tremain\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I bring your attention to Standing Order 107 on relevancy. This clause is about the title of the bill. I have not heard one mention, at all, about the title of the bill in 2 or 3 minutes. I would like you to bring the member to order, please.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ec3ceec5e1f40208a28bdbbd590e767\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I want to keep re-emphasising two points. Although this bill has not gone to a select committee, and although there is more tolerance of a slightly wider flavour, that does not open up the debate to a general debate style. The member should make references to the statements he is making and the analogies he is using with pertinence to the title. This debate is on clause 1, the title clause.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d1a3a726edf4d0ba1687d95481f48e4\u0022\u003EHon PAREKURA HOROMIA\u003C/span\u003E: I misunderstood the speaker earlier on, but I take the point.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003ECertainly, there could be a whole lot of adjustments in the banner, as Chris Tremain has pointed out. This bill could be the \u201CUnrelated Relationships Between Employers and Workers Bill\u201D, because that is what it is. It could be the \u201CRelevant Support of Workers\u2019 Rights Bill\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002217b0df1b618d4463ba484234f7c9597c\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: Do you know what this bill is about?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022091b55472ab5413fa029879a689fdc3f\u0022\u003EHon PAREKURA HOROMIA\u003C/span\u003E: I know what the bill is about, I say to Mr Henare. It is about increasing the number of the 169,000 people who are unemployed. The bill could be the \u201CIncrease the Unemployed Numbers Bill\u201D. It could be that. It could decrease numbers, but then like all those other issues relevant to this, the mighty international corporate will swan off with support\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f457e5d75d514c28b50356107c80ae7a\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: Ah, the ones that pay you fullas\u2019 wages.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d52e59e3-2195-4c95-a654-665c11b39b63\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bb3fd3d119f4990bab9dbf85bb6459f\u0022\u003EHon PAREKURA HOROMIA\u003C/span\u003E: No, no\u2014with support, I tell Mr Henare.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u002269687c63440a40afaef9ebe17a3f8bfe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002269687c63440a40afaef9ebe17a3f8bfe\u0022\u003EJACINDA ARDERN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I think I must have been looking eager to speak. I acknowledge that we really are privileged to have such a wide range of colleagues in the Chamber tonight, in particular, within the troop of Muppets. We have had Waldorf and Statler, and David Bennett\u2019s particular speech earlier in the night has given me a new appreciation for his role as Beaker, from The Muppets.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI have listened to some of the debate this evening, and I have come up with a new title for the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. It relates specifically to the fact that in all of the discussion we have had to date, members on this side of the Chamber have been very careful to make rational arguments as to why this legislation is unnecessary. All I have seen on that side of the Chamber is repeated generalisations and character assassinations to a degree that I have not seen in the Chamber before. So I think we could just call this bill the \u201CExcuse for Character Assassination Bill\u201D or the \u201CExcuse to Generalise about Unions Bill\u201D, and it has been an excuse to run down Helen Kelly, whom I have great admiration for. She has, I think, received unprecedented and unnecessary attacks in the Chamber, and I think we will be revisiting the nature of some of those attacks from that side of the Chamber in weeks to come. All of that has been given extra leverage by this bill. I think this bill is a front. It is a front for a whole lot of arguments that that side of the Chamber wants to run, and they are entirely unnecessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EOn this side of the Chamber, we have repeated time and time again the facts of this scenario. We on this side of the Chamber have acknowledged from the beginning that this issue could have played out differently. Both sides of the argument could have played out differently. We have been fair and acknowledged that. What have members opposite acknowledged? They have made simplistic statements that Labour, by opposing this legislation, is anti-film and anti - New Zealand. In fact, David Bennett went one step further. David Bennett tried to claim that Labour purposely tried to stop this movie from happening. So I would almost call this bill the \u201CExcuse to Give Rubbish Speeches Bill\u201D, because that is exactly what we had from David Bennett. For him to imply that Labour did not want this film to occur is absolutely outrageous and, I think, an insult to the member\u2019s own intelligence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f703583fe892437e890bda4bf5ecff53\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Really? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211f11808d39643b49ef670feb8564191\u0022\u003EJACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: That is the biggest compliment I will give the member tonight. What was this issue about? I am currently discussing the \u201CExcuse to Give Rubbish Speeches Bill\u201D, Mr Chairperson.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c61da0bd913547cd84d6cb8111c44902\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: You could have fooled me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002266059f72252045599dcbef4fa61b52fb\u0022\u003EJACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: If we knew on 18 October that the specific issues of employment relations that were being brought forth had been resolved, 10 days ago, then we would have to now ask what this bill is really about. This comes to the heart of the title debate, because if we discover the true meaning, we can give the bill the appropriate title. My colleagues have already rightly pointed out that this is a trial period for something that the Government wishes to extend beyond just the film industry because, in fact, the film industry does not need this legislation. From the outset, the actors have said that they want to be independent contractors. That is what they want. They have never denied that. So why then does this bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002262241232e4d54d349d8d64741ba67997\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Why does the union want a collective contract?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cabfcef259145b1aedb6f786db10e6c\u0022\u003EJACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I can explain to Mr Brownlee that even from over here I could understand what was going on. The actors wanted to discuss terms and conditions; they did not want to be considered employees. They never did. That proves that this bill is the \u201CUnnecessary Piece of Legislation Bill\u201D. It is completely unnecessary, which means we have to look for the true motive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EIf we are looking for true motive, I ask where we should look. What is the benefit of calling someone an independent contractor rather than an employee? We do not have to scratch too far to figure that out. The actors know that they are better off being independent contractors because that is the nature of their work. But for a number of other people involved in the film industry, it is a very different scenario. So I ask why we would want to call someone an independent contractor rather than an employee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022 data-id=\u0022397e110dad2c4089b4e0691337ce612e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022397e110dad2c4089b4e0691337ce612e\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E I am mindful of the Speaker\u2019s ruling earlier today that it is appropriate that this be a wide-ranging debate, given that there is\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022253681c7446e4bf998c2a7b5327b5f82\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I need to respond to that. I listened very carefully to what the presiding officer at the time said and I have also taken the time to check the Hansard of that. His reference was to the first and second readings\u2014particularly the second reading. I have set out the parameters of the debate now and that is how it will be chaired. I think we need to put that out there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258a91001cf89400c80f63d6c76789d8a\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you for that clarification, Mr Chairperson. As is traditional, the title of a bill seeks to encapsulate its meaning. New Zealanders up and down the country wonder what the meaning of this bill, the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, could possibly be. It has not escaped their attention that the case that this refers to, Bryson v Three Foot Six, was dated 2005, well before a lot of other movies were made. My colleague Phil Twyford has read out the list, so I will not take the time of the Committee to do that. Clearly, there was no substantive problem, so the public is wondering what this bill is designed to fix. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EWe have been attempting to dissect that rationally, but, really, it is not about rational, legal logic. This is about politics, and the politics of it are, simply, that this is the \u201CLet\u2019s Demonise the Unions and the Labour Party While Trying to Cut a Deal With the Film Company Bill\u201D. Let us run through the logic and the timing. Labour came out of a historically successful conference, and several days later the Prime Minister argued that Labour was in cahoots with the unions to wreck The Hobbit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f4b29cb774645388bd7e76e7031da8c\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3208fb160564041a0cd47284be69a78\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: That is right; he did say it, but it is far from the truth. Let us check the logic. Firstly, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions was involved in the discussion to mediate a solution. It could see the stand-off between the Australian union and the film company so it was seeking to mediate a solution. Secondly, Labour said nothing. Why? Because it was not Labour\u2019s role as a political party to get involved in an industrial discussion. Anyway, why would we? But that did not stop the Prime Minister from demonising the head of the Council of Trade Unions. Anybody who knows Helen Kelly knows that she is a woman of integrity and a woman with good mediation skills. The Prime Minister has sought to demonise her, the Council of Trade Unions, and the entire union movement, purely for political ends. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EThe second part of the argument around the renaming of this bill goes to its obvious use in domestic politics. Why bring Labour into this? It had nothing to do with the Labour Party. Labour had issued no statement on it. Labour knew that a sensitive negotiation was under way. Labour was brought into it in order to stop the momentum of a party that was on a roll. Lies were told about Labour because telling the truth leaves them no advantage. This bill is about politics. It is not about employment law. How could it be? The case was in 2005, and my colleague Charles Chauvel argued it in the Supreme Court. That is how well we know the law\u2014a Labour front-bench colleague argued it at the Supreme Court. I might say that that reflects the quality of our caucus. There he was, in the Supreme Court, arguing the case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002294407d551e8a4effb224f7321e206b0d\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: At a very young age.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a545dec818614c8c9f81afb44376cc3c\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: At a very, very young age. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EThe next reason why this bill needs to be renamed is that it should be called the \u201CFiscal Disaster Bill\u201D. Let us understand the background to that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ca33733659e24d7ea193750e23b5b5f8\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m going to debate that. I\u2019ll take the next call.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002266eafce23a51481283af4bbf0cc57707\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: The member can take the next call and have his say, and we can try to trump the names. The bill is a fiscal disaster because the special deal that has been cut here for one multinational film company is not available to the domestic industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u002242c5a56747064240946e82da95392acb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002242c5a56747064240946e82da95392acb\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak on the title of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I believe that we could do a better job of naming this bill to accurately reflect its content and background. I quite like the amendment in the name of my colleague the Hon Trevor Mallard to omit the words \u201CFilm Production Work\u201D and insert the words \u201CAs Requested by Warner Bros\u201D. As I said earlier, the reason I like this idea is I think it accurately reflects the issue and the question of what is happening to New Zealand\u2019s political and economic sovereignty. What we have seen over the last few days has made a lot of us very worried about the extent to which our domestic policies and legislation are our own or are driven by outside forces. I asked questions earlier today, and I am still waiting for an answer, about whether labour laws should be changed in response to domestic concerns and issues; if not, on what basis changes to those labour laws should be contemplated. I am still waiting for the Minister to respond to those questions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003ESecondly, I asked in what circumstances sovereign States like New Zealand have changed labour laws in response to demands of foreign corporates. Again there was no response from the Minister. The circumstances I am aware of are for things like export processing zones in South-east Asia, where effectively all rights for workers have been removed. I am looking for examples of when a developed country like New Zealand has responded to the demands of a foreign corporate to change its domestic labour laws. Then, of course, I am seeking some assurance from the Government that it is not looking at changes to any element of our labour laws in response to the demands of foreign corporates\u2014that it will not go down that line if some other corporate comes along and says it will do something only if the Government reduces the minimum wage, or does something else. It would be really helpful if we could have that assurance. I believe that the amendment from the Hon Trevor Mallard encapsulates the concern I have about our sovereignty, so I support it from that point of view. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EBut I have a couple of other suggestions that might find more favour with members on the other side of the Chamber. The first of those is the \u201CEmployment Relations (Film Industry Not Really Clarification) Amendment Bill\u201D, because we have heard a lot today about this bill being a necessary clarification. Charles Chauvel and others have quite rightly pointed out that there is no need for clarification and that the law with regard to independent contractors and employees\u2014particularly in the film industry\u2014is well settled. The 2005 Bryson case, which was heard in the Supreme Court, absolutely clarified the situation. Just for the record, because I know that some members opposite are perhaps not very familiar with the case, I say that we are talking about somebody who was deemed in the end to be an employee. He was on the grand sum of $18 an hour. This was not a high-paid independent contractor, as some have alluded to; this was a worker in the film industry on a relatively low wage, who was deemed to be an employee in the end. The law is quite well settled, so the clarification that was supposedly necessary is not necessary. Gerry Brownlee said that Warner Bros did not require it, and that it was done off the Government\u2019s own back, whereas the Hon Steven Joyce said quite a different thing a little later. He said that the Government was responding to the requirement of Warner Bros to make these changes. Whichever way around, the clarification issue seems to be a little unnecessary. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThat title might cover the clarification issue quite well, but I have another title, which covers an issue that my colleague Chris Hipkins went into quite well, and that is the \u201CFilm Industry Stage One Bill\u201D. I will come back to that title later, but I think that this bill is the slippery slope. In just the same way that the 90-day legislation is being extended to all workplaces, this law could go further, too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022 data-id=\u0022df9b7d03bae3456088e95e306ba337c8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022df9b7d03bae3456088e95e306ba337c8\u0022\u003EHon STEVE CHADWICK (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to take a call in the Committee stage of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill on the title. I would name this bill the \u201CWarner Bros Film Industry Requirement Bill\u201D, and I would strip out altogether any wording about employment relations or film production. This bill is totally unnecessary. It is not what was ever required by Actors Equity. It was never ever an issue that the union said needed to be sorted out at all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003EIn this Chamber are about four people who understand the film industry. I would give it to the Hon Gerry Brownlee that he has got to grips with the film industry. The other three people are the Hon Trevor Mallard, Grant Robertson, and I. In my role as arts spokesperson, I have learnt a lot about the industry. What I have learnt about the industry is that both actors and technicians in the film production industry have a very lumpy income. It is an incredibly lumpy income. It needs smoothing so that they get a decent income over the year, because they lurch from production to production.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000628\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003EWhen the initial dispute that led us to be debating this totally superfluous and unnecessary bill in urgency tonight arose, the actors said they were quite happy about their status as independent contractors. They simply wanted to negotiate collectively on their employment conditions. Minister Gerry Brownlee knows that, because when the Screen Production and Development Association also started ringing to say that it needed to get together with the actors and that they needed to listen to one another, the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage ignored the offer to get the parties together that I had made to him 2 months before. He totally ignored it. All that needed to happen was for Gerry Brownlee to get them in a room together\u2014and he did. He did. Both parties came out of that meeting and said that they had had a really good meeting and had clarified a lot. They said they had really moved on and had reached agreement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fd427be0-7196-4605-b39e-d665553240b0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c650f98c188b4f8c957f8bfb50762580\u0022\u003ELynne Pillay\u003C/span\u003E: They stepped up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225df9f61edb2f40399198d29857faa931\u0022\u003EHon STEVE CHADWICK\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, they definitely did step up. We were then put into the situation of believing that we were there, that we had reached agreement, that Gerry Brownlee had facilitated the reaching of that agreement, and that both parties were feeling a lot better. Then something went terribly wrong. It was Warner Bros. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe2baa896fd84e4aa3968a5511bc053c\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: No, it wasn\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0b158049393421993e38457e2fec33a\u0022\u003EHon STEVE CHADWICK\u003C/span\u003E: In charged Warner Bros, and the Minister knows that. He knows that. Warner Bros received an email saying that the dispute was resolved, and the Minister knows that, too. But Warner Bros was just looking for leverage on getting the greatest deal. Its representatives are businessmen. They are hard-nosed businessmen and they wanted the best deal. They got good deals offered in the UK, and they got good deals offered in the Czech Republic. So the Ministers were put into a position of having to negotiate, and I do not envy them that, at all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003EWe in Labour are delighted that we have secured The Hobbit to be made in New Zealand, but we have secured it at a price. I think the worst price is the stripping away of workers\u2019 rights by this unnecessary law that we are debating in urgency tonight. That is the disgraceful price of getting this film secured in New Zealand. It is not what the actors asked for, at all, so it is definitely the \u201CWarner Bros Film Industry Requirement Bill\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003EThe title of the bill before us talks about relationships. We in Labour have been panned by National for spending $160,000 on developing an enduring relationship with the film industry in Los Angeles. [Interruption] Yes, it is an enduring relationship\u2014it certainly is with producers\u2014and we are now in the position of providing $33 million of funding for one production. The total funding appropriated through the Large Budget Screen Production Grant scheme is only $51 million\u2014$33 million of that has gone to one production in order to keep it in the country. It is simply a challenge\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u00223dd91e83bf51442982986d57b4934b68\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223dd91e83bf51442982986d57b4934b68\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022 data-id=\u00224f80fbcae82e4529a3fd23c26c199719\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224f80fbcae82e4529a3fd23c26c199719\u0022\u003ECLARE CURRAN (Labour\u2014Dunedin South):\u003C/span\u003E This is the first opportunity that I have had to take a call on this bill, the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I will talk about the title clause, which, as a number of my colleagues have said, is very misleading. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EFirst of all, I say that I love The Hobbit. Everyone loves The Hobbit. I have read it at least twice. I ask those members who have not read The Hobbit to put up their hands. Ah, there are a few members who have not read The Hobbit. Of course, not only have I read The Hobbit but also most of us who have children would have read The Hobbit to our children. My children liked The Hobbit so much that in January they applied to be extras on The Hobbit. They have not heard back yet. I would have applied to be an extra on The Hobbit too, except I cannot quite picture myself as a hobbit; I am more of an elf. There are quite a few people in this Chamber who look like hobbits, or goblins, trolls, dark lords, and all those sorts of things\u2014not on this side of the Chamber, though. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EI would like to talk about a number of alternative titles tonight. Because everyone wanted The Hobbit to be made in New Zealand, a good title for this bill is \u201CEveryone Does Want The Hobbit To Be Made in New Zealand Bill\u201D, and that is not the issue. But what it has resulted in is the \u201CRushed, Botched, and Unnecessary Legislation Bill\u201D, which is another alternative title for the bill. This bill, as we know, will remove protections for many workers in the film industry. It is bad law. It is resulting in uncertainty, so it is the \u201CResulting in Uncertainty in the Film Industry Bill\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EI have another alternative title. I refer to the former Australian Prime Minister and Treasurer Paul Keating. He famously warned, in May 1986, that if Australia did not get manufacturing going again, and keep moderate wage outcomes and a sensible economic policy, it would end up being a third-rate economy\u2014a banana republic. I know that a number of my colleagues have referred to a banana republic tonight, and again that is an alternative title for the bill: \u201CThe Banana Republic Bill\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EPaul Keating said that Australia needed strong and coherent economic policy, which is what we do not have in this country right now. We do not need knee-jerk reactions and kowtowing to foreign capital. What kind of a country are we becoming, where the rights of groups of workers are being sold off to satisfy the whim of big corporate interests? Maybe that is an alternative title: \u201CThe Rights of Groups of Workers Being Sold Off to Satisfy the Whims of Big Corporate Interests Bill\u201D, or, as my colleague Parekura Horomia said, \u201CThe Break Down in Relationships between Workers and Employers Bill\u201D could be an alternative title for the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EI will mention that reporting from overseas is already exclaiming at the power that a big corporate can wield over a small nation. There has been some interesting international coverage, and I will read a quote from The Hollywood Reporter that stated a few days ago: \u201CHowever, the question on the minds of observers is whether this studio will also seek and extract from the government higher production incentives than the existing 15% Large Budget Screen Production Grant. If so, the result would be a dramatic demonstration of the power a mediate conglomerate can assert over a small nation desperate to retain a $500 million production. One measure of the gravity of the situation is the contention by currency analysts that the continuing uncertainty had helped drive down the value of the New Zealand dollar.\u201D That is an overseas organisation reporting on this situation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EWe have also heard employment law specialists criticising the Government\u2019s plan\u2014in particular, Professor Nigel Haworth from the University of Auckland business school. He did not see a need for the change in the law, which could also be an alternative title for this bill. There is no need for a change in the law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cfdabe42-521a-4dca-afab-3e781731a130\u0022 data-id=\u00225acabb3379cc440aa7fac82d534a80d7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cfdabe42-521a-4dca-afab-3e781731a130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225acabb3379cc440aa7fac82d534a80d7\u0022\u003EDr PAUL HUTCHISON (National\u2014Hunua):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022 data-id=\u00228d6bb75f46d2452199d78700d7dc7b9b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228d6bb75f46d2452199d78700d7dc7b9b\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I always believe that any bill should have truth in labelling, I guess, and should reflect what it will do. Many people have spoken in the House of their love of The Hobbit; in fact, it was mentioned before. But one thing we all love is New Zealand, and what is happening around New Zealand at this moment\u2014and I spoke to some friends just an hour ago\u2014is that people are embarrassed. They are absolutely embarrassed at what is happening in this Parliament, the Parliament of a sovereign nation, under urgency. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EI put it to the Committee that this bill should be called \u201CThe New Zealand Cringe Bill\u201D. Members on the other side of the Chamber laugh. They should go out and ask intelligent New Zealanders what they think about this whole exercise. New Zealanders are absolutely embarrassed, and they cringe at the thought of a few executives flying from Hollywood to this country, alighting from their plane, and being met by ministerial limousines to transport them to Premier House for a meeting with the Prime Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EI have had the privilege, as a Minister, of going to Hollywood to meet with executives and deal with issues. There have been immigration issues to be dealt with, so that some of those companies can bring into this country the actors whom they want to appear in their films. We have worked through immigration issues and taxation issues, and we have built up a relationship with them on the basis of mutual respect. What has happened now is that we have been rolled by a large multinational sitting in the US. Do not ask us; just go and read the US newspapers\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb01da08001f45f7a96f13fca5bdd86d\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: Come back to the title.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286f9d0390abb44cb8e2c0c6f83075201\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: I am speaking around the title of the bill. People should look at the international comment about what Warner Bros has done to the New Zealand Government. Intelligent, sensible New Zealanders cringe at the thought that for a few million dollars more we have had to bow down to their demands. But it is more than the money\u2014money is always an issue. I am not a student of history, but is it not true that this Parliament is the oldest pure democracy in the world? Is that not true? It is the oldest pure democracy in the world, where men and women have all had the vote. This democracy has been brought to its knees by a few executives from Warner Bros.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022349b2b1549a5458d854ce12ca8f2598d\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Oh rubbish!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e290f45cb9b34d2ea965f28804a53489\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: The Leader of the House says that is rubbish. He has put this House into urgency to bring into place legislation that will undermine what the Americans would call constitutional rights around labour law. The Americans would not stand for this. This is why the title of the bill should be \u201CThe New Zealand Cringe Bill\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister, who leads this country, and his fellow Ministers have kowtowed to a few smart executives. All credit to them\u2014they are smart players. They are hard-nosed players. They want more money, they want the best deal they can get from any country they go to, and they saw the naive Prime Minister John Key as a soft target\u2014absolutely. They seized upon the opportunity to come here and blame the unions. So the Prime Minister\u2019s mates on the right wing of this country are saying: \u201CCome on, John. Toughen up. We want a bit more hard legislation.\u201D He said: \u201CAll right. We will bring down some legislation to undermine the rights of the workers in this country.\u201D, while, at the same time, bowing down and kissing the butts of a few executives from Hollywood.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a7fdca3fa7cf46a2a9537476ce2e2498\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Chair!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0560c53cc3444e6b3383f975d5835b6\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, no\u2014Mr Brownlee knows that that is the truth, and so does every fair-minded New Zealander.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228574fab73b1643b49343650d30be929e\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: That is enough. I am terminating the member\u2019s speech.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022dbee05190d3c4a9fac325ae2bd738e00\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dbee05190d3c4a9fac325ae2bd738e00\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour\u2014Wellington Central):\u003C/span\u003E It is a pleasure to take a call on the title debate. This is my first call on the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, and as the MP for Wellington Central I want to make clear how pleased I am that The Hobbit will be made here in Wellington. A number of my constituents will be working on the production, and, indeed, already have been. I think it is excellent that it is being made here. Members on this side are all strong supporters of The Hobbit being made in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EBut I refer to what could be a potential title for the bill, the \u201CEmployment Relations (Gerry Goes off the Boil) Bill\u201D, because quite frankly that is what we are debating tonight. The Government\u2019s incompetent management of its relationship with Warner Bros and with the film industry in America has led us to a crisis situation. Gerry Brownlee might not have too many National MPs based in Wellington with whom he can talk, because they are not that thick on the ground in Wellington.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002278819ad33b704ea5a55e4f5c8ec65dbe\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Some of them are thick.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228798735e15194f34a97b02ef79ee67c3\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Some of them are thick, but they are not that thick on the ground in Wellington\u2014that is right. If there had been more National MPs for Gerry Brownlee to talk to over the last 2 years, they would have been able to reflect what everyone in Wellington knew\u2014that there were issues concerning The Hobbit. There were issues with Warner Bros about the financing. They were worried about what was happening with MGM. Everyone in Wellington knew about this over the last 2 years, and what did Gerry Brownlee do? He sat there. He did not go over to talk to Warner Bros. He thought he could rely on the reputation that Labour had built up with it over 9 years. He sat there and let this issue fester. We come to this House today with a legal fiction of a bill, with a crisis manufactured and opportunistically taken up by Warner Bros, because Gerry Brownlee was not doing his job as Minister for Economic Development. That is why, I say to Mr Brownlee, the title of this bill could well be the \u201CEmployment Relations (Gerry Goes off the Boil) Bill\u201D. That is why we are here tonight, I say to Mr Brownlee. We are here because as Minister for Economic Development, you did not do your job properly\u2014[Interruption] I am talking to Mr Brownlee, and I am saying Mr Brownlee did not do his job properly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281c67ea255b246c8aef554844f5068c5\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. He is using the word \u201Cyou\u201D, and bringing you into the debate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000660\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f83f4b892c84ac484184031b6da8211\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I thank the member for that. The member knows that, because I called \u201COrder\u201D at the time, and he did refer to Mr Brownlee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f21f9a1f4b5e4795b603e362d07ca590\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: It is interesting that Tau Henare is very worried. I think Tau Henare is mainly concerned about this because he wanted a role in The Hobbit but they would not give him one. They offered him one in Kojak but not in The Hobbit. That is why Tau Henare is upset.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThere is another title we could use, which is the \u201CEmployment Relations (Chaos and Shambles in the Government) Bill\u201D. We have heard today from Gerry Brownlee himself that it was not pressure from Warner Bros that led to this bill, except the Prime Minister himself told us that it was critical for Warner Bros that this legislation be passed and the movies would not be made in New Zealand if this legislation was not passed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002288c88716a8b3473fab5ee73188a370af\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022285f2792b24b4fd2a7bc9644d768e99a\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Gerry Brownlee said \u201CThat\u2019s right.\u201D So why has Gerry Brownlee not stood up in the Chamber tonight to say that he was sorry that he misled the House earlier today when he said that this was not because of pressure from Warner Bros. \u201CShambles and Chaos\u201D should be the title of this bill\u2014the \u201CEmployment Relations (Shambles and Chaos in the Government) Bill\u201D. The Government simply cannot get its house sufficiently in order to know whether we are here because Warner Bros made us be here, or whether we are here because the Government has somehow mysteriously decided a change was necessary\u2014despite the fact that since 2005 the law has been settled in this area. All of a sudden it is a crisis and we are here under urgency. We are here under urgency because the Government has not got its act together, so the bill could have the title \u201CThe Government Has Not Got Its Act Together Bill\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThere could also be another title of this bill\u2014a serious title change. If we are trying to reflect what is in this bill, it should be the \u201CEmployment Relations (Film Production and Video Games Work) Bill\u201D, because this bill goes far beyond film production. We have not had a substantive call from a member of the Government to tell us how video games ended up in this bill. Nobody discussed anything about video games. There are some high-quality video game manufacturers and developers in Wellington. How did that even end up in this bill? It is not mentioned in the title, so the title is immediately misleading even on the Government\u2019s own terms. We have not had the Government take a call on this. Its members have sat there, simply allowing us to stand and raise questions that are unanswered, because the Government is pushing through a bill, but it does not know why.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u0022e8a64b721733451d8f71833d6a05cda7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e8a64b721733451d8f71833d6a05cda7\u0022\u003ELOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022 data-id=\u0022319f22f38bf441539364027e930d37f1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022319f22f38bf441539364027e930d37f1\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak on the title clause of this \u201CWarner Bros Bill\u201D that we have before us. I rise to speak to what sadly has become the Warner Bros Parliament. We are sitting tonight at the behest of Warner Bros because Warner Bros want to push this bill through the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219f8518170004752b4ddee0b72e3aef2\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The member was pulled up during the second reading\u2014[Interruption] I am on my feet. Speaker\u2019s ruling 52/1 makes it very clear that although we can say that Warner Bros may influence an outcome, we cannot say that they have directed it. It is quite a good paragraph, which the member might like to refer to. It is Speaker\u2019s ruling 52/1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002297856c06efb14c9db9cda93bc4dc3d3d\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I apologise to the member. I think the Speaker\u2019s ruling refers to members and to parties. I am not sure whether it refers to the Parliament. I have never heard that expression before.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d56ad359bd6d483ba7e41f7dd3d3747c\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I have. By referring to Parliament it brings the members within Parliament into that frame.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220423832cb35c464f9623d56ea8c76b59\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Warner Bros have clearly had some influence, as the Speaker\u2019s ruling allows me to say.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a9135d93e1e4678836855a0dd3428a0\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Did they buy the naming rights?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002288d78e9ca2d54aafaa48b1bfa7da1194\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: They have had tremendous influence on this bill. The fact is that Parliament is tonight meeting under urgency in order to deal with this bill that would benefit Warner Bros. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EIt seems to me that we have become used to corporate welfare. Corporate welfare has become well known across the planet. It used to involve just money. OK, on this occasion it is $100 million and the National Government has added an extra $33 million to the previous level of corporate welfare, but it used to mean just money. But it now means that if this is the \u201CEmployment Relations (Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D, not only are Warner Bros getting money but they are also bringing about a change in New Zealand\u2019s industrial relations law. That is an entirely new level in the meaning of corporate welfare. If this bill, the \u201CEmployment Relations (Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D, sets a new standard globally for changing legislation for a sovereign, democratic Parliament in a way that would suit a corporate multinational, this is an entirely new level. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003ETonight we are debating under urgency a bill that has been influenced by Warner Bros, as I am allowed to say under Speakers\u2019 Rulings. This bill has been influenced by Warner Bros, and we are debating it under urgency. It is not about just money. It used to be about just money. All taxpayers have to put their hands in their pockets to provide corporate welfare. It is now also, under the \u201CEmployment Relations (Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D, as I would like to rename it, about changing the very legislation under which our country is governed. It represents a whole new level of altering the basic relationships between a people and their Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThe relationship between a people and their Government, in a democratic system, is supposed to be one where there is representation. But under this bill, the \u201CEmployment Relations (Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D, as I think it should be renamed, Warner Bros are in fact interfering in the relationship between a people and their Government. It is a fundamental transgression of the idea of sovereignty in our country for us to rewrite industrial relations law for the benefit of Warner Bros. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThere is another title we could come up with for this bill. The National Government has said it does not like to lead on climate change. \u201CWe will not be leaders on climate change.\u201D, its members tell us. However, they are willing to be leaders in the race to the bottom, so we could call the bill the \u201CEmployment Relations (Race to the Bottom) Amendment Bill\u201D. We are leading in the global race to the bottom to make Warner Bros happy by weakening our industrial relations laws. So if we were to call the bill the \u201CEmployment Relations (Race to the Bottom) Amendment Bill\u201D, we could say that the National Government is finally leading on something. It is not leading on climate change, and it is not leading on anything else. It is finally leading in the race to the bottom to weaken our industrial relations law for the benefit of a corporate multinational. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EWe are sitting under urgency tonight to deal with this bill, which under the title clause we are debating should be called the \u201CEmployment Relations (Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D. We are meeting under urgency tonight under the influence of Warner Bros, as I am allowed to say under Speakers\u2019 Rulings, in order to ram through this bill so that it becomes the law of the land in what is supposedly a democratic and sovereign country. It is embarrassing, it is unacceptable, and it is a fundamental transgression of the idea of democratic sovereignty. The National Government should be ashamed of itself. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EThe Green Party joins with Labour and others in welcoming the fact that The Hobbit will be based in New Zealand and filmed here. I note that Avatar was also based in New Zealand, and there was no need to change the existing labour relations regime. I remind National members that Avatar was about an environmental issue. They might have heard about the environment. That film was a great success. It was the story of a people fighting against a giant corporation, not unlike Warner Bros. We would like to rename this bill the \u201CEmployment Relations (Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D. In Avatar, which was successfully filmed in New Zealand under the existing industrial relations framework, it was the people who were being attacked by a giant corporation that sought to take over their planet. That is not entirely unlike the attack that Warner Bros has launched.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022 data-id=\u0022e0079bc49d6f45cc941c637d57d0304d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e0079bc49d6f45cc941c637d57d0304d\u0022\u003EAMY ADAMS (National\u2014Selwyn):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022adc2f5d0f5034692825dcd626799c50a\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 4; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022058d300d27ce4c1fbb9e58d23a3505b3\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: We have an amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard. It is a typescript amendment to amend the title of the bill. I have ruled it out of order as not being a serious description of the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022ea2af0e9eab144119d0f46e8b262312c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ea2af0e9eab144119d0f46e8b262312c\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. Labour had an assurance from the Associate Minister of Finance, Steven Joyce, that this bill was requested by Warner Bros. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022959d7d0736ef40e8ab658f55cad89551\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: That is not a point of order. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229e1adfb44bc64ea9bfa0c9ff1d94dee4\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: It is an outrageous ruling.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022beecbc8264a94f8b9728dd221dc06e20\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: That is not a point of order. I am the judge of whether an amendment is in order, and I have ruled that your amendment is out of order. We will move to the vote. The question is that Part 1 stand part. Those of that opinion will say \u201CAye\u201D\u2014clause 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022582b48decb1749b890c4a787e2a2dbc8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022582b48decb1749b890c4a787e2a2dbc8\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. This bill is not in parts. I think you mean clause 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002261213038eb82457faa69e4606c0b11f1\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I did mean clause 1 and I did say \u201Cclause\u201D after I said \u201Cpart\u201D. My apologies. I will put the motion again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022cf51935c22c54187b686116282614f11\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That clause 1 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 68\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 4; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EClause 1 agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002253f20af8653c4d4aaae1170e8f8339ec\u0022\u003EClause 2  Commencement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00220173a1571d804a7fb2bd627ab14faabf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220173a1571d804a7fb2bd627ab14faabf\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E Clause 2 is particularly interesting to the Labour Party because it goes to the timing of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill coming into effect and the method by which it is brought into effect. Part of the debate will be around the timing, and part will be around the method.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThese days, as we sacrifice our economic sovereignty, our political sovereignty, and our parliamentary sovereignty, perhaps the bill should be brought into effect by being stamped by Warner Bros in the United States, rather than by Royal assent in New Zealand. We will have a discussion about what the appropriate method is these days, now that we have sacrificed our integrity as a Parliament to the whims of a foreign company, according to Mr Joyce. Actually, I tended to believe Gerry Brownlee when he said in answer to question No. 1 this afternoon that this legislation was not really important to Warner Bros and they did not want it, rather than believing what Steven Joyce said. That may or may not be the case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe next point that we need to focus on is what we mean by \u201Cthe day after the date\u201D. Do we mean the New Zealand date, or the date on the west coast of the United States? By \u201Cthe day after\u201D, do we mean the day in the United States after the date in New Zealand, or vice versa? Is it \u201Ca\u201D and \u201Ca\u201D, \u201Cb\u201D and \u201Cb\u201D, \u201Ca\u201D and \u201Cb\u201D, or \u201Cb\u201D and \u201Ca\u201D? There are combinations of days and dates that we have to consider in working through this particular matter. The member Russel Norman mentioned Avatar recently. If we took some of the interesting approaches to time within that movie, where there was the ability to time shift and world shift, it might be that we would come up with a number of unusual answers. The \u201Cday after the date on which it receives the Royal assent\u201D could, in fact, be quite a long way back in Middle Earth, if we jump from Avatar back to the Lord of the Rings series. Given the modern world that we live in and the world of movies, there is a lack of preciseness in this clause.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe next question is whether, as part of this exercise, we will move to have the date of Parliament\u2014currently unsponsored\u2014sponsored. Will 28 October be sponsored by Warner Bros? Is that what we will have? Is that how we will have the date of Parliament? If that is the case, will the date move forward under urgency, stay the same, or take the industrial relations approach of the National Government and move backwards?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to make a slightly irrelevant passing comment about Avatar, which was referred to by Russel Norman. An interesting experience for me was spending time with James Cameron at one of these hui criticised by Gerry Brownlee. Cameron was trying to make up his mind whether he wanted Avatar to be produced in New Zealand. But that was US time rather than New Zealand time. That was west coast time. There is 6 hours\u2019 difference. I think it would probably be getting on for 3.30 a.m. over there now, but 3.30 a.m. of yesterday. I think that just about sums up Gerry Brownlee\u2019s approach on this bill. He thinks he is slightly ahead but he is actually quite a long way behind. The world has just about caught up to him, because he has been so backward in this particular area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe question of time is one on which there is some focus in The Hobbit. In fact, The Hobbit is full of riddles, and one of them is called the time riddle. It is this one:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThis thing; All things it devours:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EBirds, beasts, trees, and flowers:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EGnaws iron, bites steel;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EGrinds hard stones to meal;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ESlays kings, ruins town, \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAnd beats high mountain down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt is one of Gollum\u2019s riddles for Bilbo Baggins, and the answer, of course, is time. That is what we talking about now. The answer we are talking about today is time, and we are trying to work out when would be the right time to bring this legislation into effect. Some of us would say there is never a right time, but others would say that given the possibility of this bill going through the House, we should think about whether there might be a better time to bring it into effect. I have an amendment\u2014it is different from my next amendment, which is to insert an expiry clause\u2014to omit all the words after \u201Cforce\u201D and insert the words \u201C1 April 2012\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe reason is relatively simple. Warner Bros have already spent $100 million on the movie. A deferral would give them a chance to get on with making the movie, and we would be able to see whether this legislation is necessary. My bet is it would be totally unnecessary. It was unnecessary for the 120 feature films that were made in New Zealand in the last decade, with the help of the work done by, mainly, my colleague Pete Hodgson to facilitate them. He facilitated schemes and did work in that area. This legislation was not necessary then. But Labour members are reasonable people; we will keep a bit of an open mind on it, and we are prepared over the next year, over the period of the next election campaign, to work through whether this legislation is necessary. A deferral of it being brought into force would give us the possibility of examining it more carefully, and other amendments of ours provide for other methods of examination.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EDeferring it would also give some of the thespians in the Chamber time to practise their skills, to hone their skills, and to work towards having roles in The Hobbit. I know there is quite a lot of interest in the Chamber in doing that. It has been a very long time since people wanted me for a part in a movie that involved filming my face. In fact, the last production I was in was bro\u2019Town. That was probably the last dramatic one. Most of my colleagues will not remember Close to Home, but that series was a good, regular source of income when I was a student. I was an employee and made a lot of money. I am not suggesting that this bill should be backdated. In fact, I would be very upset if it was backdated to the late 1960s or early 1970s, or whenever it was that I had bit parts in Close to Home. It might have been the very early 1970s. It was certainly by 1973, because one of my kids had a bit part in it in 1974, I think.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe are focusing now on whether it is appropriate to backdate the legislation\u2019s coming into force\u2014to take the Muldoon approach and make it retrospective, and what the implications of that would be. The more reasonable approach and the one that I have taken is to say that it is grubby legislation, it should never come in, and therefore it should be deferred.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022 data-id=\u0022d6fbd81a48114380aa6c5e83372f3711\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d6fbd81a48114380aa6c5e83372f3711\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak in support of the amendments tabled by the Hon Trevor Mallard and, in particular, to amend clause 2 by omitting all the words after \u201Cforce\u201D and inserting the words \u201C1 April 2012\u201D, and to insert new clause 2A \u201CThis Act expires on the close of 8 November 2010.\u201D These amendments go to the issue of timing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EI want to put before the Committee some related issues of timing, and I would like the public to hear this sequence of events, because it is quite important. On Thursday, the 14th of this month, Gerry Brownlee convened a meeting attended by the Screen Production and Development Association, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, the Council of Trade Unions, and himself. A press release was issued after that meeting, which outlined that they had found a way forward; that a deal had been done. Again, on timing\u2014the next day, Sunday, the 17th of this month, the Screen Actors Guild decided to lift the boycott. I say that again: the timing was Sunday, the 17th of this month; the boycott was to be lifted. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EHowever, I have sighted emails that make clear that Warner Bros requested that the press release not be issued until Peter Jackson had had an opportunity to comment. That is a fair enough request. That was Sunday, the 17th of this month. On Monday, the 18th of this month, Mr Jackson, Warner Bros, and\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a5b954b28fe3468fa672285aee9f1dc6\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: This debate is about the commencement date on the introduction of the bill. It is about timing related to the introduction of the bill but not about timing or a sequence of what has happened over the last few weeks. I ask the member to come back to the commencement date.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d0ba0ae27614d2b974720ae80d8dcf0\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I am trying to explain the reasons why I am supportive of new clause 2A, which calls for the expiry\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223eed7da5dbbc42e583f16cd3115bd9a0\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I hate to do this to my colleague but the clause 2A debate is a separate debate. It is the next debate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf7b2a505ecb461982c9298b71476fd6\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The member is right, thank you. We are on clause 2, \u201CCommencement\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a743a3f3eb1483da635c2f644159821\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: I appreciate my colleague\u2019s comment and, of course, he will recall that in my opening comments I supported two of his amendments, very generously, both that one and the previous one\u2014[Interruption] 1 April 2012. OK. On timing here is the kicker: the boycott was to be lifted on Sunday, the 17th\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b4f28154a004a1886b330b1a7981b56\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I have just mentioned to the member that this is about the commencement. It is a very narrow debate. It is not about what has happened in the past; it is about the commencement and introduction of this bill for the Royal assent. The scope is a very narrow debate. I ask the member to confine his comments to the commencement date, not a sequence of events that has happened. That is out of order. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223773772b8ade418e8dbc1db2f4761b21\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. In the previous contribution from my colleague the Hon Trevor Mallard he raised the issue\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a94018103c8a46d1862e7aab017bb2be\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I decide the relevance of the content of the speech. The member has not once mentioned the commencement. The member is talking about timing; timing of a sequel of events. That is what is out of order and I ask the member to come back to the commencement date. That is what clause 2 is about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f57cdb11216446e497b674c20bb8018e\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Chairman. In terms of the commencement date of this bill, I wonder whether it would be appropriate to have a commencement date 3 days after it should have taken effect, because what occurred was a rally of technicians against a boycott, which had been lifted 3 days earlier. What is clear is that the parties knew that, the Government knew that, Peter Jackson knew that, Warner Bros knew that, and a fictitious protest occurred 3 days after the boycott was lifted\u20143 days. That is relevant to the commencement date because a 3-day gap between when something should have taken effect and when it actually did take effect would thwart the purpose of the legislation. Moreover it would be false pretences; false pretences are the basis of a protest about a boycott that had already been lifted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e9cbaae0f854b0493a80c637667f3c4\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I will not mention to the member again that this debate is about the commencement. There is a very narrow scope. If the member deviates again I will terminate his speech. He has 1 minute 20 seconds remaining. This debate is on the commencement date.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d1cfc42c5214b77b89ebb2450bb01b0\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: This bill should not commence on its commencement date. It should not commence at all. This bill is unnecessary, just as rallies were unnecessary about a boycott that did not exist at the time. This bill should not commence, because there is and was no substantive employment dispute that this bill is designed to fix. This bill is about wedge politics. It is about dog-whistle politics to certain bottom-dwelling members of society that that party wants to lock up as National voters and turn against workers. It was a fictitious bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a8fb84f87be54bfc8c321d515fced0a8\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. The speaker has gone off the commencement date.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000720\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa93cb7e79c24ad5a8bdbf20341a9658\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I will determine the relevance. That is not necessary. The member has 30 seconds remaining.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000721\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e31ebde3d6f42fb93e80fa410ec630c\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: This bill should not commence. As my colleague Trevor Mallard has said, and as Gerry Brownlee said in answer to questions today, this bill changes nothing, because there was no substantive problem. The court case to which it refers, in terms of timing, was in 2005\u20142005. This bill should not commence. It should not commence, because it is a political artifice\u2014a political artifice designed to polarise New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022 data-id=\u0022b3a17252ea064bf18048588d97107e41\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000722\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b3a17252ea064bf18048588d97107e41\u0022\u003ECATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Chairperson. I rise to take a call as the arts spokesperson for the Green Party. Before I start on clause 2, \u201CCommencement\u201D, I also acknowledge that today is the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence 1835 in Aotearoa New Zealand, which people seem to have forgotten. It is a shame that Warner Bros did not actually negotiate with the Confederation of the United Tribes of Aotearoa, because on this day in 1835, it signed a declaration stating that we are a sovereign nation. The confederation said then that we were a sovereign nation, but today we have reduced our level of independence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000723\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003ELet us come to clause 2, on timing. The commencement date for this bill should be delayed. The reason why the Green Party would like to see it delayed, with or without the Royal assent, is that the movie about this matter has not yet been made. We need not commence this bill until we have hired George Clooney, because George Clooney is the perfect person to play John Key; he has done a really good job playing those kinds of characters in the past. I also believe that we should not commence this stage until we have hired Paris Hilton to play the Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson. It is a small part in the movie, but Paris would do a fine job. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003EI think that we should also reconsider the commencement date because it is very important that we get the right people involved for this movie. We need to commence only when we have the right people. Meryl Streep would be a fine player for the part of Helen Kelly\u2014Meryl Streep with a black wig. You know, I can see it now. She did a really good job on the dingo movie; she could do a great job on this. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000725\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003EIf we are to commence, then we need to make sure that we have everything in place. I feel that Warner Bros could play itself. Warner Bros is acting now. It has acted in its own interests and it could play itself. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000726\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003EWe should not commence this movie until we have hired Robbie Coltrane. He could do a fabulous job of playing Gerry Brownlee. I can see it now; Robbie is a fantastic actor. I think that Robyn Malcolm could play herself, and many other people could play themselves, but there will be a film, there will be a T-shirt, and there will be a movie. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000727\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003EBefore we commence this debacle tonight, we should make sure that we continue with the really ridiculous fantasy world that the Government has drawn us into under urgency in attacking the rights of workers. Time is a very important issue for people working in the film industry. They are interested in the commencement date, because they are already put under stress by an industry that takes up a lot of their time. I have many friends in the industry. They love working for the film industry, but they do not love having very few rights. They are concerned that this commencement date will actually make it more difficult for those in the industry to have their rights as workers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000728\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003EWhen people do not get lunch breaks, but they get a party at the end of the year, time is a big issue for them. It is a long time to wait for decent working conditions. It is a long time to wait for decent lunch breaks, when all they get is a party with a lot of champagne at the end of the year. That is what the working conditions in the film industry are like now. Thanks to the Government, and to this absurd urgency and abuse of process, it will be more difficult. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000729\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003EAlso, we should not commence this bill, because I heard the ACT Party talk about the real agenda. It likes to wag the dog, but the dog is happy to follow. ACT members are very clear that this is not just about actors; it is about all working people and about reducing them to being in a contractual relationship, where they do not have rights. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000730\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003EBefore we commence, and before there is any Royal assent, I say that we need to remember that this is a ludicrous situation. Many people are laughing at this country right now, because there does not need to be a law change to keep these films. In fact, I wish I had been able to speak on the previous clause. I thought we should have called the bill something like the \u201CFeeble Negotiators Bill\u201D or the \u201CHarry Potter and the Poisoned Chalice Bill\u201D, because that is what it will be. It will turn into an absolute joke. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000731\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003EI am looking forward to the movie and I am looking forward to the commencement date being delayed, so that we can commence a return to sense and commence to commit to having sovereignty in this country. I am sure that Warner Bros is having a good drink at our expense tonight, but a lot of people around this country are tweeting and going on Facebook to say, as the wonderful \u014Ctara Millionaires Club said, \u201CHow Bizarre\u201D. That is where we really are tonight. We are witnessing one of the most bizarre theatrical experiences, which will make a great film, and we should commence it once we have sorted out what is really going on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u002239de0a1981c44275900dc99a29240921\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000732\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002239de0a1981c44275900dc99a29240921\u0022\u003ESIMON BRIDGES (National\u2014Tauranga):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022115ea96859d447f58f94a94601dd9bc6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000733\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022115ea96859d447f58f94a94601dd9bc6\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour\u2014Wellington Central):\u003C/span\u003E It is a pleasure to speak on clause 2, the commencement date clause of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I will pick up a theme that my colleague Trevor Mallard was talking about in his contribution, and that is the question of whether this legislation should be backdated. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000734\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a229407034e4372a4724c5103857433\u0022\u003ESimon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Bro\u2019Town.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000735\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229633ec814c7d43ca8c5744a9c7c28b76\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CClark Kent\u201D on bro\u2019Town? No, I say to Mr Bridges. This is about whether the commencement date should, in fact, be a retrospective date. The reason I raise that question is that if there is a problem here in terms of our industrial law, it has existed for a very long time; it has not just come into existence now. As has been mentioned already in the debate, this issue is a result of the case that went to the Employment Court in the name of Mr Bryson, and that case has been discussed a number of times. If this Government is seriously suggesting that some major issue in the film industry needs to be resolved, then the same issue has existed since 2005, when the law in this area was settled. If we are taking National at its word, that is a justification, I believe, for an amendment to the commencement date to backdate the legislation to 2005. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000736\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIn the context of whichever commencement date we might have, it is important to look at what the outcome really was from that case. A very important thing came out of the judgment from the Supreme Court: the nature of the employment relationship depends not only on what the parties intend and agree on but also on what they do and how they conduct themselves. That was the settled conclusion from that particular case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000737\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI think it is important to note that it is not just a simple matter of choice, as Mr Hayes and others have said in interjections across the Chamber tonight. This is actually a matter of quite important employment law that was settled, as far as most people in New Zealand were concerned, in 2005. That would be a justification, if National was following its own logic, for backdating this commencement date. At that point we had a settled piece of law, and subsequent to that time movies have been made in New Zealand under that particular provision.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000738\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ae294b9c52484a0981633ec5b0db317a\u0022\u003EDr Russel Norman\u003C/span\u003E: Giant movies.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000739\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228146a3233e894499baab688f26f1d650\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Very big movies. Avatar, for instance\u2014the movie about the Bluegreens; Nick Smith\u2019s movie. Avatar was made after this settled piece of law. Therefore, if National\u2019s logic is to be followed, the commencement date should be backdated. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000740\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThe problem for National is that there is no logic though. There is no logic to follow for when the commencement date should be, because the commencement date should follow that finding in 2005. But the legislation is unnecessary. It does not need to commence, because the law in this area has been settled, movies have been made, and people have got on with the job. A backdated commencement date would make sense in the context of a problem\u2014an imagined problem, in this case\u2014that somehow or other National is looking to solve. If we followed National\u2019s logic, there would be a case for a backdated commencement date. But I do not believe that there is a case; I believe that the fact that this bill is to come into force immediately after it receives the Royal assent is National trying to get rid of this issue. It knows it has dug itself into a hole that requires it to have a quick commencement date right away. It has dug itself into a hole.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000741\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022912beff8f58a4a10ad1e33da4662b76b\u0022\u003EJohn Hayes\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000742\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ba885ec6e0aa4eecbf67267116844271\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Hayes says that National has not dug itself into a hole, but it has actually done that here. National did not follow this issue through. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000743\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EAnother reason for backdating the commencement date is actually the enormous amount of work that has gone into The Hobbit in Wellington over a long period of time. Again, if there was a problem here it already existed for the work on The Hobbit. That is another reason that National, if it was following its own logic, would backdate the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000744\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThe problem is that the bill should not commence, at all, as an Act. As a piece of legislation it is simply National addressing a problem that did not exist, created by a crisis of its own making. That is essentially what we have here today. National cannot decide whether this bill was forced on it by Warner Bros, or whether it is doing it of its own volition. If it is doing it of its own volition, then the commencement should be backdated. That is the truth of it. If it was a problem in industrial law, then it has been a problem since 2005 and the commencement date should have been backdated. But if, in fact, the legislation has been forced on this Government by Warner Bros\u2014if this is, in fact, the Government rolling over and saying it will do whatever Warner Bros wants\u2014then maybe a commencement date in the future is, somehow or other, allowable. Unfortunately, we are seeing in this Chamber tonight yet another bill being rammed through\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022 data-id=\u00225adc962287c742a7a54a7dda9ef5e2bc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000745\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ae94eea7-ba5f-4303-bf71-49e708bc9888\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225adc962287c742a7a54a7dda9ef5e2bc\u0022\u003EJOHN HAYES (National\u2014Wairarapa):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022 data-id=\u0022e80b95cddf994db5b229fdab77efcc0c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000746\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e80b95cddf994db5b229fdab77efcc0c\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak to clause 2 of the \u201CEmployment Relations (Film Production Warner Bros) Amendment Bill\u201D. I wish to make two points about the commencement clause, clause 2, of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. The first point is about the date at which the bill should become active. It seems to me that this bill should come into force on 6 February 1840. The reason for that is quite simple: the Treaty of Waitangi was an agreement between the Crown and tangata whenua, between iwi and the Crown. If we are to say that the New Zealand Parliament is no longer sovereign, that the Crown is no longer represented, that the New Zealand Parliament does not decide laws, and that in fact it is Warner Bros that decides laws, then why should the Treaty of Waitangi be between iwi and the Crown, when the Crown or the democratic Parliament has given up on the idea that it is sovereign? It seems to me that we should backdate the commencement of the legislation to the date when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, and we should just say that the Treaty of Waitangi will now be active between tangata whenua and multinational corporations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000747\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EIt would simplify things if we made the commencement date 6 February 1840, and if we just got over this funny little interlude when we tried to establish a democratic Parliament in Aotearoa New Zealand. We went through this experiment to have democracy, but now National has decided that it is a bad idea. National would rather have multinational corporations deciding what the law is in New Zealand. We should backdate the commencement of this bill back to the Treaty of Waitangi, so that it is a simple agreement between tangata whenua and multinational corporations, and we can just avoid the whole experiment with democracy. National, ACT, and the M\u0101ori Party are saying to us tonight that this experiment where the Crown\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000748\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022664340138de64967a3448259099c78a6\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000749\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c4c3a232715465790618e7c5dcb7d8d\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: This is attending to the commencement date, Mr Chair, to say that the commencement date should be 6 February 1840, and the rationale for that is that the democratically elected Crown is no longer present.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000750\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb36589ec28a463d9110cd44f5662a30\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The member is way off track. The relevance of that is not part of this debate. We are speaking on the commencement. The member will come back to that, or I will terminate the speech.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000751\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c8647f141b748b2b3e4e276044c7263\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: We are talking about clause 2, which is about the commencement date, and I am making a simple argument as to why the commencement date should in fact be 6 February 1840, because of the fact\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000752\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002222c7f92e5f534ee5a29a038326b49027\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: That is not a serious matter; 1840 is not a serious part of the debate. This is about relevance. If the member does not come back to the commencement as the bill is presented, then I will terminate the speech.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000753\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a20daa4462554b1eba17db243609cd74\u0022\u003EDr RUSSEL NORMAN\u003C/span\u003E: The previous speaker, Grant Robertson, talked about retrospectivity in the discussion with regard to the commencement date, but the Chair has said that I cannot discuss retrospectivity, because he does not like what I say about it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000754\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003ELet me discuss another aspect of clause 2, which is the question of the Royal assent. It is overlooked because people think that clause 2 is simply about the commencement date. I suggest that we should get rid of the provision that says that the legislation has to receive the Royal assent, which is part of clause 2, and we should say that the legislation should simply have Warner Bros consent. It would be much simpler. We should say that the bill comes into force\u2014looking at clause 2\u2014not when it receives Royal assent but when Warner Bros approves the bill, because that is what the Government is effectively saying. My interpretation is that National is saying that the commencement under clause 2, which discusses when this bill comes into force after it receives the Royal assent, comes into force after Warner Bros says that it is OK. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000755\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EWe should amend clause 2, and say that instead of \u201CThis Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.\u201D, we should say \u201CThe Act comes into force the day after Warner Bros says that it\u2019s OK.\u201D Once it gives the tick to National, it will say: \u201CWe really like what you\u2019ve written, National, and we think that it can come into force now\u201D. Rather than going through this Governor-General business, this democracy, and the sovereignty, which is all a bit of a nuisance, we will have the date when Warner Bros says it should come into force. Clause 2 is about when the legislation will come into force, and instead of the bill coming into force after it receives the Royal assent, which is a bit of a hangover from the old days, after all\u2014the old Commonwealth and all of that, and we are all for moving on beyond the Queen and all that\u2014well, we will move beyond the Queen, and instead of the Royal assent, it will be Warner Bros consent. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000756\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eb49ee66-7ca7-472d-a4a1-b099fd594dfa\u0022\u003EWe can achieve a republic and be subservient to multinational corporations all at once, by a simple amendment to clause 2, by replacing the word \u201CRoyal\u201D with \u201CWarner Bros\u201D, which is entirely within the scope of this debate. It is a very simple amendment to clause 2: instead of \u201CRoyal assent\u201D, which obviously National does not like, because it wants to move beyond the monarchy, National is proposing that it is actually when Warner Bros gives its consent; that is when the bill can come into force. We can get over all this nonsense about the Queen and all of that business. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cfdabe42-521a-4dca-afab-3e781731a130\u0022 data-id=\u00225515f41e007342a9b5ba10ac3e28dba0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000757\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cfdabe42-521a-4dca-afab-3e781731a130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225515f41e007342a9b5ba10ac3e28dba0\u0022\u003EDr PAUL HUTCHISON (National\u2014Hunua):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00229c89ce6feb6a47e2ab1a0679c1cb3020\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000758\u0022\u003EThe question was put that the following amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard to clause 2 be agreed to: \u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000759\u0022\u003Eto omit the words after \u201Cforce\u201D and substitute \u201C1 April 2012\u201D.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00220292ec4a68b6437aba1843bbf744b14c\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022887496e7d1ea45268a93ddc658cf00ef\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That clause 2 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EClause 2 agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000760\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002286577395081c49bf972a9c425902f5e4\u0022\u003ENew clause 2A\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022ce55a28da00b419d9121db1d6be9ddde\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000761\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ce55a28da00b419d9121db1d6be9ddde\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I want to just get some clarity about the relevance of this clause, given that the Committee has expressed its desire that the bill should come into force as soon as it\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285eb79aa8057d4966b3ffc580677b2409000763\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 10.00 p.m. to 9.00 a.m. (Friday)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d0aab17eae734f16bb94e3c60570187d\u0022\u003EThursday, 28 October 2010\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000002\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00221655ecc7ae484b438808e0c089087185\u0022\u003E(continued on Friday, 29 October 2010)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cfa6cb7e6feb46609570f07994abdbeb\u0022\u003EEmployment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000004\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00222edbccbd4a4249adb964b89c13d09b98\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000005\u0022\u003EDebate resumed.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ee54846d92054faa9cbe27153d2e475f\u0022\u003ENew clause 2A (continued)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00220894da4654ff4c019c6815fd0bd92075\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220894da4654ff4c019c6815fd0bd92075\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. Clearly, discussions are going on that indicate that I may be wasting my time, but I think the reality is that this debate sets a very bad precedent\u2014a very bad precedent. Clause 2, which has the Act coming into effect the day after it receives its Royal assent, has been passed. An amendment to clause 2, which would have required the Act to come into force on 1 April 2012, was defeated by the Committee. In defeating that particular date, the Committee said that it expects that the bill will be enacted at that time, 1 April 2012. It seems to me that because the Committee expressed very, very clearly that it specifically rejected that date, it is an utter nonsense to then immediately go through this exercise of working out whether the bill should expire before that date. We are getting into an absurd situation where the Committee expresses its will that the bill will come into effect on 1 April 2012, but is then asked to consider the expiry of the Act on 8 November 2010. That is an utter nonsense. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EWe have been through this sort of exercise last year, in fact\u2014and, at times, this year\u2014and I know that the argument will be that one question is about commencement and the other is about expiry. But commencement and expiry are not unlinked. If the Committee has expressed a desire that something should not only have commenced but be enacted on 1 April 2012, it would then be an absurdity for the Committee to ask itself whether it would be a good idea for the Act to expire on 8 November 2010. We end up getting into all sorts of ludicrous situations. We could equally go into a day-by-day arrangement, and we have already had an expression from the Speaker\u2014indeed, I think Erskine May put forward the proposal\u2014that if a decision was made by the Committee about a future date, and there was rejection of other dates leading to it, then there was no need to go day by day. This debate is in that same category. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003ETo be clear, I say that the Committee, in my mind, has said that it expects that this bill will be enacted as a law on and beyond 1 April 2012, but it is now being asked to consider having the Act expire on 8 November 2010. That is retrospective on the decision that has previously been made by the Committee, and it would be utterly appalling if we have to spend time going through this exercise today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00228e3ea5c4de434a189a48dd7d7a827275\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228e3ea5c4de434a189a48dd7d7a827275\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I do not want to take much of the Committee\u2019s time, because I think the answer is pretty obvious. I think most members in the Committee understand the difference between starting and finishing, between commencement and expiry. The comments made by the Leader of the House could well be good debating points during the debate on the expiry date of the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EClearly, some members on this side of the Chamber think that if such bad legislation is to come in, it should be short-term legislation and should have a sunset clause. The concept of a sunset clause is one that is common. Normally I accept the view of the member that there are a few more actual sunsets before the sunset comes down on legislation, but I think it is also fair to say that this is very controversial legislation. Members have a strong view and they have a right to debate it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022c3f827d71210442782fda8539dcce644\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c3f827d71210442782fda8539dcce644\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I think the danger here is getting into a discussion or debate about the substance or nature of the amendment. The Opposition does not want to do that by way of a point of order; we want to do that by way of debate. The reason for my speaking to the point of order is that the Leader of the House on several occasions has referred to decisions that the House had made in respect of amendments and clauses in the bill. I think it is very important to stress that the House has taken no decisions. We are in the Committee of the whole House, and it will be a decision for the House about whether it accepts the report of the Committee. If the Committee makes a series of decisions that are not logical or do not follow, then the House can make the decision not to accept the report of the Committee of the whole House. I think the assertion by the Leader of the House that amendments should be ruled out because of decisions made by the House is not the case. They are decisions that may be made in the future, but up until that point the Committee of the whole House, across all the clauses of the bill, is free to consider amendments providing they are within order. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003EAs Mr Mallard has stated, his amendment is in order. The Leader of the House objects to it; he disagrees with it and I suspect he will vote against it. But those are debating matters, not matters of whether the amendment is in order, because this Committee is yet to report to the House on the final shape of this legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022 data-id=\u002253b7d033e4584440ba47a23e5692cfc7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002253b7d033e4584440ba47a23e5692cfc7\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: I thank members for their contributions. I say that the Leader of the House has raised, indirectly, the issue of substantiality, which is that amendments need to be significantly different from each other. I say to him that this amendment does not fall into that category, because commencement and expiry are two significantly different things. We only have to look at our birth certificates and death certificates to realise that they are radically different. The time of this might be somewhat closer but I think the order is not that it is substantially the same; it is significantly different.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003EThe issue then is its proximity. It is not for me to make a judgment about whether it is so proximate to the commencement to make it substantially the same; that is for the Committee to decide. It has a starting date, and I accept that. It is now proposed to have an expiry date, and it is for the Committee to determine whether that is so close as to make the bill a nonsense. That is for the Committee to decide. I cannot see any grounds for the Committee ruling it out; it is, therefore, a matter for the Committee itself to decide. There are no procedural grounds that I can see for ruling out the amendment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00225a7ffa87771c451aa96b314e53b0b79a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225a7ffa87771c451aa96b314e53b0b79a\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. You have now left me somewhat confused and concerned. First, although I have seen my birth certificate, I most certainly have not seen my death certificate. Second, if anybody else has, I would appreciate knowing the hour and the moment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002202e4573d42bb418aa2a3a6962f3160a9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002202e4573d42bb418aa2a3a6962f3160a9\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I think the Leader of the House\u2019s political death certificate could be written up about his inattention in this particular area. With a little bit of tolerance early in the morning from the Chairperson, I want to show people what came into my inbox from Japan overnight. A young Kiwi asked what is happening to New Zealand. He said that New Zealand sovereignty is finished\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ebcfd47504f34e67b834ff6cdbf320ef\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: And he lives in Japan.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c2e6cedb1ac144f1bdeace2753bdaf4a\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: He is an exceptionally talented young Kiwi, who is currently working in Japan. I am sure he will come home, but he is less likely to come home with that member in Government. Why is that? We heard earlier\u2014without referring to the point of order\u2014that the Leader of the House does not know the difference between commencing and expiring. Gerry Brownlee showed earlier on that he does not know the difference between coming and going, and Warner Bros took advantage of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022091546f3fefd46fc952e9752b4e18228\u0022\u003EChris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: They saw him coming.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271656d8d8b8f4516b8e4ceb553a47ee2\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: They saw him coming and they said: \u201CWe\u2019ll go for it. We can see a buffoon who is not on top of his job. We can see a Government in chaos. Therefore, we will ask for some stuff.\u201D Actually, Warner Bros did not ask for this. I want to make it clear that I believed Gerry Brownlee when he said that this was not a requirement of Warner Bros and that this was not necessary. That is why\u2014because it was not a requirement of Warner Bros and it was not necessary in order to get The Hobbit\u2014this legislation can expire. This legislation is not necessary, and therefore there is no problem with it being relatively short-term legislation. That would be the effect of this. The Committee has decided that the Act should come into force the day after it receives its Royal assent. Therefore, we accept that as things normally happen, if the Government maintains its majority through the 28th, for however long that lasts, then it is likely that the legislation will need an expiry date or it will go on for ever. I think even the Minister in the chair is not satisfied that legislation of this sort of quality should be in there on an unending basis. She has already made one amendment, and I think there will probably be three or four more that she will want to make as the errors in her drafting are pointed out to her. It may well be that she makes a decision to hook some additional legislation on to another employment relations bill\u2014without reporting to the House the business of the select committee\u2014and, when we get to another day, that will be back on the Table of the House. At that point, because there is this other legislation going through, it will be a lot easier to get coherent legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHowever, I make it clear that I am slightly evenly divided here. I am not sure whether it is better to get this legislation tidy. I have, in fact, been very, very critical of my colleague Charles Chauvel for acting as the drafting adviser for the Minister. I have told him to hold on to the other ones\u2014he has found three or four other errors\u2014rather than assist the Government as he has done in making bad law. It is bad enough making bad law that does not work, but making bad law that does work is reprehensible, and assisting the Government in it is something I think is relatively shocking. But there is no doubt that if law is bad law, then the best thing is for the country to have it on the law books for the shortest possible period. We looked at the time when we thought the Governor-General would be available to sign it, and we thought it would be possibly some time next week. Some of us contemplated different days for its expiry. Some of us thought that 5 November might be a good time. Then others thought that if we are going to get beyond this, then 11 November, Remembrance Day, would be good\u2014the day that peace broke out, Fran Wilde\u2019s birthday; there are a variety of reasons\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc9384b80d434bb68f126457b5ed8581\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: 1 April?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a55a29144924286a775a9431c875585\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, no. I do not think 1 April is a good date. I think the expiry of this is a date that should be celebrated. It should probably come in on 1 April. That is why we had 1 April 2012 as a commencement date, because that is a day for fools. But I will not refer back to a previous debate that has been decided, even if it has been decided in a rather unfortunate manner. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ESo we have here relatively compact legislation; it is not a large piece of legislation. There would be an advantage in having the expiry date as 8 November 2010. I will look to my learned friend on my right, Charles Chauvel, to give me some advice in this area. If this amendment goes in and comes out so quickly, that would probably mean that the statutes do not have to be annotated in order to show it as being current legislation. I ask whether Butterworths still does it. [Interruption] My colleague thinks that the statutes might have to be annotated twice, which seems to me to be an absolutely ridiculous\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d7eb12e4b32d4f4abd77fc843f4c1d38\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s a job creation scheme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b40f60e1567d433f9b03d6c5e7538bd8\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, there are a number of job creation schemes for lawyers around the place and for people who work for lawyers, but the idea that we would annotate a statute to say that it is in when it is already out seems to be a job creation scheme of the type that National would think of, rather than one that is in the proud traditions of the make-work schemes for the lawyers. I must say that this Parliament spends quite a lot of time on making work for lawyers, including, in my view, this particular legislation. This legislation creates a tension and puts people into an employment category that they do not want to be in. What is more\u2014and I think we need to keep coming back to whether this legislation should expire\u2014it is something that Gerry Brownlee said Warner Bros did not require and did not ask for. The legislation is not being passed for Warner Bros. If that is the case, then I ask who it is being done for. We have had legislation that has not been brought in and has not expired, which has been there effectively in the same form since, I think, 1907. [Interruption] Again, my learned colleague Mr Chauvel, on my right, says that\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002256ee1f1f3c624b05b8fac071ecaf63b8\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Not often on his right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022738f084919ef4f5aacf4d8f4f16662fb\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: He is always on my right! My colleague Mr Chauvel indicates that it was the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1894 that brought in this substantive area of law. We are changing legislation in the industrial area and also, I think it is fair to say, common law. We are managing to change stuff that goes way, way back in the common law of the United Kingdom and the common law of New Zealand. This legislation is at the core of our labour relations system and has been since before the formation of both the National Party and the Labour Party, and we are changing it for a reason that no one wants. For that reason, I think it does not hurt for it to be a short-term change. In fact, I have just had another idea. Maybe we could look at another expiry date whereby this legislation expires 90 days after it comes into force. That way we could call it trial legislation. It could test the arrangements, and we could see whether it is appropriate and necessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u0022889930f30b3b4d01aa49a52bd7bae0b2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022889930f30b3b4d01aa49a52bd7bae0b2\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I congratulate my colleague the Hon Trevor Mallard on moving his amendment to insert new clause 2A into the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I think it provides a very good opportunity for us to consider whether this bill is necessary. This amendment brings in an expiry provision for this legislation, which is currently suggested to be 8 November 2010. As others have said, that would be an interesting scenario, given that the legislation would not actually be effective by then. Of course, that would be the best possible outcome from the point of view of members on this side of the Chamber. This legislation is ill-thought-through. It is unnecessary, and I intend to explain why that is the case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EAs a first suggestion, I would urge members opposite to support this amendment and recognise that this legislation is poor lawmaking. New Zealand is in the situation where many people are now questioning the nature of our democracy and sovereignty. If Warner Bros can determine domestic legislation\u2014which labour legislation clearly is; it is about how we organise our workplaces, the arrangements that we say will exist, and the minimum standards that apply to people in our industries\u2014then we are in deep trouble. Certainly, yesterday, when I was speaking in the House on this matter, I raised a number of questions. That was one of them. I said at that stage that I think questions will now start to be asked. People will want to know what this Government is doing and whether the changes, in terms of increasing the subsidies available and also in terms of changing our domestic labour law, are necessary. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003ECertainly the New Zealand Herald has taken up the challenge. I can put it on record that the New Zealand Herald has asked the questions. The heading of its editorial is: \u201CPrice to keep Hobbit in NZ is extortionate.\u201D The New Zealand Herald goes on to say it does not have anything against our film industry\u2014none of us do, despite what Government members are saying. But the editorial goes on to say: \u201CIn both instances,\u201D\u2014in terms of both granting the extra money and changing our domestic labour laws\u2014\u201CWarner Bros used fears that the films would be lost to this country to leverage a better deal for itself. There was no question of The Hobbit being shot elsewhere before an industrial boycott\u2014lifted before the negotiations began\u2014involving actors wanting to bargain collectively. Warner Bros simply seized the chance to apply pressure on unrelated issues. In both instances, it should have been resisted. The Prime Minister, however, always seemed relaxed about amending the law to provide \u2018clarity\u2019 in the film sector.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis is the legislation that we are talking about here. In fact, the clarity that this bill is supposedly providing is unnecessary. As many of us have already indicated, including my learned colleague Charles Chauvel, there is no lack of clarity about the status of people who work in the film industry. People in the film industry, many of them, work as independent contractors now. There is settled law on this matter. The tests are quite clear. For well-paid technical people and well-paid actors, it actually suits their interests to be independent contractors. There are also people in the film industry who are less well paid, and who are clearly employees. The tests have been outlined very clearly, most recently by our Supreme Court in the 2005 Bryson case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis legislation is unnecessary, and this is why I support the amendment of the Hon Trevor Mallard to let this legislation expire. If we want to talk about improving the conditions in the film industry, that is a different matter. But it is not clarity that is required. In fact, this legislation does not even deal with the matter that the dispute was about. The dispute was about independent contractors seeking to collectively organise to improve conditions in the film industry. It was not to negotiate a collective employment agreement, as some have incorrectly said, but to collectively look at their terms and conditions. This has been done previously in the Pink Book, and it is about time that it was improved. International actors\u2019 organisations will tell us that the conditions in New Zealand are not up to par. There was a legitimate question there. We should let this legislation expire, and we should deal with the real issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022 data-id=\u0022aa71d0eeb3c24e6d9e5a24cf5e6fdc20\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aa71d0eeb3c24e6d9e5a24cf5e6fdc20\u0022\u003ESUE MORONEY (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E We were once a proud nation, were we not? We were once a proud nation where on the international stage people admired New Zealand because we took an independent stance. When the Americans said that they wanted nuclear ships to come into this country, did we acquiesce to the Americans then? No, we took an independent stance. The commencement date in clause 2 of this legislation is the date of the day of shame for this country. It is the day that our independence as a once-proud nation finishes. [Interruption] David Bennett does not care. He does not care that New Zealand has been seen to acquiesce, on the world stage, to an American corporation to change our domestic labour law, without any New Zealanders being able to come and make a submission to say what they think about this law change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EWhat do New Zealanders think about this law change? That Government will never know. That Government will never know, and it does not care; it does not want to find out, because it is rushing this legislation through. The commencement date in this clause is a day of shame for this country. It was brought about by John Key because he, in one fell swoop, is ruining the reputation of this country as having an independent voice and as being proud in saying on the international stage that New Zealand does have its own view. New Zealand does not buckle to international pressure, except for now. Now it is clear to the world that New Zealand does buckle to international pressure, and this is an issue of our sovereignty.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EI am a Matamata girl. In fact, to be fair, I am a Walton girl, but what is 10 kilometres between friends? There is no one in this Chamber who is more determined than me to see The Hobbit shot in the locality where I was brought up. There is no one who is more proud of my town\u2019s involvement in that film. But in that same location in Matamata there is another industry that would quite like $33 million at the drop of a hat\u2014the racing industry\u2014and it will come knocking on John Key\u2019s door to ask where its $33 million is. Racing is another industry that is of incredible importance to Matamata, the Waikato, and the surrounding area. Members opposite know that they will have the tourism industry and the racing industry lining up next, and why should they not? There are easily as many jobs at risk in the racing industry, which is going down the tubes as we speak because of the Government\u2019s approach of not having any economic development.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EI speak kind of in support of Trevor Mallard\u2019s amendment. He has proposed that this legislation expire on 8 November, but I would like to propose another date. I think that the first Tuesday in November would be a very fine day\u2014Melbourne Cup day\u2014for this legislation to expire. Why not have this legislation expire on Melbourne Cup day so that the racing industry could then have its turn? The racing industry could immediately knock on the door and say: \u201CMr Key, where is our $33 million? We\u2019ve got lots of jobs. We\u2019ve got an industry that is of vital importance to New Zealand. Why don\u2019t we get the same treatment that has just been handed out on a plate to an American corporation?\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EWill that $33 million stay in New Zealand? Will it be in New Zealanders\u2019 pockets? We know that $33 million is coming out of New Zealanders\u2019 pockets\u2014that it is coming out of taxpayers\u2019 pockets\u2014but where will it go? Will it go into the bottom line of Warner Bros? Where are the Warner Bros shareholders? Are they in New Zealand? Will any New Zealanders make any money out of the $33 million that is to be given away to Warner Bros? David Bennett says no. He says that no New Zealanders will make any money out of it. If that money went into the racing industry instead, then we could see New Zealanders benefit through local jobs that are not just for two films but will go on and on as sustainable employment into the future. I think the commencement date for this legislation is pretty interesting because it will be a day of shame for New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022 data-id=\u002223ca6f9fd08c467d8785c6cc5486745e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002223ca6f9fd08c467d8785c6cc5486745e\u0022\u003EMETIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E The Green Party will be supporting the amendment, new clause 2A, which inserts an expiry date for this legislation. I think that is very wise. There is no doubt that passing legislation like this, which will change the employment conditions for what could be hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of workers who may engage in the film-making and video game - making industry over the next decades requires a great deal more public concern and scrutiny than one day of investigation. Frankly, it is a constitutional outrage that this legislation is going through at all, and that the Government has involved itself in dirty commercial and political deals by selling out the people who are actually very vulnerable workers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003EI am very pleased to see that an expiry date has been proposed. We will be supporting that because the country needs to scrutinise this issue. The Government is trying to push this legislation through under urgency because it is riding a political wave at the moment, but once that deal is unpicked the country will see just how dirty it is and just what the consequences will be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003EIt is interesting to note that on Back Benches the other night we were talking about this issue and the ACT Party said that it was very interested in seeing whether this kind of amendment, which would mean that employees could be classed as contractors and therefore lose a significant amount of their employment conditions, should be extended to all workers. That is what Hilary Calvert said. She would like to see the legislation potentially extended to all workers. That is the classic extremism of that party; we would not expect anything less. But there is that ideology sitting inside the Government at the moment that has the political power to interfere with workers\u2019 conditions in a great hurry, and at the behest of others. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003EI am very concerned about the consequences of this legislation for vulnerable workers, and particularly for M\u0101ori workers. I would like to hear more about why the M\u0101ori Party has decided to support this legislation in particular. Let us just think about the kinds of young people whom we are talking about here\u2014young people who want to get involved in the film industry. We can look at how well our M\u0101ori film makers have been doing. We can look at Boy, for example, which is excellent in that not only was it a New Zealand story but it involved young M\u0101ori New Zealanders and their own story, and the film led them to this idea that they could participate in the film industry just like anyone else. It was enormously empowering to see a film like that made about young M\u0101ori men in particular, and the opportunities that the film gave them, both in the industry and in the expression of their lives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003EBecause of the nature of the industry, those young people will generally have to operate as contractors. A young person getting into this business, particularly a young M\u0101ori person, will have to operate under that contractual arrangement. They are very vulnerable workers by their very nature, particularly young M\u0101ori men, who, we know, tend to be done over in terms of the education system, so they will not necessarily have all the skills or information that they need to negotiate as a contractor for the kinds of conditions that would make sure that they are OK. If they are then treated like employees by the company, and they do not realise that this is happening because they are not aware of their full employment rights, then this legislation means that they will be stripped of things like holiday pay and sick leave. They will be stripped of the capacity to be treated like employees, and when they are being treated like employees they will not have the bargaining power nor the knowledge and information that they need to negotiate their contracts to make sure those things are covered. It will be these young M\u0101ori workers, and particularly our M\u0101ori men, who will be suffering from this. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003EYoung M\u0101ori employees involved in this industry at various levels will be the ones in the future\u2014and not very many years away\u2014who will be affected very badly by this. So why is the M\u0101ori Party allowing the Government that it is part of to pass legislation under urgency when no M\u0101ori lawyers, no M\u0101ori employment lawyers, no M\u0101ori communities, no M\u0101ori iwi or hap\u016B, no M\u0101ori actors, no M\u0101ori\u2014nobody\u2014have had a chance to look at this legislation and say \u201CThis is how it will affect us.\u201D? Young ones who are out there in the industry should be able to look at this legislation and say how it would affect them, how it would injure them, and maybe how it would benefit them. There is no scrutiny of the effect of this legislation on the workers who will be the most affected.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u002276ba38b160fe4a078ab96351215fea56\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002276ba38b160fe4a078ab96351215fea56\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS (Labour\u2014Rimutaka):\u003C/span\u003E I am happy to take a brief call on the amendment to clause 2 to insert new clause 2A into the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, in which my colleague Trevor Mallard proposes to set an expiry day for this outrageous Warner Bros bill that would amend the Employment Relations Act. However, I will pick up on a comment made by Mr Mallard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EMr Mallard suggested that 8 November would be an auspicious day on which this bill could expire\u2014a day on which people could celebrate. He rejected the idea of 5 November, and so on. I do not think that 8 November is an appropriate day to celebrate. In fact, it is a very bad day for us in the Labour Party, because 2 years ago on 8 November the National Party won the election. That is certainly not a day that we want to celebrate on this side of the Chamber. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac556a09dbaf42f1b87022ee4e94dbe4\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: This could be a rebalancing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228e535d21b0374f7b85981167a684efe4\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Perhaps this could be a rebalancing. It was the day that I was elected, however, so I guess we can certainly celebrate that on this side of the Chamber. There are probably more auspicious dates than 8 November for us to set for the expiry of this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThere are very good reasons for this law to expire and be off the statute book as fast as possible. In fact, the New Zealand Herald editorial today points out how crazy the Government is to go ahead and rush this legislation through, at the behest of Warner Bros. I am a little confused about why we are doing this under urgency. The Government seems to be trying to have it both ways. On the one hand it says Warner Bros did not want this legislation, and on the other it throws Parliament into urgency to push it through because without it we would not have The Hobbit. So which is it? Is it that Warner Bros does not want it, or is it that Warner Bros would take The Hobbit away without it? I am still waiting to hear. The Government cannot seem to make up its mind as to whether Warner Bros actually wanted this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI think the New Zealand Herald hit the nail on the head when it said: \u201CWarner Bros simply seized the chance to apply pressure on unrelated issues.\u201D That is from the New Zealand Herald\u2019s editorial, and it hit the nail on the head. Warner Bros saw the Government coming. It saw the Government coming when John Key sent the VIP cars out to the airport to pick them up and whisk them away to Premier House for a high-level summit. Suddenly the price went up. Warner Bros realised it could demand whatever it wanted for The Hobbit to stay in New Zealand, and the Government would acquiesce because it was so desperate. John Key was so desperate not to lose the photo opportunity of standing next to The Hobbit. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EWe know that that is what this Government is all about: how many photos John Key can smile and wave in. The Government will oppose the sunset clause that Trevor Mallard has proposed for this legislation, because it does not want to do anything that would risk losing John Key\u2019s photo opportunities. Ultimately that is what this whole Government is geared towards: more photo opportunities for the Prime Minister. There is no substance to its programme. There is no plan to deliver on all the promises it made at the last election\u2014no plan, at all. It is all about photo opportunities. That is why it is so keen to keep The Hobbit in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI want to see The Hobbit stay in New Zealand. I am glad The Hobbit is staying in New Zealand. But I do not think we should give up our sovereignty in order to have The Hobbit stay in New Zealand. I do not think we should become the Warner Bros colony that John Key wants to turn this country into, as this fantastic diagrammatic representation that arrived overnight via email suggests. I think the Government should have had a bit more backbone than that. I actually think the Government should have gone into bat for New Zealanders. It should have shown that it has some principles, rather than simply giving Warner Bros whatever it asked for. Apparently, if we listen to what the Government is saying, we find that it gave Warner Bros stuff that it did not ask for. The Government cannot make up its mind whether Warner Bros asked for this legislation. It says Warner Bros did not ask for it, but it thinks it is really important, so it will push it through under urgency in a single day. What a load of rubbish that is. It is one or the other: either Warner Bros did not want it, or it did. The Government cannot make up its mind on that, so the New Zealand Herald editorial got it right. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe other reason why this bill should have a sunset clause in it is very, very relevant, I think. The New Zealand Herald editorial got it right when it said \u201Cthe granting of exemptions such as this almost invariably equates to bad law-making.\u201D It went on to argue: \u201CIt is foolish to go down the slippery slope of offering ever-greater subsidies to attract industry or investment. That race always ends in tears.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u0022e678114bb6ed4467b578489878e5e02d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e678114bb6ed4467b578489878e5e02d\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u00225ee6988992de42ed8b68bf18952bfd69\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225ee6988992de42ed8b68bf18952bfd69\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour\u2014Wellington Central):\u003C/span\u003E It is a pleasure to take a call on new clause 2A. I share with my colleague Chris Hipkins some conflicted views about 8 November. It is obviously the date on which the National Government won the election, and, although democracy had its say then, I think that many New Zealanders who voted for the National Party are now regretting that. They are regretting that on 8 November\u2014the day that we would have this bill expire\u2014they voted for a Government that would come into office promising to do all kinds of things, but that would then go back on those promises. We have had the example of raising GST. But those New Zealanders who voted for the National Party on 8 November 2008 would not have thought that in doing so they would be contributing to giving away part of New Zealand sovereignty. They have contributed to putting forward a bill and supporting legislation in this Parliament that is apparently\u2014although Gerry Brownlee is not sure\u2014about acquiescing to the demands of a corporation in America in the form of Warner Bros, and about saying we will change our law and do whatever it takes, no matter what it is, to do what that corporation wants.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThe expiry date of this legislation on 8 November, as proposed by Trevor Mallard, is clearly something that the editorial writer of the New Zealand Herald would support. But perhaps what is even more interesting than that to me are the letters to the editor that sit beside the editorial in this morning\u2019s New Zealand Herald, from everyday New Zealanders, which look at what the National Government has done and ask what it is about. I will read the very end of the first letter: \u201CThe Government has made it clear that our sovereignty and democracy are there for the highest bidder. Either that, or this was just a ruse to rush through further attacks on the few remaining rights of working people.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThat is the question. That is the question that needs to be answered in this Chamber. On this side of the Chamber it sure looks as if there has been some rampant opportunism from the National Government\u2014rampant opportunism from the National Government. Having created a crisis because of Gerry Brownlee\u2019s inaction as Minister for Economic Development in not keeping the relationship with Warner Bros going, the National Government has had crisis management ensue. The Government has then broken out into opportunism and said: \u201CHere\u2019s another chance to attack workers in New Zealand. We\u2019re doing it already with the 90-day bill, and we\u2019re doing it already with restricting union access; here\u2019s another opportunity.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d9f538ecfe3482bbcf69e82f57ccdf3\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s that got to do with what we\u2019re supposed to be talking about, Mr Chair?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022762b5d5d4faa43809952037082c2439a\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: We want this bill, I say to Mr Henare, to expire on 8 November, under new clause 2A, because we believe that the bill is bad law. The New Zealand Herald editorial is exactly right: these kinds of deals lead to bad law; this is that bad law. The Government has come to this Chamber unsure about why it is putting up this bill. It is either because Warner Bros forced its hand, or because some huge, dramatic problem in the film industry and the video game making industry needed to be solved.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022147022a7d5a647118ecda94ca75bf364\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Don\u2019t constrain yourself. You\u2019ve limited understanding of these matters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5fd875b0c944b59b1ec39e648589fec\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry; what did Mr Brownlee say\u2014my \u201Climited understanding of these matters\u201D? If Mr Brownlee had any Wellington MPs in his caucus who were paying attention, they would know that over the last 2 years there have been huge concerns about whether The Hobbit would be made, at all, as a movie because of the problems going on in Warner Bros and the problems going on in MGM. Those problems happened; Mr Brownlee did nothing to find out. He did not go to visit the studios, and he did not even try to get out there to see whether New Zealand\u2019s film industry needed a little bit of assistance from the Minister for Economic Development. Whatever some people might say about my colleague Trevor Mallard\u2014and they do say a lot\u2014he worked hard on those relationships when he was the Minister for Economic Development. He made sure that New Zealand actually was there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ee7ead36a3e545c38c37be73171dca40\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: 120 movies.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aad4bbc3e1b541e18138a15feaf3dc8a\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: One hundred and twenty movies were made; 120 feature-length movies were made under the Labour Government\u2019s watch, because we worked hard on building those relationships. We made sure that there were people in the Hollywood film industry who knew that New Zealand was committed to that. In the last 2 years in Wellington, when most Wellingtonians who had any connection with the film industry were aware of the problems at the Hollywood end, Gerry Brownlee did nothing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThis bill should expire on 8 November, because the writers of the letters to the editor in the New Zealand Herald\u2014bar one of them\u2014are correct. They are correct in saying that it seems that New Zealand is just prepared to sell itself off to the highest bidder. We know on this side of the Chamber that the New Zealand Herald is not always known as a harbinger of radical left-wing thought, but here it is\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022 data-id=\u0022cf399fce20404e56ae2689264510f691\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cf399fce20404e56ae2689264510f691\u0022\u003ECHRIS TREMAIN (Senior Whip\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c77726368b9a464898b7000279a9e4df\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: I will take one more and hope we get something new. I say to members that this is a narrow part of the bill. It is about 8 November being the expiry date.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u00228d61c30ed99048729874e27905699f79\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228d61c30ed99048729874e27905699f79\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I rise again to speak on the amendment to create new clause 2A. I think it is a very good idea. Some might say that it is a little mickey mouse to have a provision that would see the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Act expire so soon, but I think it is very appropriate given the nature of this legislation. The legislation itself reflects the mickey mouse approach of this Government to dealing with this dispute. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis dispute involved a particular set of circumstances around trying to improve conditions for the people who work in our film industry. It is not unreasonable for them to try to do that. We all wanted The Hobbit to be filmed here but, as others have said, the real issues were well signalled. Those issues were things like the need for greater support for the film industry. Sir Peter Jackson signalled those issues much earlier this year; Gerry Brownlee and others could have done something about them at the time. As for the actual dispute, the Minister of Labour was missing in action. Nothing was done to try to help work through the issues with the parties. Instead we end up with a mickey mouse solution, which includes this mickey mouse law that we are dealing with today. It is entirely appropriate that Labour has put up an amendment that would see this law expire very, very soon. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003ELabour members are not the only ones who see this legislation as somewhat mickey mouse. I draw the Committee\u2019s attention to the cartoon in today\u2019s New Zealand Herald, \u201CEmmerson\u2019s View\u201D. It is very appropriate. It shows the Prime Minister going on about Warner Bros playing tough but saying that luckily he was cut from the same cloth. He looked them in the eye, stared them down, and then gave them exactly what they wanted. Interestingly, \u201CMr Mickey Mouse\u201D, our Prime Minister, then says: \u201CBut they did say there\u2019s a studio door in Burbank with my name on it \u2026\u201D. That is how one commentator sees our Prime Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EEmmerson is not alone in seeing this as a mickey mouse solution. There are very interesting letters to the editor in today\u2019s New Zealand Herald. My colleague Grant Robertson noted one, and I will read out another: \u201CSo Warner Bros are now a consultant on our labour laws.\u201D That is pretty mickey mouse, is it not? \u201CNext, will McDonald\u2019s be telling us to have all our police wear guns?\u201D. People see that this is a mickey mouse solution. This Government is putting up mickey mouse legislation, and for that reason the Committee should support our amendment to have the Act expire on the close of 8 November 2010. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe legislation is mickey mouse because, first, it does not deal with the actual issue, which was around independent contractors working together, collectively, to try to improve their conditions. This legislation deals with a matter that is already sorted in law\u2014that is, the status of independent contractors. I tell the Minister that there is settled law on the matter. What is wrong with the decision in the Bryson case? It is very clear. Have there been problems since 2005, when the decision was made on the Bryson case? Has the film industry suddenly experienced the problem of people becoming employees when they were independent contractors, or becoming independent contractors when they were employees? I think not, and that is not the nature of the dispute we have been dealing with recently. What problem is this legislation dealing with? This legislation is not dealing with the matter that needed to be dealt with\u2014if there was one. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EIt is worrying to this side of the Committee that this mickey mouse legislation has potential to be used in a way that will disadvantage others.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac067bec637e4d35b818a81c2ddfed8a\u0022\u003EHon Steve Chadwick\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s just the start. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227585476cc7aa4f4aa821c7c2cda1235a\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT\u003C/span\u003E: My colleague Steve Chadwick is absolutely right. It is just the start. This Government, as we have seen, tends to push through legislation that has pretty bad consequences, and then extends the legislation. Members can just look at the 90-day trial period legislation. It was supposedly to cover small workplaces; now we see it pushed through to cover all workplaces. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis legislation for the film industry is unnecessary, and we are worried about some of the consequences. It covers not only those people who work as actors, voice-over actors, stand-ins, body doubles, stunt performers, extras, singers, musicians, dancers, and entertainers, but also any other person engaged in film production work in any other capacity, such as cleaners, clerical workers, and so on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022 data-id=\u0022a6f86abdbfd840cdb10a12485e1f3ae0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a6f86abdbfd840cdb10a12485e1f3ae0\u0022\u003ECHRIS TREMAIN (Senior Whip\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00227f15b88ec4494d9b8eba3b5f4b71d780\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000078\u0022\u003EThe question was put that the following amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard be agreed to: \u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000079\u0022\u003Eto insert the following clause after clause 2:\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000080\u0022\u003E2A\tThis Act expires on the close of 8 November 2010.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00220437aa29606e49209d4d228e7678f56f\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d395de7478d048a1b1cd241afe88ce28\u0022\u003EClause 3  Principal Act amended\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u00228d68a09abefc462481884697bdb92c0a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228d68a09abefc462481884697bdb92c0a\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Clause 3 of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill is very broad. It is quite short in what it says: \u201CThis Act amends the Employment Relations Act 2000.\u201D This side of the Chamber has a great deal of respect for that Act. It was legislation brought in by the previous Government. It repealed the badly thought of Employment Contracts Act\u2014an Act that did a lot of damage to our economy and to our workforce. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe Employment Relations Act, the principal Act, will be amended by this bill. I thought it was worth making a couple of contributions on the matter of amending the Act. The Government has shown it is very keen to amend the Act since it was elected. I wonder why that is. This Government is very backward-looking, in terms of employment relations. Its members yearn for the days\u2014the good old days, from their perspective\u2014of the Employment Contracts Act. They do not like working people, wage earners and salary earners, and working to achieve a better outcome for themselves and for their families. We are a low-wage economy and we are going backwards in that regard. The gap between wages in Australia and New Zealand is very high and will get worse because of the amendments that this Government is making to our employment relations system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis Government sees things like being able to sack workers for no reason, without having to give them a reason, and with no right of redress as good law. The reality is that most Kiwis do not agree with that. Most Kiwis do not think it is fair that workers can be sacked without reason, without being told any reason, and without any right of redress. It is just unbelievable, but that is what the Government is doing. Of course it is extending it from small workplaces to large workplaces. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThat is one of the amendments to the Employment Relations Act that this Government is pushing through right now, but of course there have been others. We will see the appalling situation where workers\u2019 rights to meal breaks and rest breaks\u2014statutory minimum rights\u2014will be reduced. In fact the reality of that amendment to the Employment Relations Act will mean that many employees will be back to where they were before Labour changed the legislation. They will be back to the situation of being dependant on what they can agree with their employer, because there will be no statutory entitlement to both paid rest breaks and unpaid meal breaks. This is the backward-looking, dark age approach to employment relations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EMembers on this side of the Chamber see employment relations quite differently. We do not see it as a contractual obligation and we do not see labour as a commodity. We see employment relations as being about how working people work in their job, in their workplace, alongside their co-workers, with their employer, where they can band together collectively to try to have both an independent voice and also improve their working conditions and wages. We see that as a good thing. This is where the Minister for Economic Development and the Minister of Labour are so negligent, because what we need is a complete transformation in the way that work is undertaken in New Zealand. If we want to lift our economic performance, then we should not be looking at these nasty cuts to minimum provisions and attacks on working people; we need to be looking at high-quality workplaces, where individuals are valued, where collectively they have voice, where their ideas are encouraged and sought, and where we look at transforming our workplaces into much more productive places. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThere is a common advantage in lifting productivity, which leads to higher wages for the workers and higher productivity, and this means we achieve a better outcome from our workplaces and our industries. If we want the high-value economy that we say we want, if we want to close the wage gap between Australia and New Zealand, then that is where we should be focusing. The Minister of Labour and the Minister for Economic Development should be the two people who are advocating for that change. They should be saying that we should do things differently. They should not hark back to the bad old days of the Employment Contracts Act. As I said in an earlier contribution, this legislation, which is another amendment to the Employment Relations Act, is a mickey mouse amendment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022 data-id=\u00227e0e2fd9fd0246a0829ea6959fc20f34\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227e0e2fd9fd0246a0829ea6959fc20f34\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: Before I call the next member, I say to members that they will be challenged on their debating skills in the Committee stage. I draw members\u2019 attention to a very fine chairperson of the Committee, whom some will remember very fondly, the Hon Marian Hobbs. She said that members must \u201Cfocus on the wording of the bill, on the intention in this bill, and not to focus on alternatives that are not part of this bill.\u201D This is about the detail of the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003EI say to members just before they get up\u2014I see Mr Grant Robertson is very keen\u2014that we are discussing clause 3, \u201CPrincipal Act amended\u201D. It simply states: \u201CThis Act amends the Employment Relations Act 2000.\u201D That is it. Members need to focus on the detail of the bill. As I said, members will be challenged, but I am sure members are creative. I want to hear speeches that conform to the requirements that Marian Hobbs has placed on the Committee stage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u00227f328c78351b470188d5013468f757b9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227f328c78351b470188d5013468f757b9\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour\u2014Wellington Central):\u003C/span\u003E I will certainly endeavour to focus on the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, which, as you say, Mr Chairperson, amends the Employment Relations Act 2000. I think that in the debate at this point we can assess whether that is the appropriate Act to be amending, what that Act does, and whether this amendment is appropriate in terms of the Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI refer the Committee to the object of the Employment Relations Act 2000. In particular, the object of this Act, as stated in section 3(a) is, firstly, \u201Cto build productive employment relationships through the promotion of good faith in all aspects of the employment environment and of the employment relationship\u2014\u201D. I will say that again for members. The object of the Employment Relations Act\u2014mentioned in clause 3, which we are discussing here\u2014is \u201Cto build productive employment relationships through the promotion of good faith in all aspects of the employment environment and of the employment relationship\u2014\u201D. The question I ask is whether this amendment bill supports that object. I ask whether this bill, which says that no matter what happens in the employment relationship, and no matter how it might change over time, people are locked into the relationship they were in when they signed the contract, supports that object. I say to Ms Wagner that that is what this bill does. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThis bill says, despite what might have been decided in 2005, that whatever happens after a contract is signed, people are locked into the relationship they were in when they signed the contract. When we look at the Bryson decision, we see that the main element to arise from it was that the nature of the employment relationship depends not only on what the parties intend and agree but also on what they do and how they conduct themselves. This amendment bill says that the second part of that, what parties do and how they conduct themselves, is no longer a relevant consideration. The Employment Relations Act is now limited to such a point that there is now no ability to take into account how the relationship evolves over time. There is also now no ability to go to court to even test whether the relationship has changed in such a way that it is no longer appropriate to consider someone to be an employee or a contractor. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EWe are looking at clause 3 in this bill that amends the Employment Relations Act, and it is important to look at the objects of the Employment Relations Act and how this bill supports or does not support those objects. In my opinion, the kind of change that the Government is proposing here is against the idea of good faith. It is saying that no matter what actually happens in an employment relationship, if good faith is not progressed and if things change in the employment relationship, the relationship is still locked down to how it was when the contract was signed on day one. Mr Bryson\u2019s case shows us that employment relationships can change. Someone can be taken on as a contractor, but then, in effect, become an employee by the nature of ongoing work within the same organisation, and by doing a similar piece of work. Eventually, both parties might consider that person to be an employee, but under this bill they cannot do that. They cannot take the relationship to court to test it and they cannot change it; it is locked down. As we look at clause 3 of this bill, which amends the Employment Relations Act, my view is that the objects of the Act are no longer being fulfilled by this amendment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003ELet us continue to the second part of the object of the Employment Relations Act. Section 3(a)(i) states that the object of this Act is to build productive employment relationships \u201Cby recognising that employment relationships must be built not only on the implied mutual obligations of trust and confidence, but also on a legislative requirement for good faith behaviour;\u201D. Trust, confidence, and good faith are key objects of the Employment Relations Act, which is mentioned here in clause 3. They are being broken by this amendment. How can trust and confidence be there if it is actually impossible for somebody to relook at the nature of his or her employment relationship? How can it possibly improve trust and confidence, which are the objects of the Employment Relations Act, if someone can no longer go to court to assess whether that relationship has changed? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThe law in this area is settled. There is no need for so-called clarity. Movies have continued to be made in New Zealand since 2005. Major, big-budget production films have been operating perfectly well in settled law. There is no need to undo the Employment Relations Act. This bill amends the Employment Relations Act. The Act in itself has in its object clear things\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022 data-id=\u002219dfe7cfdc1d43ab81aa364c6d92f4e8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002219dfe7cfdc1d43ab81aa364c6d92f4e8\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I have been listening to this debate on television before I came here, and I am mindful of the ruling that the Chair whom I relieved, the Hon Rick Barker, made in quoting Marian Hobbs in Speaker\u2019s ruling 10/5. This is not a debate about the objects, as the member has just been relaying; it is specifically about clause 3, which states that this bill amends the Employment Relations Act. It is about amending, and we shall keep a tighter rein on subject material in relation to this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002273c83db6d81140809ee5afb1e79f3c0d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002273c83db6d81140809ee5afb1e79f3c0d\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I am sorry; I was out of the Chamber. I am not sure whether we are allowed to refer to watching the debate on television; I think that is for people outside. I will not refer to watching on television. The question I have is whether it is in order, seeing as we are proposing amendments to the Employment Relations Act\u2014because it goes to whether the Opposition might support this clause; clearly, we will not support the bill\u2014for other amendments that are obviously related and within the general scope of the bill to be added. As the train is going through, can additional carriages be added to it? I think we can accept there cannot be general, totally unrelated amendments to the Employment Relations Act, but how far the Act is opened up by this clause affects whether, in fact, we support it. Some of us would like to make some other changes, as well, and we might well be supportive if that was the case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022671edb9eeddc4f909ee038ce9ff1f34d\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I think I will now read Speaker\u2019s ruling 108/5: \u201CMembers must focus on the wording of the bill, on the intention in this bill, and not focus on alternatives that are not part of this bill.\u201D I think that answers the member\u2019s question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022 data-id=\u0022f50435ad04db4e42abff6ba28d19e3cf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f50435ad04db4e42abff6ba28d19e3cf\u0022\u003ESUE MORONEY (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I thank the Chair for that clarification. I want to speak on clause 3, which amends the principal Act and names the principal Act to be amended as the Employment Relations Act 2000. I accept that the previous contribution from my colleague Grant Robertson was asking a very important question about whether that is the appropriate Act\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207ed62149a314a80aa277d1c481d4763\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: The amendments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d5c697e4c6b4aa293075c6cc7260b48\u0022\u003ESUE MORONEY\u003C/span\u003E: The question is whether these amendments are appropriate for the Employment Relations Act because of the objectives that that Act very clearly sets out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EI think it is important that when a Government, particularly in urgency, without seeking the views of the New Zealand public\u2014it sought the views of an American corporation, but did not ask the views of the New Zealand public\u2014decides to amend one of our domestic laws at the behest of an American corporation without any reference to the New Zealand public, it is appropriate that we ask whether these amendments are appropriate for this particular Act. Its objective is to have productive workplace relationships and enhance through good faith those workplace relationships.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EThese amendments, as I understand them\u2014and perhaps the Minister in the chair, the Minister of Labour, can get up and correct me if I am wrong\u2014attempt to interrupt the employment relationship. They make an employment relationship for workers less possible in the film industry. These amendments determine that once two parties in the film industry agree\u2014an actor or anyone working in the film industry and the person who is contracting them as an independent contractor\u2014that agreement can never be changed or contested. The parties to that agreement can never ask whether at some point it has changed from being an employment relationship of an independent contractor to an employment relationship of an employee. That is at the heart of what this clause seeks to do. It seeks to amend the Employment Relations Act. That Act was put in place with the objective of enhancing, and making more productive, employment relationships within workplaces. Yet here we have this bill being put forward, which seeks to have less of a relationship between the film industry and the staff whom it\u2014I say loosely\u2014employs. I wonder whether I can still say \u201Cemploy\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EThe whole point is that this legislation is being put through at the behest of an American corporation without any reference to the New Zealand public and without asking them whether they think it is the right Act to be amended at all. The very point of this amendment is to say that there is not an employment relationship. In the film industry, for some reason\u2014in the film industry alone\u2014the vast majority of people will not be in an employment relationship; they will be in something different called an independent contracting arrangement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EThis amendment causes me to think about the other times that the Employment Relations Act has been amended, particularly under urgency. I wonder how many times this Government has amended that particular Act without any reference to the New Zealand public and without giving them the opportunity to say: \u201CHang on, that is our Act of Parliament, and we have something to say about it.\u201D In fact, straight after the election, it happened a first time when the so-called 90-day trial period legislation amended the Employment Relations Act, and, again, the New Zealand public had no opportunity to come and voice their issues. Companies could not come and say what they thought, workers could not come and say what they thought, and even the Law Society could not come and say what it thought about the Employment Relations Act being amended in that way. It has not been able to do that in this instance either. I think that is a very important issue to raise when debating clause 3. We have not had\u2014as we like to have, I think, in this Parliament\u2014a submission from the New Zealand Law Society. We have not sought its advice about whether this is the appropriate Act to amend in this format, given that its objective\u2014[Interruption] Pardon?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c78d2862d4f341c494c141760ce7f30a\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: Tell them to come and stand for election.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276773effa6694f5284193578195e9784\u0022\u003ESUE MORONEY\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, the Law Society? So now anyone who wants to have a say over any legislation, according to Tau Henare and National, needs to be a member of Parliament. Apparently, only members of Parliament can have something to say about whether the Employment Relations Act is the correct Act to amend.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb355eff698945bc805cbac5076db5a3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb355eff698945bc805cbac5076db5a3\u0022\u003ESUE KEDGLEY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E I would like to speak to clause 3 of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, which is really asking whether this Parliament will amend the Employment Relations Act so that Warner Bros will be happy. I mention in passing, and to put some context here, that there is a great exhibition at Te Papa at the moment about the 20th century. There are some fantastic clips of Prime Ministers of New Zealand, like David Lange and Norman Kirk, standing up in the world, proclaiming our independence against America, standing up for democracy, and standing against injustice. I even wrote down what Norman Kirk said. He said we must be prepared to make our voice heard. He said: \u201CWe are a small nation but we will not abjectly surrender to injustice.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EBut now, in the 21st century, we are rewriting the script. Now we will abjectly surrender to any multinational corporation. We will amend the Employment Relations Act or any other Act to make a multinational corporation happy. We have now entered a new era of grovelling\u2014grovelling our way in the world. It is a shame that the chief groveller is not here to defend his actions. Many people are asking where it will all end.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9cb666d02a3435bb4cad3deb4723280\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I apologise to the member for interrupting, and I apologise to my colleagues that I have to do the Government\u2019s job. But referring to the Prime Minister as a chief groveller is out of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220cdcc62a52e84ba2a2777f0ba0dd415f\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Certainly, the member is correct that an allegation of someone being a groveller was made, but I am not sure that it was specifically levelled at the Prime Minister. I guess it is probably appropriate for a timely warning. This debate has been robust, but once get into name-calling it escalates to a situation where the chair has to intervene.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce68ea1584da4f489e5478b63805bb40\u0022\u003ESUE KEDGLEY\u003C/span\u003E: People are asking where it will all end. What will happen if next month McDonald\u2019s comes to the Prime Minister and the Government and says it will shut all its fast-food restaurants in New Zealand unless the Employment Relations Act is changed to require that all McDonalds workers are contract workers who will not be entitled to penal rates or holiday rates? Why would it not do that on the basis of what is happening here today? What about Woolworths, another multinational corporation, which owns the second-largest supermarket chain in New Zealand? What if Woolworths comes to the Prime Minister and says that unless the Employment Relations Act is changed, it will pull out of New Zealand? What if it threatens to shut down all its supermarkets unless the Employment Relations Act is amended? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EI am not sure how many MPs in the House have read the excellent book by David Korten called When Corporations Rule the World. It is described as a modern classic, and it basically asks whether Governments are becoming obsolete and whether corporations are now in charge. Some have said it is becoming increasingly prophetic each passing day. It is certainly prophetic right here in New Zealand. There is living proof now that corporations\u2014even if they do not rule the world\u2014certainly rule in New Zealand. If any corporation wishes to or threatens to take away its toys, and demands that we change the Employment Relations Act, we will willingly make that change. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EWhat is so unique about what is happening today, I think, is that it is so blatant and so overt. All of us who have been around in Parliament for a while know that multinational corporations exercise huge influence over this House. Speaking of the Employment Relations Act, I recall that I had an amendment to the Employment Relations Act\u2014my bill about flexible working hours. The corporations came in here, and they threatened that if that bill was passed they would take their workforce overseas and shut down their factories. They said that amending the Employment Relations Act would be disastrous. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003ENormally, all the influence of multinational corporations happens behind closed doors. It happens covertly, through lobbyists. But this move was so overt, there was no need for lobbyists. All that was needed was to send over a whole lot of executives from Warner Bros, and we slavishly capitulated and changed the Employment Relations Act. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaaad191-62cf-43e8-a772-63a71dbf4d4a\u0022\u003EThe other thing that is extraordinary is that usually when a multinational corporation gets to change the Employment Relations Act\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022 data-id=\u002219653870e5ee400db9f17c1a3cc89758\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002219653870e5ee400db9f17c1a3cc89758\u0022\u003EHon STEVE CHADWICK (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I will take a short call on clause 3 of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, which states \u201CThis Act amends the Employment Relations Act. Fundamentally, that takes us back to why we are here in Committee, in urgency, debating amendments to industrial legislation that are not required. They were never asked for by the actors and those engaged in the industry, or by the producers. I go back to what Gerry Brownlee said in May 2009, when he was fronting a New Zealand film networking function. He stated: \u201COur competitors continue to work to attract productions to their countries. So while we don\u2019t want to engage in a \u2018race to the bottom\u2019 within higher and higher incentives the next step is to cultivate a regulatory environment that makes it easy for filmmakers to come to New Zealand, and film in our locations, use our facilities, and hire our workers, and engage our talent pool.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003ELabour would have agreed with that statement in 2009, but never since 2009 have workers in the film industry asked for legislative change to give them clarity or to give producers clarity about hiring staff. They have never asked for that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022323aecc3518644e7b5f62457e019bbb4\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Why did they put on the black ban?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e60e746ed6b047c5be883ddd61ee9675\u0022\u003EHon STEVE CHADWICK\u003C/span\u003E: The Minister opposite knows that when he met them in his office they reached an agreement to work together on looking at a new approach based on the Pink Book and reaching an industrial standard. The Minister knows that that was the agreement\u2014[Interruption] Yes, but the agreement was never to change the Employment Relations Act. It was never in National\u2019s film strategy. It was never in its economic plan that it would amend industrial legislation and go back to the days of the Employment Contracts Act. It has never ever stated to the public that changes to the Employment Relations Act were required. It was not until Warner Bros came and bullied New Zealand saying that it wanted clarity that this happened. The Americans will be laughing at the fact that New Zealand has rolled over, bringing this House into urgency\u2014making a mockery of urgency\u2014just to get the Employment Relations Act changed today, quite apart from the incentives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003EWhat Mr Key has changed in perpetuity is the right of workers to have their actual employment conditions be the determinant of whether they qualify for sick leave, annual leave, and normal working hours. Commentators are noticing this. The Government wanted to attract the industry to New Zealand, so it was prepared to go beyond financial incentives to change the paramountcy of our domestic legislation, our industrial legislation, for the will and the demands of Warner Bros in America. That is simply disgraceful. The whole premise for this wrong track that New Zealand is now going down is that Ministers were confused. They were in a chaotic state. They were responding to pressures that they perceived about the need for a change to the Employment Relations Act. They sought Crown Law advice based on the assumption that the actors wanted collective bargaining. That was not right. That will cost the Crown\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224f6416b84b4149109a726920a4908c48\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, it was.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c72cf2ed8e3345cfb7b937e652284544\u0022\u003EHon STEVE CHADWICK\u003C/span\u003E: No, it was not right. The actors were working on an industrial standard based on the Pink Book, and the Minister knows that. He had them in his office, and that was the agreement when they left his office. Those parties agreed to find a Kiwi solution together. It could have been our own domestic solution, based on those industrial standards, and we could have moved forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003ENow we have a stripping of the rights of workers, a stripping of all of those benefits that they had fought so hard for industrially, and that is why I cannot support the change to the Employment Relations Act proposed in this bill. The workers in the industry know they are independent contractors. They absolutely know that. They do not know what benefits accrue whether they are an employee or an independent contractor, but they knew that they had the ability to work together to find the right industrial solution.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be03ebe225bc4b87a5647a296bb8b6a8\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s the next clause.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f250e0f57e241ef9ff79f03b7977bc1\u0022\u003EHon STEVE CHADWICK\u003C/span\u003E: No, it is not\u2014we did not need to change the Employment Relations Act. We are going back to the dark days before 2002.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022 data-id=\u0022a5c58faa0f274509b549b83995b4d9c5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a5c58faa0f274509b549b83995b4d9c5\u0022\u003EMOANA MACKEY (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I am happy to take a call on clause 3. It states that the bill amends the Employment Relations Act 2000, which is domestic legislation. The Labour Party has a proud history of fighting for independent foreign policy. I think today is a sad day in the Chamber, when we now have to fight for independent domestic policy. This is a huge shift. We are amending the Employment Relations Act because a foreign multinational company has pressured the Government to do so. We on this side of the Chamber do not believe that step was necessary and we do not believe it should have been taken. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EI had an email overnight from a colleague in an overseas Parliament, who said to me that this cannot be true. He said that someone told him New Zealand was amending its Employment Relations Act 2000 because a foreign company had asked us to and had put pressure on us, and he said that that would not happen in a modern, developed country like New Zealand. I had to go back to him\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226671be6a070e45ada391c7995c02c7ed\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: Is he from Cuba?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022383d51d6988c4d09812be77705f965c2\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: No, he\u2019s from North Korea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0734ff61e4a48268171d1b7b4c56199\u0022\u003EMOANA MACKEY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014he is a member of Parliament in the Westminster Parliament in the UK\u2014and say that it is true. It is true. A foreign company came and said that it wanted us to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 because it did not like it, and our Government rolled over and said, yes, it would do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EThe Government did not have to do that. Had the Government negotiated this dispute better we would not be here amending the Employment Relations Act. Had our Government not gone out and tried to whip up anti-union sentiment, because it saw an opportunity to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000, we would not be here. The Government thought it was a chance to have a whack at the unions and change some employment law that it did not like. But had it pointed out the reality instead, which was that this matter had been settled, there was no danger, no more industrial action was being threatened, and it was a peaceful industrial relations environment\u2014emails that have been released have shown that the Employment Relations Act did not need to be amended in order to fix it\u2014we would have been in a much stronger negotiating position. We would not have needed to be here, sitting under urgency, passing law to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 at the behest of an overseas corporation. We may not have had to pay as much subsidy, either. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EThe Government had a choice. It wanted to amend the Employment Relations Act, so it decided it would whip up some frenzy, which was not justified. The Government knows it was not justified, because this was all resolved a long time ago. Since the court case that we are discussing, we have made huge numbers of movies in New Zealand and have not had a single problem that would suggest we need to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 to fix it. We have made a huge number of movies with absolutely no problems. Government members know this was sorted. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EWe are here because our Government decided to take an opportunity. Last week there were protests, attended by tens of thousands of people, against some of the Government\u2019s other employment relations changes. It was feeling the pressure, so it thought it would have a whack at the unions and amend a bit of law it did not like anyway, the Employment Relations Act 2000. Who cares if it means we end up in the position of paying higher subsidies offshore, and also have Parliaments around the world looking at us saying: \u201CAre you kidding me?\u201D. We are changing laws in New Zealand because Warner Bros asked the New Zealand Parliament to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003EOf course everyone in this Chamber is pleased that this movie will be made here, but we do not believe that the Employment Relations Act 2000 needed to be amended in order to do that. If the Government had handled this matter better\u2014if Mr Brownlee himself had developed relationships with Warner Bros, like the previous Government did, and not come in at the eleventh hour, when the relationship had broken down and when everything was in a shambles\u2014we would not be here amending the Employment Relations Act 2000. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002270dd644d-8bcf-40dc-998a-887d62d24a76\u0022\u003ELet us be clear. This is opportunistic by the Government\u2014very opportunistic. Government members are not telling the whole story in their speeches. Everyone is very, very pleased that this film will be made here; it is a shame that the price we had to pay was being seen as a Parliament that no longer has independent domestic policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022 data-id=\u002239ef09cd84e5449a8d0f84e2ac920c0b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002239ef09cd84e5449a8d0f84e2ac920c0b\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER (National):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002202882b7aad924c10931470955791a7b1\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022c0ebdc4ca8034d479873e728a5faba2f\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That clause 3 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EClause 3 agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022186dcba0c4ef4177a043d4726c01e066\u0022\u003EClause 4  Meaning of employee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u0022b16c63973fdf4a019f013c5470902fd5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b16c63973fdf4a019f013c5470902fd5\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I will make a couple of comments, and I will draw the Committee\u2019s attention to a couple of minor tidying-up amendments in my name. The first amendment clarifies that the employment agreement is to be in writing. I thank the honourable member Mr Chauvel for pointing that out. Although it is not really necessary, I am happy to move that amendment to make it crystal clear and to appease his concerns that employment agreements have to be in writing. The second amendment is technical and minor. It provides, for example, for producers and directors who may also be involved in promotional and advertising work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EI have just a couple of comments on clause 4, because this is the substance of the bill. I will make a couple of comments on some of the questions that have been proposed in previous debates. There has been a suggestion that Warner Bros was consulted on labour laws. To clarify, if there is a law that needs clarity, if there is a law that needs certainty, or if there is a law that needs fixing, then I do not really mind who talks to me about it. I do not think that is a loss of sovereignty; I think that is called listening. But what I do think is a threat to our sovereignty is international foreign unions attempting to dictate to us what happens in our country. At the end of the day, New Zealanders do not want international unions jeopardising our jobs and they do not want international foreign unions threatening our economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThis bill, and clause 4 in particular, is very simple. If someone involved in the film industry wants to be an independent contractor, then he or she can be. If that person wants to be an employee, then he or she can be. It is as straightforward as that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022ede91682f39e4bf78c94bced5960a01c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ede91682f39e4bf78c94bced5960a01c\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E That was a pathetic little contribution. It has been the only contribution to date from the Minister in the chair, Kate Wilkinson, and she did not even apologise for poor drafting. She did not even apologise for the mess of a bill that she has brought to the Committee stage. She already has two amendments, and it is my bet that she will be back in the House to further amend this legislation before the end of the year. It is my bet that she will be back in the House with further amendments to this legislation before the end of the year to correct the other three errors that we may or may not tell her about at some stage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa6308a621364985970646947bc4d135\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s the wager? Put the house up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f8bc3abcaeca45f3a40dd1a08b3ad3d6\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: As Tau Henare knows, the Minister has another train coming through, due for report back very soon, from the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee. I bet that she will be further amending these amendments as part of that exercise, because of her rushed, hurried, pressured, useless legislation that she has brought before the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn the time that I can remember I do not know whether we have had a less effective Minister of Labour. I go back a long way. I can remember my colleague Stan Rodger, and although one did not always agree with him, he was always thorough. He was well prepared.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022449d072bb85a476eaac065068570c6b2\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Jim Bolger.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c84fd8d45d6d4ecf84153cd184df3875\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: Jim Bolger was my local MP and the Minister of Labour before I was a member of Parliament. He would never have brought shoddy legislation like this to the House. He would have had the officials in his room for days and days working through the legislation and making sure that he had it right, rather than bringing in legislation with five errors, only two of which have been identified to date by the Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI did not know of Kate Wilkinson before, unlike Mr Chauvel, who used to regularly feature in those little legal boxes as one of the top five or six employment lawyers in the country. Certainly in the period before and after he appeared in the Supreme Court, that was the case. To be fair, I did not know of Ms Wilkinson when she was an employment lawyer in Christchurch. She did not feature in those cases, but my friend Mr Chauvel assures me that she was a competent employment lawyer. I would have thought that a competent employment lawyer would give this exercise\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f6d118056e78438188d04edccb90739f\u0022\u003EHon Tau Henare\u003C/span\u003E: At least she worked for a living!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cfa351dd174c4ef485f69ebd3eab54a6\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: At least she worked for a living, rather than going around bottling union officials. At least she used to work for a living, rather than losing her job as a result of applying a broken bottle to the head of a union official, as Tau Henare did\u2014as Tau Henare did. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe point I am making is that if the Minister wants to take a wild and wonderful approach to legislation, and if she wants to be lazy and lack thoroughness in the way that this legislation does, she should have got Tau Henare to be the Minister. That would fit, because this is the quality of legislation we would expect from Tau Henare if he were the person involved in drafting the legislation\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aed3f1dee912410c8d15ff8227a24ddd\u0022\u003ECarol Beaumont\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s a terrible idea, Trevor.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a4d1914d4ae43389c0931e3af2b36c5\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: No, I think that if we match quality with this bill, then it is Tau Henare quality. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI am told by Mr Chauvel, and I accept his assurance, that the Minister\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9db3eacc49846fea6bace8fb5879ecd\u0022\u003ECarol Beaumont\u003C/span\u003E: What about David Bennett?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed0fd7c3e7584b8599a9fbeb711af6b6\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: No, please not. The bill is not as bad or as useless as that. It could not have been drafted by that member. I have seen that member chair a select committee, and he cannot even do that properly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ffd83016f8040fc96376243ca55af53\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, come on, Trev, you like it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cca6d298f97948659efdadcc83f855b0\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I like it? I hate going to that committee! I hate going to that committee, but that is getting slightly off-topic. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI will come back to the bill and to the fact that there are a number of amendments. I think it has generally been accepted by the Committee that this is the clause with the most substance in it. It is the machinery clause of the bill. I see that the Minister is nodding, and she is right. This is the clause on which we expect to debate a series of amendments and to have a lot of discussion. I will be interested to hear the views of members opposite. Unlike in the earlier stages, where they were notable by their silence, on this particular clause I expect that we will have a reasonable amount of debate and discussion. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EEssentially I have two sets of amendments, although I presume they will be put to the Committee in three parts. Two of them are alternative ways of handling the expiry date. A decision was made, not too long ago, not to have the whole bill expire on 8 November. My suggestion is that some clauses could expire on that date. It would not take out the entire legislation, but from our perspective it would render it more acceptable from that time on. That is the reason we have taken that approach.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220bb4c44264c64f03bdcca0cb27f373d1\u0022\u003EHon Dr Wayne Mapp\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s wrong with people making a choice in writing? What\u2019s your fundamental objection?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022baaee5210ee440419ecb738ae57569e3\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: The member should catch up with the facts. Although he might have been an assistant lecturer in law at a polytech in Auckland, one would think that as a Minister he would have learnt to read legislation and to get the fact that our amendments were tabled before the Minister\u2019s. The Minister was still asleep when our amendments were tabled. I want to make it clear that if we were supportive of making this legislation effective, we would support the Minister\u2019s amendment. It is one of five necessary steps towards doing what the Government wants to do. But we do not support it, so we will not. I make that clear. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIf the member had been awake yesterday instead of being asleep, he would have seen some criticism on this side of the Chamber of my colleague Charles Chauvel, the pending Attorney-General inter alia, when he made what I thought was a tactical mistake in giving the Minister advice on one of the amendments that we are now discussing. Mr Chauvel is the person who\u2014I do not want to say unwittingly\u2014without a proper tactical sense made some suggestions to the Government on a way in which it could do what it was trying to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224458a708c38e4d239dba93c5e2579b31\u0022\u003ECarol Beaumont\u003C/span\u003E: He was being helpful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bfde80a37efa4b92b8c52463e9c67947\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: He was being helpful. In my opinion he was being too helpful to the Minister. If Mr Mapp\u2014is he Dr Mapp?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ac11f80bd8348648332cae5a9f4913d\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: He is Dr Mapp.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022788d9359f678470d8280798f00486340\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: Oh dear, oh dear, where did that come from? Was it a raffle? I bet it came from the United States. We had somebody here called Bernie Ogilvy. He had one of those doctorates, as well. With the top of a Weet-Bix packet and quite a decent cheque donation, one can get a doctorate from the United States. We see the evidence of that here in the Chamber. I want to know whether\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022566bcb81b7aa4792b0df5b4d38490256\u0022\u003EDr Cam Calder\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. My colleague Dr Mapp has a PhD from that fine University of Cambridge.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e02181a3e25645bfb1ca5d1852490908\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: I guess that is a debating point, but we get to these kinds of interplays when we tend to disregard the fact that all members are honourable members and the debate starts to degenerate. I give just a little caution. Let us try to keep the nomenclatures appropriate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3e06d2eb7ba4037a6dc8a6f81553875\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD\u003C/span\u003E: I think there is nothing wrong with a doctorate from Cambridge, Massachusetts, as long as the cheque that paid for it was not too big. It may well qualify the member for working on a film as an actor, because I think it is fair to say that his dramatic skills are certainly better than his legal skills, as we have seen in the Chamber on numerous occasions, including in his last contribution. The member does not appear to be able to contribute to this debate from a standing position. He appears to be able to stand and he appears to be able to talk, but not both at the same time. That is typical of the approach that Ministers have been taking on this legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u0022e9805e51ebdf469d90cd4d538553d250\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e9805e51ebdf469d90cd4d538553d250\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment):\u003C/span\u003E The fact that that was the very first speech on the substance of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, and that it amounted to 10 minutes of personal denigration, speaks volumes about the differences between members on this side of the Chamber, who are advocating for the national interest for our country, and an Opposition that is more interested in playing personality politics and looking after its Aussie union mates than in looking after what is important for our country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003ELet us go to the core of what this clause is about. It is a very simple issue: is the law clear about whether people working in the film industry are contractors or employees? I think that this Committee should agree that having certainty about that is in everybody\u2019s interests. Let us see what actually happened in the courts. The Employment Relations Authority decided that the person in question was a contractor. When the same case went to the Employment Court, the court said that, no, that person was an employee. Then when the matter went to the Court of Appeal there was a different decision again\u2014a reinforcement that the person was a contractor\u2014and then the Supreme Court decided that the person was an employee. So there we had four judicial bodies coming to two different conclusions. That, in my view, makes it absolutely plain to this Parliament that the law is not clear, and that the right thing to do in the national interest is that we make the law clear with this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EMembers opposite have made all sorts of extravagant claims about Warner Bros and the like. But we know that really pulling the strings here are the Aussie unions. It is all very well for members opposite to stand up and make extravagant claims, but we are acting in the national interest. I challenge members opposite to tell me who agrees with the description of Sir Peter Jackson\u2014one of the great New Zealanders, a man who has done so much for the film industry\u2014as a spoilt brat, a spoilt brat, by the head of the Council of Trade Unions, Helen Kelly. I ask which members opposite disagree with Helen Kelly. Not one! That speaks volumes about the differences in culture and values between this Government and members on the other side of the Chamber. Successful New Zealanders\u2014those who are creating jobs, wealth, and opportunities for young people\u2014are despised by people opposite, and those members write off successful New Zealanders as spoilt brats. We on this side of the Chamber are proud to stand behind Sir Peter Jackson, his success, the jobs that he will create, and the way in which he has successfully promoted our country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EWe have had arguments from members opposite that there should be absolutely no special treatment when defining contractors in employment law. That is what members opposite have argued. Well, that is pretty interesting, because in the very employment law that they passed, they said that when it came to sharemilkers they would have a specific clause. When it came to real estate agents, Labour said that, no, it would have a specific clause. My challenge to members opposite is to ask where their principles are. If there really are absolutes, and if there should not be any definition that differentiates between different industries, I ask why every member of Labour voted for an Employment Relations Act that specifically differentiates in working through the definitions of who is a contractor and who is an employee in relation to sharemilkers, and an Act that also covers those in the real estate industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI note another pathetic argument\u2014and this was one that I really found entertaining. Damien O\u2019Connor got to his feet and said it was absolutely disgraceful that when Warner Bros executives came to New Zealand, they were transported by the Government\u2019s cars: \u201CWas that not awful? Did that not show us up?\u201D. In the next speech Grant Robertson said that the Government\u2019s real fault was that we had not had a $100,000 booze-up function in Los Angeles to look after the executives. I would love for those members opposite to please explain the logic about why one of those actions is somehow immoral and one is right. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe last point that I make is about what this issue goes to the core of, in terms of some of the arguments about sovereignty. The real sovereignty argument here is whether we are going to allow New Zealanders\u2019 jobs and opportunities to be held to ransom by an Aussie union. Just as the editorial in the Dominion Post says this morning, this Government would not be doing anything in this space if it were not for the botched\u2014the botched\u2014union attempts to blackmail the production of The Hobbit in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002242475f9fc5ee4936b7eec31436a23212\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Oh!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a88b61788a34404888183b857bd7600\u0022\u003EKelvin Davis\u003C/span\u003E: Rubbish!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247d530d17d2d4bacb172916d20b791ae\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, if that is the case, I ask what has changed. I ask the members who are chipping in whether they support the call by the Aussie actors\u2019 union for a boycott on The Hobbit. They are silent. It is interesting that they have no view. In my view it was a disgraceful attempt by an Aussie union to disadvantage New Zealand\u2019s most important film industry. I say that this bill that Kate Wilkinson has brought to this Chamber is about the national interest; it is about doing the right thing for New Zealand jobs, and it is about doing the right thing for the New Zealand film industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI will make one last point, and it is this: members opposite think that the certainty argument does not matter. I would simply like to draw attention to another case before the courts, with respect to IDEA Services. In this particular case, people went into an employment relationship and the courts later said that the relationship had been misinterpreted. Both employees and the employer, in the case of IDEA Services, were working in the crucial area of providing support for New Zealanders who needed special care. The courts have come to a decision that will cost IDEA Services $500 million\u2014$500 million. And that decision will change what everybody had thought. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022420769caa7e74bd4ad3e0356bbb617a9\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I have two points. I know that it is unusual for an Opposition member to take issue with the width of debate, but IHC New Zealand and the film industry are two quite different areas. Probably more important, I think that as the member is aware, this is a case on which a hearing is currently being held and a decision has not yet been issued. I think the Speaker, Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith, has ruled on the matter pretty carefully recently.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002225056ba78d654771851e7c8703f3eae5\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: On the first point, this has been a much broader-ranging debate than I am comfortable with, but I am not sure that there has been any greater transgression with the material that the Hon Dr Nick Smith has introduced than with that of some other members. On the second point about a matter before a hearing, I am not aware of that matter, but if in fact this matter is sub judice, the member ought not to refer to the specifics of the case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec050997008c4c67a37b1e27a3c31ee9\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: My point is very clear. It is that uncertainty about employment law, which down the track can result in hundreds of millions of dollars of cost, is an investment killer. That is why this Parliament has a duty to provide certainty in employment law\u2014certainty for employees, certainty for employers\u2014and that is exactly what the Minister is attempting to achieve. The legislation is in the national interest, it is the right thing to do, and if there is any skulduggery going on here, it is in the way in which Aussie unions have tried to disrupt the growth of the very important New Zealand film industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u0022e60a71cb25204321809ba4b526c618a9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e60a71cb25204321809ba4b526c618a9\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I will focus quite closely on clause 4, members will be pleased to know, to look at what this clause is about and basically at what it says. This legislation is supposedly about clarification, which is what the previous speaker, Dr Nick Smith, talked about. This clause is the substantive part of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe first question is whether there is a need to clarify. Although it was very interesting for the Hon Dr Nick Smith to go through the history on the matter, the reality is that since 2005, with the Supreme Court decision in the Bryson case, we have had settled law on this matter. There has not been a raft of other cases on the matter. There have not been a whole lot of people flip-flopping their status between independent contractor and employee, which people might have been concerned about. That might have been an issue of uncertainty, but it would appear that that has not been the case. Yesterday my colleague Charles Chauvel went quite carefully through the provisions of the Bryson case. He should know, as he was one of the lawyers involved in the case. The court went through the matter and looked at a very clear set of tests to determine the real nature of the relationship. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EHere we have had a provision put forward in response to a dispute and a threat that The Hobbit would not be made in New Zealand, but the actual issue in dispute was not the question of whether somebody was an independent contractor or an employee, or any uncertainty over that matter. What the Hon Dr Nick Smith seems to have so much difficulty with is the idea that workers might try to improve their situation. In this case, a group of independent contractors\u2014actors and technicians\u2014wanted to try to improve industry standards as independent contractors. They were not seeking to negotiate a collective employment agreement as employees; they were seeking to collectively negotiate over industry standards. It is something they are perfectly entitled to do\u2014and is something that has previously been done, with the Pink Book\u2014and an agreement was reached that that was exactly what would happen. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EWhen this dispute was resolved, some time ago now, and all of the parties were notified, one party failed to recognise that there was a resolution. The party that failed to recognise that any questions around banning anything had been lifted, and the party that was actually deceptive in all of this, was Warner Bros. It suited the Government for that to be the case, so that it could keep up the hype on all of this. The reality was that the actual issue was resolved. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis is a different issue. I ask why this bill is looking at the meaning of the word \u201Cemployee\u201D. Clause 4 raises the issue of the meaning of \u201Cemployee\u201D and talks about it in relation to film production. Clause 4 talks about who is not covered by the term \u201Cemployee\u201D, in a new section 6(1)(d) to be inserted in the Employment Relations Act. It states: \u201C(i) a person engaged in film production work as an actor, voice-over actor, stand-in, body double, stunt performer, extra, singer, musician, dancer, or entertainer: [or] (ii) a person engaged in film production work in any other capacity.\u201D That covers the rest of the people in film production. It goes on to talk about pre-production work and post-production work. So this clause potentially includes everybody: the cleaner, the person answering the phones, and all of the range of people involved in film production work, including the production of film or video games.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271d2b79ecc9e4568a9e5d3e835e2c87b\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Hairdresser?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc0c452248a842d293526e62108f231e\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, it includes hairdressers and all sorts of people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe reality is that the bill talks about those people and it creates effectively a default situation. It says that those people \u201Care independent contractors unless \u2026\u201D. This, of course, is the area where the Minister has got into a little bit of trouble over the wording about when those people might be employees. My colleague Charles Chauvel went through that area yesterday and explained that potentially this bill could create even more uncertainty. We could go from a situation of having settled law to a situation of having more uncertainty. The Minister has responded\u2014all credit to her\u2014by putting forward an amendment to try to pick up the point that Charles Chauvel made; she recognised it was a legitimate point. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThat takes me to my next issue, about putting a clause like clause 4 into a bill like this. If the Government is serious and believes there is uncertainty, then getting it right is important. The worst possible outcome would be to introduce a bill that actually creates less certainty, which is what I am worried about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022 data-id=\u0022aec71c2073a5400e8363da52c9a270dc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aec71c2073a5400e8363da52c9a270dc\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Before the next member speaks, I draw the Committee\u2019s attention to a matter that occurred while Nick Smith was speaking; I did not want to interrupt him. The Standing Orders and Speaker\u2019s rulings are quite clear on visual aids. During the speech of a member of the Government, visual aids were displayed from the other side of the Chamber. They are to be displayed only when members on that side of the Chamber are speaking. We will not have a repeat of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022 data-id=\u00225fa083d0fdc6454296905770e5c9bd7e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225fa083d0fdc6454296905770e5c9bd7e\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you for that assistance, Mr Chairperson. In this debate I am reminded of the old communist days, when the Iron Curtain was shut down on most of Europe and a few other nations that most of those members have visited in their prime. The most interesting thing is that the blacklist, the boycott that was promulgated by the unions, the Council of Trade Unions\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228bc2d4577d814d1287ae874592dfdefe\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CDat\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002223738b97688b4fe48d22181a3cde6609\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Scab? No, no. The boycott was promulgated by none other than the Australian unions, in partnership, I suppose, with Helen Kelly. That destroyed a word that those members love to get on their hind legs about: \u201Ctrust\u201D. The boycott ruined the industry trust. Gerry Brownlee, John Key, Nick Smith, and the rest of the crew from New Zealand are trying to work up that trust again because it has been so damaged. So a bit of clarity was needed, a bit of clear thinking about who is an employee and who is an independent contractor. As I am a poor old fulla from \u014Ctara, from South Auckland, explaining it to me would be something like this: if someone signs on as an independent contractor, then that is what they are; if someone signs on as an employee, that is what they are. That is all this bill does. After four court appearances\u2014the courts could not get it right after the first one, the second one, or the third one\u2014there was no clarity. I am not picking which court was right or wrong. But the fact of the matter is that now there is clarity. Now the employee has their rights, and the independent contractor has their rights. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI will let the Committee know something else about my colourful career. I can proudly say that in the early 1980s\u2014members can cast their minds back, if they will\u2014I acted alongside Jodie Foster and John Lithgow as an extra in a movie that was filmed in Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fe28e76b4134d6fb57e91953605cf21\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sure it was a big hit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002295d03cc184a44e60b39e960dc441a427\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: It was a huge hit. It did not come out on video for a while, but it was called Mesmerized. I tell members that it was the easiest $280 I made in a long, long time\u2014$280 in the hand, and all I had to do was walk from point A to point B.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291bf4b13fcae4df694e166db40027e7d\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: How many takes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002259094d72b45d4f6487c3bdfe4fae0f67\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: One take. It was all over in 10 minutes. Looking back on that huge career move of mine, I was glad that at the end of the day I could be paid. I could put milk in the fridge, and butter and bread on the table for my flatmates, and, boy, I was happy. This industry is worth $2.8 billion to this country at least\u2014a conservative estimate. The people who will reap the rewards of what we do today are workers in this country\u2014workers whom members on that side of the Chamber said they thought they were always there for. Well, if they were there for them, they would have supported this bill yesterday, not taken this Parliament well into Friday, and well into the constituency work that many members of Parliament have to do on a Friday, and on a Saturday as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI am a great supporter of industry and workers in this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299901a11fca64a58af1544aa338620eb\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Hands out of your pocket when you\u2019re talking.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022377c001af7094dd28a60665a97c40283\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: No, no. I have a pocket and all I have in it is a couple of Lotto tickets. I tell members that if we had not done what we are doing today, such tickets would have been the only thing that the workers, whom Labour members say they support, could rely on. But now workers have some clarity, and they have a clear distinction between what an employee is and what an independent contractor is. As I said earlier, they need to make the choice. Why is it that Labour members feel it is necessary to tell workers what to do? Why is it necessary for them always to get up and say that the workers deserve this, that, and the other thing; and that the workers believe this, that, and the other thing? Why is it that thousands of workers, thousands of workers in this industry, marched up and down this nation\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b31073d2d9c74c69b1448ea0c2644ac2\u0022\u003EHon Dr Wayne Mapp\u003C/span\u003E: On Labour Day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d7d6ee6a5454085bea1c666fb2c7830\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014on Labour Day? They did that on Labour Day. It was supposed to be a day in thanks for the 8-hour day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022050820f7161f4c86ae93873c33b841fd\u0022\u003EHon Dr Wayne Mapp\u003C/span\u003E: They wanted work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e66b91dbeafe4324b6f7e7e75658d8cf\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: They wanted work, and they would not have been allowed to work if this dispute had kept on. If Warner Bros had not been allowed in this country, which is what members on that side of the Chamber wanted in the end, then there would have been no work for the many people out there. It is not just actors. With one actor there are hundreds\u2014more\u2014people employed in the industry; there are hundreds and hundreds. The bigger the film, the more people involved.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214547d72f4e041c6badc1db6a334e2c8\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Not necessarily.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c2fa2e5358684c20942746e5f9421e29\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Not necessarily, but members know what I am talking about. Thousands and thousands of people rely on the work that comes not only from the big films but from the small films as well. Labour wanted to take away that right. All we are doing is making it clear for those people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221fb8d8db-3e96-49c7-ab1c-b7916a50e30e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb7ce71903f24f1584d7cb7e98a17eb8\u0022\u003EHon Steve Chadwick\u003C/span\u003E: Rubbish!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022733a9ba54dd649b1abf770945af9b270\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: It is pretty apparent that we are not making it clear for Labour members, because they still do not understand. Trevor Mallard is the lead speaker on that side.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002224b30a91b71c498bb041eafd0d6a4077\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: He is the spokesperson on labour, Tau.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aaa396aec27f48a0bac302317a709336\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. He took 10 minutes\u2014a 10-minute speech, two calls\u2014and 7\u00BD minutes was just personal abuse. It was personal abuse. There was no mention of the definition of \u201Cemployee\u201D and no mention of the definition of \u201Cindependent contractor\u201D. No, he did not worry about that. The fact of the matter is that if workers sign on as employees, that is what they are. If they sign on as independent contractors, that is what they are. They start, they finish, end of story. What is so terrible about that? Who knows? That is why we are here. We are making sure that that is clear. We are making sure it is clear for the industry, workers, and everybody else.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022 data-id=\u0022ebe7dba4ef1e4100b1d8c487ee4bd298\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ebe7dba4ef1e4100b1d8c487ee4bd298\u0022\u003EKEITH LOCKE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E I think the fact that the Minister of Labour has had to put forward two amendments shows the problem of rushing this bill through in urgency. I sat on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee for periods when it considered the employment relations legislation. I have been considering the amendments to the Employment Relations Act that have been before the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee, and the amendments to the Holidays Act. As with every select committee, we have made changes to the legislation. One of the reasons why we do not just rush a bill through in urgency when it is available only at the beginning of debate is that otherwise a bill has to be available for 3 days, so that people can have a look at it and get an idea of what might be wrong with it, then in the select committee MPs can work out what might be wrong with it, and they can take public submissions. All of that is necessary to get good legislation. Even with this very short bill, Kate Wilkinson has come up with two amendments in the middle of this very rapid debate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e1c2328ff63d4acb8918ea1f6a17080f\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Corrections.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b68afe4e0ae549da9561220ce1c1eb50\u0022\u003EKEITH LOCKE\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CCorrections\u201D, the member calls them. But no doubt there are more. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EWhat is this bill all about? There have been arguments about where the reason for it came from. The reality is that John Key and Kate Wilkinson said that they were open to talking with Warner Bros and Warner Bros wanted to talk to them, so why would they not listen to its views? They then came forward with this bill. John Key said pretty explicitly that changing the legislation was part of the deal with Warner Bros. I do not disagree with Kate Wilkinson talking to anyone, including Warner Bros. She can talk to anyone in the world; that is her right. But when a bill comes before this Parliament and it is based on talks with only one party, that party being Warner Bros, a multinational, and everyone else\u2014employers, unionists, political parties, community people, and any others in New Zealand\u2014is shut out of that discussion before the bill comes to the House, I am concerned. That is an abuse of democracy. If you talk only to a multinational and to no one else, and you do what that multinational wants, you are in effect\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fcc1be8423d44f928bee904560a4a7e0\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: You are using \u201Cyou\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f892231892cd4c029843ce6c2363f814\u0022\u003EKEITH LOCKE\u003C/span\u003E: One of the problems with the bill and the amendments in clause 4, which amend section 6(1) of the Employment Relations Act, is that they cover anyone working in any way in the film industry. It lists voice-over actors, stand-ins, etc., and section 6(1)(d)(ii) states \u201Ca person engaged in film production work in any other capacity.\u201D The bill talks further about pre-production work, production work, and post-production work on or off the set, etc. So we can see an example of someone who might be hired to work for 8 hours straight, a normal day, every day, just sweeping the floors in a particular production studio. In every respect, in terms of the Employment Relations Act and in terms of the court decision in the Bryson case, for that person and the work that they do\u2014they do what they are told, they are unskilled, they sweep floors, it is regular hours\u2014everything is covered as normal. Under this bill the company could say that if someone wants a job sweeping floors, that person has to be an independent contractor. If they do not accept that requirement in the contract, then they do not get a job there, and the company will get someone else to sweep the floor. Is it not absurd that someone who in no way is an independent contractor in substance, under this bill can be defined as one and effectively lose all rights to defend their conditions, and the right to work with others to improve their conditions\u2014the normal things that unions provide for? That is where it becomes highly unjust. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EOnce we put this exception for all film workers, including people sweeping the floor, in legislation like this, as Heather Roy, I think, said in her speech, why not generalise it to everyone? As it is the employers who can determine who signs the contract and in which form, because they are the people who hand out the jobs, this means we have an un-unionised workforce in New Zealand. Really, that is what this is all about: de-unionising labour in New Zealand. Is that in the national interest? I think that Nick Smith said it was all about the national interest. Is it in the national interest?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022 data-id=\u0022aa15932879d5403185b4c2171e0cbb13\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aa15932879d5403185b4c2171e0cbb13\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is a huge pleasure to rise and talk about clause 4 of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, which clarifies a very important point. It clarifies a relationship. The lack of clarity on this relationship has affected and threatened the health and viability of an industry worth something like $2.8 billion to our country\u2014$2.8 billion. It is not just about the skills in cinematography, video, digital, sound, and other technologies associated with this film, but also about tourism. The worth of this industry is huge to our country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003EThis Government is acting decisively to ensure the continued health of this vital part of our economy and safeguard the jobs of thousands of New Zealanders. For this reason I find it absolutely amazing to hear from the Opposition benches some of the stories that we have heard and some of the reasons they are putting forward to oppose this initiative. While we are considering relationships, let us consider the relationship between those members opposite and the unions. They seem to be demonstrating, once again, their thraldom; the members opposite are dancing like puppets to the union tune, and who is the Geppetto? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221fdaea39c6264b7193688e454f12ef8d\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. Did you hear what the member just said?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227231654104a74f6995f8b0e28b1069f4\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d9e2c1e986b54def829828ddf89ad9db\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I do not know whether I should repeat it. I think the member knows it is out of order, and he should withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cef297983c80457cbbb89e090c6d7a6a\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: If the member has made an inappropriate remark, I ask him to withdraw the remark.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022799305a6e71949cebcbc267d98c4bd8e\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER\u003C/span\u003E: What is\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db42019097ef4b1c80944993ec713bfa\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: Did the member make an inappropriate remark?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002264d06b2232a8451bb6356218e78fcb02\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER\u003C/span\u003E: Point of clarification, Mr Chairman. What is the inappropriate remark?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002257c94d69f6ea45b3a053fdc7d9d821d4\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: There is a point of order that an inappropriate remark was made. I did not hear it, but if the member made one\u2014that is why I am asking\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265a3d23e8292407a9e27e7a814af8c90\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw. Who is the Geppetto? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c74d1380c92469987dbcdbe78a8815c\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. The member is continuing the same theme. He has already withdrawn the original comment, but this whole line\u2014that members are moving in other members\u2019 directions\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f55c74ccb9ac4956be247f9e35aeb038\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you. The member has just apologised and withdrawn the comment. Do not do it again. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f33ac452f79c446a8466bf6a9db48b20\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you for that point of clarification, Mr Chair. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003EWe talked about the possible influence of union presidents: possibly the Amalgamated Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union\u2019s new president, Andrew Little, and possibly the Council of Trade Unions president, Helen Kelly. I stress that it is \u201CHelen Kelly\u201D, not \u201CHelen Keller\u201D, although it is Blind Week and I am proud to have made a donation to the cause. I suggest it is a case of the blind leading the blind. Union leaders and the Labour Party is a case of the blind leading the blind. At this point in time that could be any of those in Opposition who have spoken today. Given what they have been saying, I will be keeping a close eye on their faces. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003EI used to despair at the Labour Party; I have now given up all hope. How can Labour members stand in the Chamber arguing against a point of clarification that will save thousands of jobs in an industry that has brought benefits to our country? How can they do that? The film industry has brought huge collateral benefits in tourism and huge collateral benefits within the industry itself. The Labour Opposition is betraying the fact that it is still hidebound in ideology. A fresh idea is as rare as an Uzbek in the outback. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003EWe are talking about a simple point of clarification that has saved the health of an industry that is worth $2.8 billion to our country. Members opposite are railing against a simple point of clarification on whether somebody is an employee or a contractor. I have had the pleasure myself, like the Hon \u201CTao\u201D Henare\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ac081cd98c24aa88de30e7f8babfb39\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Who? It\u2019s Tau. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022569d6b1ffa7e421b9f81bf0c326e83a2\u0022\u003EDr CAM CALDER\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014like the Hon Tau Henare, of serving in the role of an extra in the film industry. I must say it was a great experience. I met some fascinating people and was well reimbursed for a day\u2019s work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228cf0fb6b-0b8f-4327-983d-73e1166c220e\u0022\u003EI contend that a simple point of clarification in this amendment bill is totally appropriate and will save our film industry. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u00226f61f1d98dbd4f808377d2609331fa76\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226f61f1d98dbd4f808377d2609331fa76\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour\u2014Wellington Central):\u003C/span\u003E As ever, it is a pleasure to follow a life member of Northshore Toastmasters, Cam Calder, although the club might withdraw his life membership after listening to that speech. It is good to see Government members actually taking some calls, because they have not been taking many calls up until now. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EWe have not yet heard a justification for clause 4. Tau Henare told us about his appearance in the film Mesmerized. The problem for us is that we had to sit through the sequel, \u201CDazed and Confused\u201D. But we found out a little bit about the movie Mesmerized, which Tau Henare was in. The movie Mesmerized is summarised as: \u201CThe ultimate price is paid for a young girl\u2019s loss of innocence.\u201D That is the movie Tau Henare was in. Fortunately, we did not get a full\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022219cc8a0a7414e75b1dbe906a5fd0ac2\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Was it a blue movie?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022868f777e2dfc41228bae88a6c0f3a1a5\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Who knows? We did not get a full summation from Mr Henare about his role. He said it involved him going from point A to point B. That is all I will say.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc31fd02f4fd4c838eded7f33ca6bec7\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. Again, I do so reluctantly. Discussions of dirty movies at this point, I think, are well out of order, and although this matter was touched on by Tau Henare, extending it in the way that my colleague is doing is, I think, inappropriate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b67bb3d1c2644e99a9826171e70015e\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I think the member has the message.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f024231e53e4c7daddacb3419de0992\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you very much, Mr Chair. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EOne of the things that Mr Henare and Cam Calder have just said is that this industry is worth $2.8 billion to New Zealand. That is right; it is a very significant industry for New Zealand. One hundred and twenty films were made during the term of the fifth Labour Government. We got in there and supported the growth of this industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIf members on the other side of the Chamber are serious about supporting the film industry, why did Gerry Brownlee sit there and do nothing for 2 years, when everyone else in Wellington knew that because of the problems that Warner Bros was having in Hollywood, there was a risk about the Hobbit film. He stood up on the other side of the Chamber and said the Labour Party likes just going to the cocktail parties. No\u2014what we did when we were in office was to keep a relationship going with Warner Bros. That is the issue here today. That is really the reasoning behind this legislation. It is a fact that this Government let the relationship with Warner Bros slide, ended up in a crisis, and then opportunistically, out of that crisis, put forward the legislation that is before us today. That is why we are here. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EWe are told by Tau Henare that the specifics of clause 4 are a simple matter. If one is a contractor, one is contractor; if one is an employee, one is an employee. But it is not as simple as that. Sometimes when people come in and sign up to be a contractor, they do that because they want that position. They want that job; they want that work. But what happens over time\u2014as it did for Mr Bryson, in the case we have been talking about today\u2014when things change, when the nature of the relationship evolves? Why should Mr Bryson not then become eligible for all of the protections that would come from being an employee? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThe Supreme Court said that if there was a change in the way, that an employment relationship develops, then that is a legitimate thing to bear in mind. Things do not remain completely static in every employment relationship. So that is why\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247a71e6515214b4dbe2235a006423f2e\u0022\u003EHon Dr Wayne Mapp\u003C/span\u003E: They should then renegotiate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226cb7c90867cc4947a4d42ccce40e16f3\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: The point, I say to Dr Mapp, is that the certainty was there. The case was done in 2005. Gerry Brownlee keeps talking about this urgent matter, this festering sore, but Avatar has been made since then. Lots of movies have been made since then. The situation was absolutely settled, in law. This legislation is a complete fiction. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c9b18a788894879975e024275fa21ee\u0022\u003EHon Dr Wayne Mapp\u003C/span\u003E: The word \u201Cboycott\u201D changed things. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c54a3a7b682446e5a90974ac2b54a33e\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Dr Mapp mentions the boycott. The boycott was over, I tell Dr Mapp. Everybody knows that. Everybody knows that the boycott was over, yet this Government has opportunistically brought in this legislation to carry on its attacks on the workers of New Zealanders, because the Government knows\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bca50e04b2434e87b97a89b5e9f8ff4a\u0022\u003EHon Dr Wayne Mapp\u003C/span\u003E: Fiction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002225ca8320af0641b499e37f7c31ead56e\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: What were the thousands of people saying outside Parliament last week? They know that this Government is attacking workers\u2019 rights in New Zealand. The 90-day bill extension is an example. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThat is why we on this side of the Chamber do not have trust and confidence that this legislation is not the beginning of a wider set of employment law changes around the status of contractors. Why could this not end up being extended beyond the film industry? It is already extended in clause 4 to the video game industry. When did the video game industry ask to be part of this? Why is the cleaner at two of the really successful video game - making companies in Wellington suddenly brought under this sets of rules? No one on the Government benches has explained how the video game industry came to be caught up in this. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThis is shambolic legislation. If the Government was true to its word, it would have been referred to a select committee. It has not, and this law should not proceed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022 data-id=\u0022e56f95fd68d4496b9c1ca67a0ef4fd2a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e56f95fd68d4496b9c1ca67a0ef4fd2a\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP (Minister of Defence):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Chair\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222adfc0c9e4b84e9997beb2b0a9a23057\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: He couldn\u2019t even get into the law school at a polytech\u2014an assistant lecturer of commercial law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea0615a4b24943ae85000ed8ba2ca44d\u0022\u003EHon Dr WAYNE MAPP\u003C/span\u003E: I say if Opposition members wish to interject, they could at least get their facts right for a change. Does that not tell us everything? Right from the get-go Mr Mallard, amongst others, is consistent in that he simply cannot get the facts correct. There are other ways of describing that, but to do so would almost certainly be unparliamentary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EIt is extraordinary to listen\u2014and I have been listening throughout the morning, both in my office and in the Chamber\u2014to the nature of the Opposition\u2019s speeches on the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I will pick up on a particular point made by Mr Robertson. He said that the law is certain. It is true that there is a Supreme Court decision, and to the extent that Supreme Court decisions are final, I guess in that sense it is certain. But the Supreme Court identified the core problem. This is what it said in paragraph 15 of the Bryson v Three Foot Six decision: \u201CIn the film industry services of the relevant kind were virtually always provided pursuant to contracts for services.\u201D What does that mean? That means the normal pattern is to be an independent contractor. That is the problem with the Three Foot Six decision. The court knew that was the normal pattern, but it then had to take cognisance of the Employment Relations Act 2000, in particular section 6(3), which states: \u201Cthe court or the Authority\u2014(a) must consider all relevant matters, including any matters that indicate the intention of the persons; and (b) is not to treat as a determining matter any statement \u2026 that describes the nature of their relationship.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EThe problem is that the legislation leads to uncertainty. That is why at each level of the cases that were heard, the Employment Relations Authority, the Employment Court, the Court of Appeal, and, ultimately, the Supreme Court came to a different decision. The legislation leads to that outcome. The contrast with the legislation we are putting up is that there is certainty. Certainty will be given by simply having reference to the written contract. The written contract will determine absolutely the outcome. If a contract says in writing: \u201Can employment agreement\u201D, that is what it will be. If a contract says in writing: \u201Can independent contract agreement\u201D, that is what it will be. It is hard to be clearer than that. It is a completely different approach to Labour\u2019s understanding of section 6(3) in the Employment Relations Act, which is essentially a subjective test. It is not objective; an objective test would be to ask: \u201CWhat was the party\u2019s intention, expressed in writing?\u201D It could not be clearer than that. That is why the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill is necessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EI have been listening to people say that there had not been problems with Avatar and so on\u2014of course, in a sense that is true. There was something that changed, however, and that was the destruction of trust. My colleague the Hon Tau Henare referred to that specific point. The Opposition can say that is all irrelevant, the boycott was withdrawn, and many films have been made since the Bryson v Three Foot Six decision. But the world changed when the nuclear option was used. I use those words because Sir Peter Jackson used them. He said that option was made even before any communication with him. That boycott destroyed trust, and that trust has not been restored simply by withdrawing the boycott. That did not change the issue of trust. In fact, it indicated the question was whether someone would not just pull astray down the track, halfway through production, or near the end of production, notwithstanding what they had said before. That is the problem when one destroys trust; one removes the fundamentals of reliability and certainty from the industry. Part of the package is that producing certainty in the law became an imperative, a necessity, to ensure that the work could be done in New Zealand and so that everyone involved knew the score, whether one was an employee or a contractor.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022df788c48-b9be-42fd-b8f2-76629a5572b8\u0022\u003EThere is a very clear choice, a very clear choice. Is one willing to take the practical, pragmatic, and necessary steps to ensure the survival of the big-budget film industry in New Zealand? National is clear on that choice. We are prepared to take those practical steps. It is not enough to just go out and say that we support the film industry; one has to be prepared to take the practical measures that will ensure that outcome. When that test came before this Government, we made sure that the outcome was clear. There are thousands of people, especially in this city, whose livelihoods are dependent on the pragmatic, practical decision being taken. The other side, I guess partly from the luxury of being the Opposition, to be fair, and largely because the Opposition members are heavily influenced by their relationship with unions and their personal relationships with members of unions, have indulged in the luxury of saying that they do not have to be practical, and they will retreat to an ideological position. I ask the Labour Party this: if the situation had been reversed, would it have taken the practical step, or would it have let ideology get in the way and see a $2.8 billion - industry go down the drain? National was not prepared to take that risk. We have taken the measures. The Opposition have let an ideologically driven point of view blind them to the reality that faced this country over the last 4 weeks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252a9fd8fd595402abd86e8400b4969ee\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The first typescript amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard to new paragraph (d) of clause 4, to omit \u201Cexcludes\u201D and substitute \u201Cincludes unless their employment agreement expressly provides otherwise\u201D in relation to the definition of employees in film production is out of order as being inconsistent with the principles and objects of the bill as\u2014[Interruption]\u2014I am ruling\u2014stated in Standing Order 292(1). \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003EThe question was put that the following amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard to clause 4 be agreed to: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003Eto add the following subparagraph to section 6(1) in subclause (1):\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u201C(e) \tparagraph (d) expires on the close of 8 November 2010.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00221a1c387890824dfdaeebaffb03649f14\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000272\u0022\u003EThe question was put that the following amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard to clause 4 be agreed to: \u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000273\u0022\u003Eto add the following subclause:\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000274\u0022\u003E(5)\tThis section expires on the close of 8 November 2010.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00222e8f8c7e828240ad9ffe4cfa858a9ad6\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000275\u0022\u003EThe question was put that the following amendments in the name of the Hon Kate Wilkinson to clause 4 be agreed to: \u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000276\u0022\u003Eto omit \u201Can\u201D from new subsection (1A) in subclause (2) and substitute \u201Ca written\u201D; and\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000277\u0022\u003Eto omit from paragraph (a)(v) of the definition of film production work in subclause (3) \u201Csubparagraph (i)\u201D and substitute \u201Csubparagraphs (i) to (iv)\u201D.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00220ecadb7368dd4ecabedddbed841c75f9\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the amendments be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendments agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022372c55d12b664d11adbdd0854c48c5f6\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That clause 4 as amended be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EClause 4 as amended agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00224987d62ff5564ee280119d5296754ebf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224987d62ff5564ee280119d5296754ebf\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E Following some discussions with the Leader of the House, I seek the leave of the House for us to consider new clauses 5 to 9 as one question with one vote. The reason for doing that is they are a logical group and they stand or fall together. It is likely that if clause 5 fails, they will all be knocked over anyway. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227fad2a3a42a74f6086d12caf158b1f77\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There is no objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022123e196730fd4c269e66fbac09a05e38\u0022\u003ENew clauses 5 to 9\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022b549c9b36cb8423595ece17f4fd95184\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b549c9b36cb8423595ece17f4fd95184\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E This group of clauses is designed to put in the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill a review of it. I think the view on this side of the Chamber is that the legislation is unlikely to work, and these amendments provide a method of establishing whether it has been working. I want to make it clear to members that this set of clauses has been picked up from the prostitution law reform legislation. The clauses have been changed, with a couple of amendments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI will say in a slightly embarrassed way that when I looked at my drafts of these amendments, the word \u201Cprostitution\u201D still appeared in one of them, rather than \u201Cfilm\u201D. It reminded me of my favourite movie, Notting Hill. I do not know whether people will remember the Julia Roberts scene in the restaurant, where boorish people got actors and prostitutes mixed up. I want to say that in my case it was not deliberate; I would certainly not describe Julia Roberts in that way. I have seen that movie many, many times, and it is one of my favourites.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EBut there is not much doubt on this side of the Chamber that there needs to be a review arrangement for this very bad legislation, and these amendments are our attempt to put it in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe question was put that the following amendment in the name of the Hon Trevor Mallard be agreed to: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003Eto add the following clauses:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E5\tReview of operation of Act and related matters\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(1)\tThe Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee must,\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(a)\tas soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act,\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(i)\tassess the number of persons working as film production workers in New Zealand and any prescribed matters relating to film production work; and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(ii)\treport on its findings to the Minister of Labour; and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(b)\tno sooner than the expiry of 3 years, but before the expiry of 5 years, after the commencement of this Act,\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(i)\treview the operation of this Act since its commencement; and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(ii)\tassess the impact of this Act on the number of persons working as film production workers in New Zealand and any prescribed matters relating to film production work; and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(iii)\tconsider whether any amendments to this Act or any other law are necessary or desirable; and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(iv)\tconsider whether any further review or assessment of the matters set out in this paragraph is necessary or desirable; and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(v)\treport on its findings to the Minister of Labour; and \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(c)\tcarry out any other review, assessment, and reporting required by regulations made under this Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(2)\tThe Minister of Labour must present a copy of any report provided under this section to the House of Representatives as soon as is practicable after receiving it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E6\tEmployment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(1)\tThe Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee must consist of 11 members appointed by the Minister of Labour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(2)\tThe Minister of Labour must appoint\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(a)\t2 persons nominated by the Minister of Labour; and \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(b)\t4 persons nominated by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (or, if there is no New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, by the union registered under Part 4 of the Employment Relations Act 2002 that the Minister of Labour considers represents the interests of the largest number of New Zealand workers); and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(c)\t1 person nominated by the Minister of Women\u2019s Affairs; and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(d)\t1 person nominated by the Minister of M\u0101ori Affairs; and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(e)\t1 person nominated by the Minister of Youth Affairs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(3)\tThe Minister of Labour may, on the recommendation of a member\u2019s nominator, remove a member from office for inability to perform the members\u2019 duties, misconduct by the member, or any other just cause proved to the satisfaction of the nominator.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(4)\tThe member is not entitled to compensation or other payment relating to removal from office.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(5)\tThe Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee ceases to exist on a date appointed by the Minister of Labour, by notice in the Gazette, that is after the date of its report to the Minister under section 42(1)(b)(vii).\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E7\tOther provisions on appointment, removal, term, and resignation of members of Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(1)\tA member must be appointed or removed by written notice to the member and his or her nominator.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(2)\tA member holds office for a term stated in that notice of up to 5 years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(3)\tA member whose term of office expires continues to hold office until he or she is reappointed or his or her successor is appointed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(4)\tHowever, all members cease to hold office on the date on which the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee ceases to exist.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(5)\tA person may be reappointed as a member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(6)\tA member may resign by written notice to the Minister of Labour and his or her nominator.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(7)\tThe powers of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee are not affected by any vacancy in its membership.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E8\tRemuneration of members of Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(1)\tA member is entitled to receive remuneration by way of fees, salary, or allowances and travelling allowances and expenses in accordance with the Fees and Travelling Allowances Act 1951 (and the provisions of that Act apply as if the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee were a statutory Board under that Act).\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(2)\tThat remuneration must be paid out of the departmental bank account operated by the Department of Labour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E(3)\tThis section does not apply to a person who is a member in his or her capacity as an employee of a department.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E9\tProcedure of Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Law Review Committee may regulate its own procedure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022d0a3d49e957d4691a3e378c324a0551a\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000324\u0022\u003EBill reported with amendment.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022a774ce4f9a0341e685565154f6ab8186\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a774ce4f9a0341e685565154f6ab8186\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the report be adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022d5b3b5a4ef5a4adf9b57eaef9b5ca295\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the report be adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 5; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 51\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 9; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002272b6d0293d8044b5ac89a539b692e156\u0022\u003EPoints of Order\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ae0fc70564634d19a80bd320706ad7f8\u0022\u003EBills\u2014Availability in Urgency\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002292b6d6bb2c9f4d5b844bc027e9fdc3ba\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002292b6d6bb2c9f4d5b844bc027e9fdc3ba\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. It does not relate to the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. I want to check with the Government that it is still its intention to proceed with another bill after this legislation. I note that that bill is not yet on the Table. I wonder whether that situation will be rectified by the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022af3e0c3acd6842f192ee420bf21e64b1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022af3e0c3acd6842f192ee420bf21e64b1\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E No, and that is right. The urgency motion allows for the introduction of Government bills as they come up. My understanding is that the bill has been with Opposition parties since the middle of the week. Copies are available. When we are procedurally able to do so, they will be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ec7d95f2c0064102a63580415eadc47a\u0022\u003EEmployment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00228b25144917dd441382f79709c8af3cdc\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u0022821530c6166940f9ae509b2cc109114a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022821530c6166940f9ae509b2cc109114a\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill be now read a third time. We have said it before: this bill provides certainty and clarity to the film industry in New Zealand, an industry that is worth $2.8 billion to our economy. The two Hobbit films alone are worth $670 million. This is not a minor issue. The Government gave serious thought to how it would respond to the threat posed to the entire New Zealand film industry. Although this bill is a direct response to ensure that The Hobbit is filmed here, it is also a response to the fact that if we had lost The Hobbit, our reputation as a filming location would have been in tatters. It is clear that Labour would have sacrificed the film industry for the sake of its union friends. The Hobbit would most certainly have disappeared from our shores if Labour had had its way. This Government was not going to let that happen. We were not prepared to see thousands of Kiwi jobs disappear, and we were not prepared to see the hard work of the many talented New Zealanders who built our film industry from scratch being destroyed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThe facts are clear: on 17 August an international union without a mandate issued an international boycott against The Hobbit as its first action in an effort to negotiate a collective agreement, which is illegal under New Zealand law. That action immediately put the production of The Hobbit in New Zealand under threat. How anyone can claim that issuing a global boycott as a starting point for negotiations is acting in good faith is beyond me, particularly when the very agreement that the union wanted to have negotiated is not lawful. The unions went too far and put the jobs of thousands of New Zealanders at risk. They have since complained that the producers did not believe their pledge that industrial action had been rescinded and would not occur during filming. But it is no surprise that the producers had no faith in that promise. Once credibility is lost, it is difficult to regain it. The actions of the unions raised concerns for Warner Bros that our industrial relations environment was unstable, and that it could again be held over a barrel. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThat was a legitimate concern for us. The Government has recognised that concern, and today we are addressing it. The bill clarifies what is already widespread industry practice: that actors, crew members, and other production personnel in the film industry who sign on as independent contractors are just that\u2014independent contractors. If they sign on as employees, they are employees. It recognises that in some instances the parties may agree that rather than a contract for services, an employment relationship is more appropriate in particular circumstances. In those cases, the parties can enter into an employment agreement that provides that the worker is an employee and therefore will be covered by the employment relations legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThe film industry makes a very important contribution to our economy, provides employment, and promotes tourism. This bill gives the industry the confidence that it needs in order to continue to invest in and make films in New Zealand. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022883168c4682840bfa5013e66390569fa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022883168c4682840bfa5013e66390569fa\u0022\u003EHon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E The very first thing I want to say is that the Labour Party is thrilled that, at the end of all this, the Hobbit film will be made in New Zealand. When we left Government it was a firm expectation of the country that the Hobbit film would be made, and it would be made in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ETwo members who are very close to me represent electorates with a high level of interest in the film being made here. I am sure they are both very pleased. Both the member for Waikato and the member for Rongotai have pushed very, very strongly for it. I think it is fair to say that the member with the most technical knowledge in this area, going back quite a long time, is the member for Wellington Central, who was actively involved in making sure that the film industry and broadcasting generally thrived in New Zealand well before he was a member of Parliament. So members here are very, very pleased that a solution has been found.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EBut we are still very unhappy about this approach and the fact that the situation had to come to a crisis for it to be sorted. If one looks at a Dominion Post of July of 2009, one sees an article by Greer McDonald indicating that the industry was in a fragile state. Then, in December last year, Peter Jackson was warning of the loss of blockbuster films being made here unless the incentives scheme was adjusted to make it appropriate for modern times. The Government has known ever since it came in\u2014it knew from the briefing papers it received\u2014that there needed to be a more or less annual look at the arrangements. It is not always about more money; sometimes it is about looking at money being spent in different ways, at different times, or on different areas. And that is what the Labour Government did. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI thought we got in to a pretty virtuous cycle where we would regularly have consultations in New Zealand with New Zealand film makers. Often, New Zealand film makers would have discussions with film industry people in the United States while they were over there, they would come back to New Zealand, we would have some more discussions, and then we would either do nothing or do something. Most years we made some sort of change in order to stay up with modern times. We would look at what had happened internationally, not in order to be driven by it but to find out whether we were getting good value for money and whether some small tweaks\u2014often, tweaks that did not cost anything\u2014could make a difference. Sometimes they were around incentives and sometimes they were around immigration. On occasion, that was important. Some of it was around timing, entry requirements, and things like that. And in December 2009 Peter Jackson\u2014he was not a Sir at the time\u2014made it very, very clear that the Government needed to catch up in order to get this sorted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAll of us will be looking at the details. I want to put on record that I am very sorry that the Government has announced X million dollars in particular incentives but has not detailed what those incentives are or the method for their allocation, which means that other people cannot apply. That is not a good approach to decision making. It is not a good approach to having an even playing field for Kiwi film makers as well as film makers from the United States. It is, clearly, a result of the panicked approach that the Government has taken. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI think this legislation and this approach to Government from National exemplify the chaotic approach to Cabinet decision-making that John Key leads, and the fact that a number of his Ministers are not on top of the job. Mr Brownlee clearly did not stay in touch with the US film industry in the way that was necessary. Mr English, the Minister of Finance, as recently as 10 days ago, ruled out any more money or any law changes in order to satisfy Warner Bros. We had Mr Brownlee indicate in an answer to my friend and colleague Keith Locke that this legislation is not being introduced at the behest of Warner Bros, yet we had Mr Joyce indicate that Warner Bros dictated it. I do not know which one of them is telling the truth, but they cannot all be, because the stories are 180 degrees diametrically opposed to each other and are inconsistent. Again, I think that is a result of the Government\u2019s decision-making methods.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI now want to focus on an area that I as a former Minister of Labour am very, very concerned about. When I was in that position, I had responsibility for the department in the oversight of small parts of two of our free-trade arrangements. There was P4, which is the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement involving Brunei, Singapore, Chile, and New Zealand, and the China free-trade agreement. There has been a lot more focus on the latter one over time, but they are both important. The language in both are similar, although I want to make it clear to the House that, to be fair, the language in the Chinese arrangement is stronger from a New Zealand perspective. It is similar, but stronger. In the China - New Zealand free-trade agreement, the memorandum of understanding on labour cooperation is described as a side document. It was signed before the free-trade agreement was signed. Both the environment one and the labour one were my responsibilities, and they were signed hours, as it happened, before the main documents were signed in China. We signed these ones off here, and, as people are aware, the Prime Minister and others went to China to sign the free-trade agreement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI am one of the people who take contractual undertakings seriously, and that memorandum of understanding is a contractual undertaking. It says that the parties\u2014in this case, New Zealand and China; in the other case it is New Zealand, Chile, Brunei, and Singapore\u2014recognise that it is \u201Cinappropriate to encourage trade or investment by weakening or reducing the protections afforded in domestic labour laws, regulations, policies, and practices.\u201D I want to say that in my opinion we have breached that. I am absolutely certain that the AFL-CIO, or the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, which Tim Groser has been working with, along with the New Zealand labour movement, in order to get them onside for a free-trade agreement with the US, will say that this legislation weakens labour laws in order to get investment in the form of The Hobbit being made here. And they will be right. I think the Government has taken its eye off the ball. It has panicked, it has been shaken down, and this legislation is an unnecessary result of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to make a few comments in conclusion. I think the whole episode has been unfortunate. As a number of my colleagues have said, I previously had a role in this kind of matter, and during this process I gave advice to my colleagues basically to shut up. I said that if I was a Minister involved in this sort of negotiation and debate, I would appreciate a \u201CNew Zealand Incorporated\u201D response from Parliament at least. That is the approach we took. We gave the Government the chance to get it sorted. We were not critical during that process; we were reserving for now our views. The labour problem was resolved on 14 October, and on 18 October US time there was an email from Warner Bros to show that that was the case. It is available; I think the Leader of the House has seen it, as have a number of other people. So this problem was sorted 2 weeks ago. We are left with a sour taste in our mouth. The Council of Trade Unions has done a good job. In my opinion it is the role of Sir Peter Jackson now to take some leadership, to sort this out, and to rebuild relationships.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022ee2e768a893c45bf8c0eef94785774e9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ee2e768a893c45bf8c0eef94785774e9\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E There has been an attempt over the last number of hours in the House to rewrite history in a way that conveniences the arguments being put forward by opponents of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EFirstly, the Hon Trevor Mallard said that this has been a sorry saga; I agree with him that it has been. There was a suggestion throughout the contributions offered from the other side of the House that somehow New Zealand was put in a difficult position and was required to capitulate to some foreign national corporation. We should be very, very clear that if it had not been for the actions of the Australian Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and its director, Mr Simon Whipp, we would not be in this position right now. The blinkers on the members from the other side of the House have absolutely prevented them from seeing that point, which has been a little bit disappointing in this argument. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EIf we look at the history, we see that there is no doubt there were some financial concerns about the future of The Hobbit. Everyone knows that. Those concerns have been sorted. There were some concerns about the effect of Bryson v Three Foot Six, but there had been a history over a period of 4 years where it felt like we were getting to a slightly more settled position. Indeed, Warner Bros came here earlier this year and made a movie called Yogi Bear, which was about $160 million worth, and there was no issue at that point. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EWhere things tipped over seriously is when the Australian union decided through the International Federation of Actors to issue a ban on anyone signing a contract for The Hobbit unless that contract was negotiated by the Australian Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance. That was the problem. At that point, everybody who was likely to have a stake financially in the picture asked themselves what that would mean for the next 4 years as they went ahead producing those pictures. It was pretty clear that there was an unsettled industrial road ahead. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EPeople might say that there was no need for this legislation, because I convened a meeting in Auckland where the screen producers gave their position; where the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance of Australia gave its position and the Actors Equity sort of watched on sad and forlorn, not knowing what was going on; and where Helen Kelly from the Council of Trade Unions played a very constructive role. There was a possibility that the Pink Book conditions, which form the basis for contracts in New Zealand and have done for some years, could be updated with negotiations. It is wrong for anyone to say that it was settled at that point\u2014quite wrong. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003ERepeatedly Simon Whipp went to the media and said that all the actors wanted was a collective contract with the producers of The Hobbit. That was exactly the problem. Under our commerce law it is not possible for people who want to engage others in a production as contractors to negotiate collective arrangements of those contracts\u2014that is anti-competitive. Sure, a piece of legal advice floated around and was provided at huge expense to the New Zealand Actors Equity, but equally a piece from New Zealand Crown Law made it abundantly clear that that was the situation. Our question was whether we believe Crown Law or the Queen Street lawyers who have produced an opinion for the man who writes the cheques, Mr Simon Whipp. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EIn the end, it was clear to us that this was a problem. At some point, we had to sort out how big it was. We met with Warner Bros executives, as everyone knows, and their nervousness was very clear to us on this particular issue. It was an interesting exercise to find out what was on the table for them from other jurisdictions, and for us to come to the realisation that relocation was a serious prospect. There was lots of talk from people on the other side of the House that Warner Bros was never going to go, that it would never walk away, and all the rest of it. But no one will commit NZ$600 million to NZ$700 million to an investment based on securing people to offer their talents to that endeavour if they are uncertain that those talents would be there at the end, as they were at the start, particularly with film, where even one person going off the reservation can cause such huge cost and devastation to production. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EOnce that was understood, it was incumbent, I think, in the short time space we had for us to come up with a solution, and that is what the Government has done. Nothing in this bill takes away from the rights of those who participate in the production of those movies\u2014nothing at all. All it does is codify the arrangements under which their engagement is contracted. That is perfectly reasonable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221d822a9153dd497797d82d8ea54a52b8\u0022\u003ECarol Beaumont\u003C/span\u003E: But will it work?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1c572f20ce14392b00c723d694eb6ec\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: I believe it will work, I think it will work, and I am quite confident it will work. It will mean that if people decide part-way through a production that they are not a contractor and they go off to the court and say that actually they are an employee, the courts will not have jurisdiction to determine that matter. It is stated as a piece of law through the New Zealand Parliament. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThe other suggestion\u2014that is, that people who work in the back office or anything else will caught up in this legislation\u2014also steps too far. In any of these circumstances things will always be placed in the worst possible light. In the end, we have in New Zealand a $2.8 billion screen production industry, which was at risk. If the production of the Hobbit movies had exited here, so much of the expertise that is domiciled in New Zealand would have had to move with it. How we would have ever got that expertise back is beyond me. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EI am in no doubt, having been close to this issue for a long time, that if it had not been for the influence of the Australian union over the hapless people who call themselves New Zealand Actors Equity, we would have been in severe trouble. I will go even further and say that if the Council of Trade Unions\u2014and this is a big statement from me\u2014and Helen Kelly had been involved right from the start and were not put in a position of having to defend an Australian, who frankly has very little going for him at all, then I think the situation may have been different. But it was not. The gun was put to Warner Bros head, and the dreadful attacks on Sir Peter Jackson and Lady Fran were completely unacceptable. New Zealand is a country that should value that talent. We do value that talent, and I know that the Labour Party deep down supports these pictures being made here. I accept that completely, but there can be no uncertainty for those who are making such a big investment. We need to understand that that investment, although it can be quantified as around $600 million or $700 million, is far, far bigger, because others will come here as a result of certainty; there is already evidence of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThis is a good move by the Parliament of New Zealand to support the income opportunities of our most talented New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022 data-id=\u002224406fe06b4b44329e10dffb302790d5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002224406fe06b4b44329e10dffb302790d5\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E In rising to speak on the third reading of the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill, I will start by acknowledging the Hon Gerry Brownlee for what he has just said. Finally, somebody on that side of the House has said what is true and what is evidenced by the facts\u2014that is, members on this side of the House support the New Zealand film industry. Of course Labour supports The Hobbit being made in New Zealand. We have a very proud record of supporting the New Zealand film industry and I challenge anybody to disprove that. I thank the Hon Gerry Brownlee for making that statement and for putting it on the record. In fact, I would go as far as saying there is not a single person in House, from any party, who does not want to see The Hobbit being made here. Of course we do\u2014it is important for our country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EIn the first reading, when I started my contributions, I said I would ask a number of questions. I have done that in a number of speeches and I still think there are many unanswered questions. Unfortunately, the debate from those on the Government benches has largely been a number of key points that go something like this: the Prime Minister has done a great job and has saved the day, the union movement was setting out to destroy The Hobbit, and Labour does not want to see The Hobbit being made here. I have dealt with the third of those points, and again I thank Gerry Brownlee for recognising that that bit was not true. There were very few substantive contributions from members on that side of the House on the actual issues. I think there are still a number of unanswered questions. The question of what role foreign corporates can have in dealing with a domestic matter and in raising and seeking changes to domestic legislation like labour laws is still deeply troubling. I have had no assurances from the Minister of Labour on where she sees any boundaries around that or what matters are not on the table for foreign corporates to raise in terms of New Zealand labour law, and I would still like to hear her answer that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThere have been many questions about how this dispute was handled. I have put on record my concern that in terms of labour issues, this Government seems to have no ability to intervene in any constructive way when there are problems. The Minister of Labour was completely absent from this whole process. If it comes down in the end to the solution being to give some more tax incentives\u2014well, that is not her responsibility; that is the Minister for Economic Development\u2019s responsibility\u2014and to deal with a matter of employment law, which is her responsibility, then I ask why she was absent from the whole process. That question remains unanswered, and this is not the only time that the Minister of Labour has been missing in action.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis dispute has been mishandled. Even in the debate here, we have seen contradictory points of view being made by Government members. Minister Joyce said that Warner Bros wanted this amendment and that it required the change. Gerry Brownlee said very articulately that, no, it was nothing to do with Warner Bros, but that the Government saw the need to clarify this point of view. Both statements cannot be true, as others have said. Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen all sorts of people jumping in and making different sorts of statements.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThis dispute has not been handled well, and what I find particularly unpleasant is that there has been a real desire to use it as an opportunity to say that it is all the union movement\u2019s fault. I do not think everything was handled perfectly, and I put that on record. Those who say that this dispute has been all down to the actions of actors and other people working in the film industry and their union are wrong. The vilification of Helen Kelly and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions has been absolutely unpleasant and uncalled-for. Again, I note that Gerry Brownlee has taken a slightly different tack on that one, and I am glad that that is also on the record, because some of it has been most uncalled-for. This is our central trade union body, and any Government that really wants to see this country succeed has to engage with employers and engage with the unions, who represent working people in New Zealand. It has to engage properly with the community. To say that one part of that, the union movement, is outside and is unable to speak on behalf of the people who work in an industry, and to say that the union movement is wrong to try to improve those people\u2019s wages and conditions, is, I think, quite despicable. I think that all of those elements of the dispute have been poorly handled. I am sure that my colleague Charles Chauvel will be saying some more on this; he has already very helpfully pointed out some concerns.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EThe bill before us raises an issue of competence. Firstly, we do not believe that the bill is necessary. There is settled law in the matter of whether people are contractors or employees. The actual issue of dispute was not over that issue; it was over a concern that independent contractors were trying to deal collectively\u2014again, I say that Gerry Brownlee reflected on this point\u2014with improving their conditions of employment. It may not be as easy for independent contractors to deal with collective matters as it is for employees who have the right to collectively bargain for a collective employment agreement, but it is not impossible. There are examples from around the world both in the film industry and in other industries of independent contractors working collectively to try to set some standards for the way that they work in light of the nature of the conditions they face. I do not think that the competition laws rule that out, at all. Yesterday we had an example of the Irish film industry, which is grappling with this very issue. I think that a much more constructive response here would have been to look at improving industry standards. An agreement was reached that the Pink Book, which has set industry standards, would be renegotiated, and that it would be done in a collective manner in order to set some standards. That is not anti-competitive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI argue not only that this bill is not necessary but also that it is of concern for two other reasons. Firstly, the film industry has always had a number of independent contractors operating in it, and the law is quite settled in the matter, as I have said. But there are other people in that industry who are not independent contractors, who are not well paid, and they are employees. This bill says that, as a default mechanism, people in the film industry will be seen as independent contractors. I ask what the implications are for those people, and what the wider implications are if this Government seeks to expand this amendment to other industries under the Employment Relations Act. We do not think that is too farfetched an idea to be considering. This Government has shown that it is backward-looking in terms of employment law. It wants to go back to workers having fewer rights. It looks back fondly on the Employment Contracts Act, so we are worried about the implications. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003ESecondly, we are not confident that this bill will do what it sets out to achieve. In fact, it could potentially cause a great many more problems than it sets out to resolve. One of the things I will particularly highlight again is the use of urgency, which denies scrutiny of legislation. It means that the public, experts, and members of this House cannot properly scrutinise legislation to make sure that it does not have any unintended consequences and to make sure that we are all fully aware of what the legislation means and what it may or may not do. I think it is shocking to force this bill through under urgency. It makes no difference in practical terms to have this bill passed this week. Again for the record, I say that this Government is overusing urgency. It is overusing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce106137c5624d148f75c0a70eb11530\u0022\u003ECharles Chauvel\u003C/span\u003E: The 42nd bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022834dde8920e047768f8aa8b2d07068ce\u0022\u003ECAROL BEAUMONT\u003C/span\u003E: This is its 42nd bill under urgency, with no scrutiny by select committees. That is shocking.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223facbb72-b3b0-464b-b24d-e6de0616f323\u0022\u003EI will conclude by saying that there is a better way to deal with these matters. I feel very concerned that we have a Minister for Economic Development and a Minister of Labour who do not seem to take responsibility for looking at what the real issues are here. I put on record the fact that the issue of The Hobbit and whether it would proceed is not related just to recent matters. Last year, in December, the Dominion Post had an article headed \u201CJackson calls for incentives to keep NZ industry alive\u201D. It was known by Gerry Brownlee that there were concerns about the level of incentive and the need for more money to support the film industry. That article was published in December 2009. In July 2010, another Dominion Post headline was \u201CMovie jobs head north as Hobbit delays continue\u201D. The article stated: \u201CFilm-maker Sir Peter Jackson can\u2019t guarantee The Hobbit will ever be made as concerns grow that a lack of jobs is causing movie industry workers to leave Wellington.\u201D That brings me back to the Minister of Labour. She does not have a clue about looking at productive employment relationships, better conditions of work, higher wages, and situations where workers can get together collectively and have their voice recognised as part of a modern economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022 data-id=\u0022da133f99452e4838977c4f3865acfaa8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022da133f99452e4838977c4f3865acfaa8\u0022\u003EKEITH LOCKE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E This bill is an anti-union bill, and the Green Party will be opposing it. The aim of the bill is to de-unionise the film industry. In the debate over the last 2 days, Government speaker after Government speaker has been demonising the actors\u2019 unions. Clearly, from the Greens\u2019 point of view, we support the unions. The Green Party stands beside Actors Equity and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance in trying to protect the pay and conditions of actors. It is hypocritical for the Government to engage in Aussie union - bashing. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance is a trans-Tasman organisation, like many others in the business field, the professional field, and the sporting field, and it is welcome, as long as the New Zealand component has a proper voice in the organisation. They generally strengthen the professional body, the union body, whatever it is, on both sides of the Tasman. There are very strong reasons for New Zealand actors to be a part of this trans-Tasman union. One of them is that many actors have to work on both sides of the Tasman, so it makes sense for them to belong to one union and to have some coordination in work, pay, and conditions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EThis bill has rightly been called the \u201CWarners Bill\u201D because it came out of a deal with that multinational film company. The change in this law, which is a law to weaken unions, was a condition that Warner Bros put on having the film made here. It sets an incredibly bad precedent. What next? Will McDonald\u2019s, another big American multinational, come down here and say: \u201CLook, you can\u2019t keep putting up the minimum wage. We are having to put up the wages of a lot of our workers because you are putting up the minimum wage, and we might pull our restaurants out.\u201D, or some sort of leverage like that? Even the New Zealand Herald, which is not necessarily the most left-wing, pro-Green, pro-union newspaper in the land, has an editorial headline \u201CPrice to keep Hobbit in NZ is extortionate\u201D, and I think that is true. It is quite a good editorial. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EThe real villain in this piece was not the unions, but Warner Bros, with John Key, Peter Jackson, and Richard Taylor as supporting actors. In fact, it is unfortunate\u2014and I have great respect for Peter Jackson and Richard Taylor and their work here\u2014that they, along with John Key in this case, were helping Warner Bros to screw New Zealand and screw the film workers. It has cost us a lot in terms of what money had to be provided to them and in terms of the law that is being passed in Parliament. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EAll this panic about it being a national disaster if The Hobbit was not made in New Zealand, the protests that Richard Taylor and Peter Jackson organised with Weta Workshop workers, and the scapegoating of the actors\u2019 union meant that when Warner Bros arrived on our shores they knew that our Government was putty in their hands. The Government had said, basically: \u201CWhat do you want?\u201D. Warner Bros was able to manipulate the sort of deal that the New Zealand Herald calls \u201Cextortionate\u201D. We do not even know where this extra $10 million to market The Hobbit is coming from. An article in this morning\u2019s Dominion Post states that nobody knows whether it is coming out of the tourism budget, or from where. It was just John Key saying: \u201CHere; have it.\u201D The New Zealand Herald said, and I think it is correct, that although it is great to have The Hobbit here, and the Green Party is totally supportive of that, \u201Cit is not important enough for New Zealand to jettison part of its workplace law and compromise its economic principles.\u201D The Government did not have any bottom line whatsoever. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EAgain, on behalf of the Green Party I pay tribute to the unions for what they have done throughout this whole saga. What did they do? Let us go over it. For a long period, over many months, they pressed simply for a discussion with Warner Bros on pay and conditions over the Hobbit production. For month after month Warner Bros refused even to sit down and talk. So what did they do next? The International Federation of Actors came in, and it is good that the federation comes into things like this, because it is normal union activity. There are a lot of these bodies. There is a group called the International Transport Worker\u2019s Federation that looks after seamen\u2019s pay and conditions in different ports around the world. It is very highly coordinated between different national unions of transport workers. The International Federation of Actors is a good organisation. Its aim is to stop what it calls runaway productions\u2014that is, a drive to the bottom where countries de-unionise workforces\u2019 pay, have poor conditions, and lower the standards in the film industry as a whole internationally. It is a perfectly legitimate union tactic, which is used over and over again to put a hiring ban on a particular film, or whatever, in that context. There is nothing wrong with that; it is a tactic. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EI will not comment on all the controversies that have taken place over the union\u2019s public relations, timing, or any of those issues, and I do not think it is useful to be an armchair commentator and say that the union did this wrong at that time, when none of us are close enough to the particular situation to know. The general tactic of trying to use union activity and union solidarity across the world to try to get a meeting, just a meeting, between the actors\u2019 union and Warner Bros was correct. The viciousness of the response was something to behold, including the whipping up of protests outside Actors Equity meetings, and personal threats, and they are listed in this morning\u2019s New Zealand Herald. I pay tribute particularly to some of the people who were threatened\u2014Robyn Malcolm, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, and Helen Kelly\u2014for standing up for actors\u2019 rights, and I hope they will continue to stand up for actors\u2019 rights. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EInstead of going on about union-bashing, perhaps we should have a look at the way the film industry operates in Australia. Australia does not just dish out money to companies like Warner Bros. It actually gives a much higher contribution to local Australian-produced films. I think they get something like a 40 percent tax break\u2014something substantial. Australia has a really dynamic film industry, and there is also a much a better relationship between the film companies and the unions. That is the sort of thing we should be working towards in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EThere has been a lot of talk in this debate about the national interest. Nick Smith said that this is all about the national interest. It is not in the national interest to sell one\u2019s soul to a foreign multinational, like Warner Bros, and in urgency to rush legislation through that is confusing and will be subject to all sorts of legal challenges, and that undermines workers\u2019 rights in this country, particularly in the film industry but it could easily be extended to other workers. The way the Green Party looks at it, the national interest is the rights of people and the rights of workers, and having legislation to protect particularly those who are low-paid, particularly those who are in vulnerable circumstances, and film workers are in vulnerable circumstances. Because of the intermittent and temporary nature of their employment it makes it more difficult for them to exercise the normal influence that unions can exercise to get decent pay and conditions. Rather than their having fewer rights, in some ways we could argue that they should have more rights. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EI have said previously that the provisions in this bill could be extended to other workers. There is no particular reason to single out film workers in legislation. In fact, the term \u201Cfilm workers\u201D in this bill covers everyone, including someone who might be employed for 8 hours a day, on a regular shift, to sweep the floor of a film set. That person is part of the film workforce, and in every other respect under our Employment Relations Act he or she would be considered to be an employee. But under this bill the company can come to that person and say: \u201CLook, if you want this job sweeping the floor, and I know that in every respect you are an employee, you have to say you\u2019re an independent contractor and then you lose all your rights under the Employment Relations Act. You have no rights; you just have to work for whatever we want, and under the conditions that we impose.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b8383f38-c78c-4e5d-8324-677d91e95c49\u0022\u003EThe Green Party will be opposing this bill. It is a bill that is one of the most undermining of people\u2019s rights that has ever been before this Parliament, and the way it is being rushed through, under urgency, without the ability of employers, unionists, members of the community, and MPs to properly address the problems in it is shameful. Already Kate Wilkinson, the Minister of Labour, has admitted this by moving in the last couple of hours to make amendments. It shows that any bill like this, particularly industrial law, has to have proper scrutiny.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c53e4642-d448-4d84-abfe-0443fe24aae9\u0022 data-id=\u0022c258f803ed4c445aa966f378684fa4dc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c53e4642-d448-4d84-abfe-0443fe24aae9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c258f803ed4c445aa966f378684fa4dc\u0022\u003EHILARY CALVERT (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I think the Opposition might have been missing the whole point of what is going on here. Businesses do not need to operate in New Zealand. They can choose to go some place else. The further we push them, the more likely they are to go some place else. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c53e4642-d448-4d84-abfe-0443fe24aae9\u0022\u003EThis bill is about allowing working arrangements between businesses that do want to work here, which we all want them to do in this particular case, and allowing them to have some certainty. This encourages the chances that they will work here. We all agree that we want them to work here, and they do have choices. People seem to be behaving as if for some reason people are obliged to do things here. They are not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c53e4642-d448-4d84-abfe-0443fe24aae9\u0022\u003EThank God the Government has managed to produce something that will allow a business to operate here that otherwise was in serious danger of leaving. We can only hope that we can extend those sorts of things to other companies and other businesses that may want to leave in the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022 data-id=\u0022e0a33f1c43f74992b158305b3e4a3498\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e0a33f1c43f74992b158305b3e4a3498\u0022\u003ERAHUI KATENE (M\u0101ori Party\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E As we have debated the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill under urgency it has been clear that although not all the unions have been cheering in support, those within the film industry have, in general terms, been broadly in agreement with the fundamental purpose of the bill. In fact, when the news first came out about the incentive package put together to resolve the economic concerns of Warner Bros, one of the first statements made was from New Zealand Actors Equity industrial organiser, Frances Walsh, who said the move was nothing but good news for the country. That purpose, to remove consideration of employment law under the Employment Relations Act 2000 exclusively for the film production industry, has been soundly debated and has generated enormous interest both here and across the globe. We should be under no illusions that when executives from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros flew into New Zealand earlier this week, they had already received approaches from other countries, offering lucrative inducements for them to abandon New Zealand in their favour. That is the nature of the international market in which this legislation will operate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EI would have to say that from the outset the intense heat generated by the debate\u2014and the extent of the international interest\u2014was not something that any of us had anticipated. In the world of the entertainment industry, the New Zealand fight for The Hobbit even made headlines in the prestigious magazine Variety. That source claimed that \u201Cthe recent actors\u2019 boycott highlights the country\u2019s fragile relationship with Hollywood\u201D. And in the New York Times the paper fronted with the question: \u201CIs Wellywood burning?\u201D. Of course, the adverse impact of global headlines like this should not be underestimated. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EBut how does this legislation matter on the ground in Murihiku or Murupara? What will it matter to M\u0101ori? That might be a good question to ask of one of our leading M\u0101ori innovators, Ian Taylor of Taylormade Productions and Animation Research Ltd. Ian Taylor from Kahungunu has advanced some landmark graphic developments, including the award-winning Moka Toa series and, from home, the Whalewatch Kaik\u014Dura World of the Whales animated virtual tours. We have been thrilled by the influence of his company, Virtual Spectator, which brought the America\u2019s Cup into homes around the world by the use of real-time tracking of races, and his skilful manipulation of the software. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EDuring my colleague Te Ururoa Flavell\u2019s contribution to this debate he also talked about the impact that this deal will have for many M\u0101ori engaged in film production work as actors, stunt performers, extras, singers, musicians, dancers, entertainers, and more. If he had known about Tau Henare\u2019s contributions to the film industry, I am sure he would have spoken about them, as well. We believe that those who work in the film industry are closer to being self-employed contractors than employees, and, as such, this legislation clarifies that situation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EWe cannot deny that the multimillion-dollar package negotiated this week lays the foundation for creating thousands of jobs, as well as tourism opportunities and international exposure. It is simply too good an opportunity to miss. New Zealand has secured one of the world premieres of the movies, and Sir Peter Jackson has agreed that part of the arrangement will ensure that material to promote this country as a tourism destination will be included in all DVDs and digital products for The Hobbit. At a conservative estimate, this is expected to reach an international audience of tens of millions of people. We simply have to appreciate the tangible difference that these films will make in the lives of so many New Zealanders. If The Hobbit had gone offshore, the local movie industry would have been seriously threatened, and, with that, the many industries associated with this work. We simply cannot afford that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2ee61-b3b9-4a89-bcc3-5b7be76c5825\u0022\u003EBut throughout this entire situation we must continue to remain concerned that minimum terms and conditions are employed for anyone working in these movies, or indeed in any future movies. There must be protection for workers, and we must be able to hold our heads up high, not only for the quality of the work onscreen but also for the quality of the relationships built in producing the final outcome. We must be on high alert to prevent the unscrupulous treatment of workers or conditions that might serve to erode the integrity of our reputation. The M\u0101ori Party is proud to support this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u0022ec764d349be54bbf99aaf0625cd71871\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ec764d349be54bbf99aaf0625cd71871\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E We are coming to the end of the debate on the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. During the debate on this bill there has been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, especially from Opposition members in trying to put a slant, a different approach, and a definition on the history of the matters and events that took place in regard to this bill, and to The Hobbit being filmed in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EIn the context of what happened, it was a situation whereby the union\u2014in this case an Australian union\u2014went too far. Things got to a situation where the union jeopardised the production of the film, which was going to be lost to the country and lost to the New Zealand film industry. At the end of the day the Government came forward and found a solution. John Key and his team negotiated and delivered a binding deal, which will mean that The Hobbit is filmed in New Zealand and that our position as a film maker will be retained in an international perspective. If we had lost this film, the whole industry would have been put in a very delicate position. Throughout this debate Labour members have attempted to rewrite history, to say that the matter is a matter of sovereignty and that we are selling out to overseas interests, and to say all of those things, which are simply not true. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022498da71f36e24bc09e37d9fef50e1a9f\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s not just Labour. Read the New Zealand Herald.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222444185a1a934eb995f0f12f50a0d930\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: OK, it is Labour and the Green Party, but it is simply not true.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThe reality is that this bill is to save the industry, to save jobs, to promote New Zealand, and to deliver the brighter future for New Zealand that people want, instead of what Labour would have done to the film industry. Labour had no intention of letting this film go ahead. It would rather see the film not go ahead and New Zealanders suffer, for the prospect of making political capital. That is how Labour works. National does not work that way. We go out there and deliver solutions. We have provided a solution in this case. That is what has happened here, and, no matter what kind of slant Labour members try to put on the facts, those are the facts of the case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThe New Zealand public have judged that and said that they are very, very happy to see this movie being filmed in New Zealand. The public are very supportive of what the Government has done. They think it is important that this bill is passed so that we can make that a reality and deliver this film to New Zealanders, and not let the Labour Party put its slant on it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022 data-id=\u00225f92e9d2e9054058aa94e5aa23cd5aeb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225f92e9d2e9054058aa94e5aa23cd5aeb\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Under Standing Order 106, \u201CMisrepresentation\u201D, although it is not possible to interrupt another member\u2019s speech to explain a misunderstanding or misrepresentation, following the conclusion of the speech a member may clarify a point. Certainly, it is a complete misrepresentation to say that Labour did not want to see The Hobbit filmed in New Zealand. Labour speakers have successively made that point patently clear, and it would have been Labour\u2019s policy to have the films made here. However, we not have used the craven means used by the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022452b8432e8914b47b1dbbfbd782d2696\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: The member may raise that as a point of order, but if he wants to make a point, then it should be succinct and pithy; the member was starting to expand on it to make it a speech. But the point was well made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u00227731c927100a41648edf820a3d95addb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227731c927100a41648edf820a3d95addb\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E On 16 June 2005 the Supreme Court delivered reasons for its judgment in the Bryson v Three Foot Six appeal. The court on that occasion comprised five of New Zealand\u2019s leading jurists, including the Chief Justice and a judge who is now a member of the International Court of Justice. The court heard submissions from the parties, as well as from Business New Zealand and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions as interveners. It was one of the last appeals that I had a role in arguing before I came to this House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EI can assure every member here that the case was fully argued, as the 20-page judgment from Justice Blanchard indicates. There is proof of the soundness of the decision of the court in the fact that the Bryson case was the last appeal, 5\u00BD years ago, to have been heard on the question of how to resolve whether a workplace relationship is one of employee or contractor. The law reports do not contain another such case. The appeal settled the proposition that the law that has characterised an employment relationship at least for the past century in this country was unchanged by the Employment Relations Act. The law is this: all the attributes of the employment relationship have to be considered, not just the label attached to it by one or the other of the parties, whether at the start of the relationship or at some point while it is on foot. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThis law has served us well. When I was in legal practice, my international employer clients, especially those from the US, Europe, or Australia, were generally struck by the flexibility that New Zealand law gave them in being able to set up business arrangements here. All that is needed is to take care to properly and honestly document the relationship at the outset. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe background that I have just described makes this amendment all the more outrageous, even before we consider the circumstances of its introduction. The lack of a basic understanding of the law that we have heard exhibited by Government speakers, including the Minister of Labour, just makes it worse. This amendment deprives workers in the film industry of the right to bargain collectively, by specifying that they should always be treated as contractors. But then it goes on to undermine that primary provision by specifying that if a worker is a party to an employment agreement, then he or she shall instead be an employee. Thanks to a further amendment tabled by the Minister last night, any such employment agreement must be in writing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe first point is that there is no need for this amendment. As I said earlier, the Supreme Court settled the law in this area 5\u00BD years ago. There has been no litigation since, because it is clear that as long as the parties describe the relationship between them honestly and accurately at the outset, no problem arises. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EMore important, this amendment will actually create uncertainty. The default position is that film workers will be contractors, but if they wish to argue for the greater protections that employment status would give them\u2014as they are heavily incentivised to do in the event of a dispute\u2014workers whose status is arguable will invoke that proviso. They will say that they are employees. If they say they are employees, what will they have to prove to the Employment Relations Authority? First, they will have to prove that they are parties to an employment agreement. In order to do that, they will have to show that the reality of the relationship is one of employment, not of independence. In other words, they will have to take the Employment Relations Authority through all of the tests that were traversed in the Bryson case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe Supreme Court settled that law 5\u00BD years ago, but here we have Parliament, under the misguidance of the Minister, reopening the issue and making many more Bryson-type cases more, not less, likely. In many cases, thanks to industry practice, those workers will win their argument that they are, in fact, employees. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThere is something worse than this. The Minister thinks that by specifying that any employment agreement has to be in writing, she can fix the problem. Well, she has not read the Bryson decision, because in that case the court was very clear that very few employment relationships are comprehensively documented in one place. I ask what an employment agreement in writing is, in terms of the Minister\u2019s typed amendment. Is it a standard term sheet? Is it a letter of appointment? What about a written agreement that is labelled to be an employment agreement but that clearly documents an independent contracting relationship? The Minister\u2019s amendment to her amendment actually raises many more questions than it solves. Again, it will create much more, not much less, litigation potential. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003ESection 6 of the Employment Relations Act is a very carefully drawn provision. What arrogance this Government showed yesterday, in its attempt to amend that section. It introduced a clumsily worded amendment\u2014which it has already had to amend once\u2014thinking that without a select committee process or the nicety of a second reading speech from the Minister of Labour that was more than 5 minutes long, the Government could adequately exempt the film industry from the operation of the Act. That attempt will not work, and it is simply a recipe for further uncertainty and more litigation. It is the exact opposite of what John Key appears to have promised Warner Bros, Peter Jackson, and everybody else. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EWe have a bad law, achieving the reverse of what was intended, being passed under a defective process by a Minister who is not on top of her brief. But, as has been pointed out time and time again in this debate, although these things are bad enough, they are not the worst aspects of the work that the Government is forcing on Parliament today. The worst thing about this amendment is that it clearly comes at the behest of a Government that, only 2 years into its term, has just run out of ideas. Mining national parks did not work. Appropriating Canterbury\u2019s water and turning the emissions trading scheme into a big subsidy for polluters may have led to lots more dairying, but it has not delivered prosperity. So I ask what the Government has left to do but to give in to any multinational that asks for a labour standard to be diluted in return for some investment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8b7a639bf884b118fd55051219bc9c3\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: And then balls it up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd90049e5e0b43fdb5016c0e03638442\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL\u003C/span\u003E: And it cannot even do that right; that is right. I ask what will be offered up next. Will it be environment standards, human rights norms, or health and safety in employment law? What will be next on the bidding block, we ask ourselves. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EI will pause for a moment to reflect on the path that this Government has begun to tread. Phil Goff, when he was the trade Minister, signed an agreement with China that is being implemented over 12 years. It records that China and New Zealand regard it as inappropriate to encourage trade or investment by weakening or failing to enforce labour laws. We have agreed with the Chinese not to weaken our labour laws. Well, what a fine example we have set today for the implementation of the New Zealand - China Free Trade Agreement, and what a great negotiating signal we are sending to the United States and others in the context of seeking agreements with them over our commitment not to arbitrage the terms and conditions of our workforce!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EPeople thought that they were choosing a brighter future under this Government. They thought that members opposite were ambitious for New Zealand. But once the euphoria of retaining The Hobbit in New Zealand wears off, and once all the union-bashing blood-lust dies away, people will be pretty disappointed with what remains: a Government that has reduced New Zealand, in the words of the Financial Times today, to the client status of an American film studio. People will realise that only under a Labour-led Government will Kiwis have any hope of owning their own future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022 data-id=\u002204869d58b7184604a4c42fa3f87dd934\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002204869d58b7184604a4c42fa3f87dd934\u0022\u003EDr JACKIE BLUE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to speak to the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill in the third reading debate. This is a very simple bill. It is not about weakening employment law; it is about clarifying employment law. It amends an area for clarity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThe bill basically looks at the status of employees and contractors: employees are employees, and contractors are contractors. In particular, a person employed as a contractor cannot later be considered to be an employee. It is as simple as that. There is nothing more than that. It is clarification and it gives certainty. It gives confidence to the film sector, which is worth almost $3 billion to our economy. It will also ensure that thousands of jobs are secured. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThe two Hobbit movies are worth $670 million to our economy; that is certainly significant. Yes, movies have in the past been produced in New Zealand, but we have never had the situation before where there have been threatened strikes and boycotts. This naturally caused a lot of nervousness for the film sector and for those wanting to invest in film in New Zealand. Confidence was eroded and, as Wayne Mapp pointed out, the trust that had previously been there was totally destroyed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThere are no guarantees in life, and certainly if I were a part of Warner Bros and I were going to invest a lot of money\u2014these are two big-ticket items it is putting money into\u2014I would want to minimise risk. I think the concessions made were very reasonable, because we know that our economy will be boosted, tourism will be boosted, confidence is back, and thousands of jobs will be assured. I agree with my colleague Hilary Calvert from the ACT Party. She said that we can push businesses so far and then they will go somewhere else. It is as simple as that\u2014it is as simple as that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EIf the Australian unions had not waded in we would not be in this situation, and we would not be discussing this bill. But they did wade in and they raised the issue of this uncertainty with the law. So the Government has quite correctly responded. We should probably thank the Australian unions for making a point of the clarification that was needed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThis bill is all about free choice. Goodness me, one would think from listening to the other side that we were basically coercing people, and that they were being bullied into signing up as employees when they wanted to be contractors, and vice versa. It is not taking away workers\u2019 rights; it is clarifying a simple piece of employment law. It is about free choice. It is voluntary. People can sign up how they want to when they want to work on a film. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThis Government is determined to use the opportunity of the Hobbit movies to present and market New Zealand in the best way, and we will see tourism and our economy grow as a consequence. It will return confidence to the sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f99bcf9e-1ad4-4ed4-9a97-1cccb5b1e11a\u0022\u003EThe Hobbit movies will not be the last movies. There is talk in the Dominion Post about the Avatar sequels coming to New Zealand. That will be fantastic. This Government is determined to grow the economy, despite what the Opposition says. It will promote tourism and bolster the film sector. The Prime Minister, quite frankly, saved the day, and I am grateful to him. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u0022b081c8fe845748eea858649e4489ea4d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b081c8fe845748eea858649e4489ea4d\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E The underlying dispute with Warner Bros was always about money. It was always brinkmanship on the part of the various parties that have been involved as they tried to maximise their share of the spoils of this commercial endeavour. We know that those involved in brinkmanship included the union movement. We also know that the union movement pulled out from its brinkmanship earlier than was acknowledged by other sides. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWe know that as early as 14 October Gerry Brownlee in his press release thought things were reasonably under control. He now denies that they were completely under control. That may or may not be the case, but we know that certainly by 18 October American time, the Americans thought that all the industrial disputes were behind them. The brinkmanship that was then left alive was between two parties that we know of: Warner Bros and the Government, both of whom were trying to get the best deal possible. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI certainly accept what Gerry Brownlee said\u2014that the National Government wanted The Hobbit filmed in New Zealand. I agree with him and I think that everyone, except people like David Bennett, agrees that other parties in this Parliament share the ambition that these films be filmed in New Zealand. In fact, the New Zealand unions\u2014not necessarily the Australian unions\u2014the New Zealand workers, the National Party, the Labour Party, and Sir Peter Jackson all wanted this movie in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EHow long has it been about money? We have Sir Peter Jackson recorded in the Dominion Post on 15 December last year saying that New Zealand\u2019s film industry was being squeezed by a high dollar, making movies more expensive to shoot, and increased competition from other countries offering better incentives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229943934afb494b799ff42466db048eea\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: When did he say that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0fdcba27d4d4fe28ddb6e0350db0a8c\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: He said that on 15 December 2009. He said that if that happened, New Zealand could lose out. He said that New Zealand had already lost two major productions to Australia: the third Chronicles of Narnia film, and a film about Sea Shepherd anti-whaling campaigners\u2014again, on 15 December. He also said\u2014and I am referring again to the news article from the Dominion Post on 15 December\u2014that people thought New Zealand had some magical quality that attracted movies, but that it will come down to the dollars.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003ESince then the Government and everyone in New Zealand has known that a negotiation was afoot. We also know from history that that is how Warner Bros and New Line Cinema operate. Labour members had that experience when we were in Government. No one is surprised that they were trying to relitigate the deal to try to maximise their share of the profits. We know that brinkmanship was still alive on the part of Warner Bros and on the part of the Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWe do not know whether there are other disputes. I actually hope that the fourth estate asks questions as to whether some other negotiations, not involving the unions and workers were afoot between Warner Bros and other parties to this deal. It is a question that is yet to be answered. I think that the commentators have got the general point. We have seen all of the major dailies in New Zealand pick up on this point. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EI quote an article from earlier this week from Vernon Small in the Dominion Post. He was talking about what would have happened if Warner Bros had pulled the plug without an excuse: He wrote: \u201CHad Warner Bros pulled the plug without that excuse,\u201D\u2014that is, the excuse of the union dispute\u2014\u201CSir Peter could have come under attack for abandoning his home country to direct \u2018our\u2019 movie elsewhere. Warner would have looked greedy for asking for more to stay, or venal for leaving, and the Government would have looked weak and compliant if it had failed to retain the movie or bent to blackmail.\u201D That is what is behind this. The brinkmanship had gone too far. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe Government was worried that it was going to lose, so it wanted someone to blame other than itself. Despite the record being clear that by then the industrial disputes had been settled, and despite the record being clear that the Labour Party has not been involved at all in these negotiations, John Key stuck it at every opportunity to the union movement and tried to link the Labour Party with the earlier disputes, which by then had been resolved anyway. It has been clever politics on the part of National; I acknowledge that. It has succeeded in fooling many people in New Zealand that this was caused by an industrial dispute. The reality is that it was caused by brinkmanship. The brinkmanship worked. Warner Bros got an extra $34 million of taxpayer money, which increases the profitability of this movie for them by that amount. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWhy was the Government motivated to do this? Of course, it is at risk\u2014it already knows it\u2014in respect of its failed economic development plans. We have heard this previously, but I will list them again. The Government has been shown to be failing in its ambition to close the wage gap with Australia. What has its economic plan been made up of so far? A cycleway, which has not created many jobs, and a plan for a financial services hub, which has gone by the wayside. Mining in national parks was going to be the way we closed that wage gap. That has gone. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThen the Government faced the risk of losing these movies. It needed someone else to blame, despite the fact that it is absolutely clear from what I have read out from the Dominion Post article of 15 December, 2009 that it was money that was behind this issue. The Government did not get on to it earlier. It let this go down to the wire. Actually, it was not totally within the Government\u2019s control, I have to admit. It was in the interests of Warner Bros to let this go to the wire, because the closer it was to leaving, the stronger its negotiation position was with the Government, and therefore it could screw an extra $34 million worth of concessions out of the taxpayer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThis legislation is completely unnecessary. There is already the ability to contract with workers in the film industry as independent contractors rather than employees; that is already permissible under our law. It just has to be done properly, and it has been done properly in all the films since the decision of the Supreme Court 5 years ago\u2014including Avatar, that award-winning, enormous blockbuster, large parts of which were made in New Zealand by Weta Workshop and others. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022318a64cef2a54d068677a89dbd1bcbc7\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Discussed with James Cameron in Los Angeles years before we were trying to attract them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022104dedaf8a64470fbcba0a053d37ec1f\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: I thank Mr Mallard for that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EAvatar shows that this was not a necessary change to the law. We only have to contract properly. These are multimillion-dollar enterprises, multi-hundred-million-dollar enterprises; they can afford to\u2014and do\u2014purchase the best of lawyers, and the best of legal advice. Weta Workshop is a multimillion-dollar organisation. It purchases the best of contractors and the best of advice. I bet that after it lost that Supreme Court case it got its contracts right subsequently. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThere was no need for this change of law. I do not think that this change of law was even central to what Warner Bros wanted. What was central to what Warner Bros wanted was more money. It got its $34 million. This was convenient for National; it enabled National to stick it to the unions, and it enabled it to try to link Labour with the earlier actions of some of those Australian unionists. You know, we have not, in this House, been defending what those Australian unionists did when it came to trying to call for a worldwide boycott. Not one Labour person has been heard defending that, because we do not defend it. But we will not put up with the misrepresentation, long after the labour dispute was settled, that that dispute was the reason for what is going down here. It was not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWhat was going down was a shake-down by Warner Bros of an extra $34 million of taxpayers\u2019 money. What was going down from National was that it wanted someone else to blame. It wanted to stick it to the unions and stick it to Labour. No one is fooled by that. We are pleased that The Hobbit is being filmed in New Zealand and that other films will continue to be filmed in New Zealand, but what drives those films is the creativity of the New Zealand film industry and the competitiveness of the financial rewards of those who back those films.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022 data-id=\u002255c04a8168954ce6b6c1cb6f58b77b93\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002255c04a8168954ce6b6c1cb6f58b77b93\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is pretty obvious why that lot over there on the other side of the House cannot bring themselves to support the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. It is because of the shame of it. Their mates in the unions will be standing candidates like Matt McCarten all over the place. They could not bring themselves to support this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EWe would have been out of here last night if it had not been for their feeling of guilt in the face of their mates up the road: Helen Kelly, Andrew Little, and the mob from Australia. That is right\u2014the mob from Australia. Those members talk about overseas influence, and I have never seen the like before. I have never seen the like in any country. A union from overseas waltzes in\u2014waltzes in\u2014to this country and tells workers what to do. It was not the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and it was not the Labour Party that told workers what to do; it was the Australian mob from across the water. What happened in the last 24 hours? Up popped Matt McCarten in Mana. There go at least 3,000 votes\u2014at least 3,000 votes\u2014and Labour is shaking in its boots. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EThis debate is not about the film industry. We are about the film industry, we are about saving jobs, and we are about creating opportunities. I will turn on my little iPad for a minute and read to members; I have to hold it quite far away. It says: \u201CThe Hobbit has not only rescued the film industry but also preserved a way of life, industry workers say.\u201D Industry workers said that\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d67bcaf0975a41fe8e44389659b2cef9\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: A way of life!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228e55bc646dc74184a230e0edb730d9f4\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and I say to Darren Hughes that if he does not believe me he should look at Stuff. That is where it is. The spectre of the Alliance and of Matt McCarten is coming home and it is a scary thought. It is a scary thought\u2014that is what it is. It is a scary thought. Kris Fa\u2019afoi thought he was going to waltz in in Mana, but he has a bit of a fight on his hands. He has a bit of a fight on his hands. Three thousand votes will rip apart the left. They will rip apart the left. Guess what! We will put up a good campaign and we will see. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EI thank Sir Peter Jackson for what he has been able to achieve. All those people out at Miramar, all those people who work for Weta Workshop, all those actors, all those independent people\u2014all those people, who are looking to put bread and butter on the table, can now look towards a good future for the film industry. They can now look towards a confident future because companies like Warner Bros are willing to invest nearly $1 billion dollars into this country. OK, so we have had to pay an extra $30 million - odd, but for a return of $1 billion into that industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228667706d0cce42f8b6772f259c9b0d6d\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: It was already there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c389d64f32b94a258631a6f8645c4d14\u0022\u003EHon TAU HENARE\u003C/span\u003E: No, it was not already here. Warner Bros was about to bugger off. Warner Bros was about to hop on the plane and take its film somewhere else. It might have been Bulgaria; it might have been Ireland\u2014who cares? It would not have been here. A billion dollars would have gone. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002251dfea20-2244-4fc7-bd7d-ebf7a98580e1\u0022\u003EWho wins after today? It is the industry, it is workers, it is children, and it is the whole New Zealand economy. I tip my hat to the Prime Minister, John Key.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022588680f3d5c14fa182d0680adc850bb5\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Employment Relations (Film Production) Amendment Bill be now read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 66\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; ACT New Zealand 4; M\u0101ori Party 3; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 50\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 41; Green Party 8; Progressive 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e3e38b9f242d4f27b4ab6e1e2aac389d\u0022\u003ESittings of the House\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a6906492066b4dc38290c07c37625947\u0022\u003ESittings of the House\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022 data-id=\u0022ba47aced2a8e4816a81ecfad62155a70\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ba47aced2a8e4816a81ecfad62155a70\u0022\u003EJO GOODHEW (Junior Whip\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E Now that we have made such good progress and have finished that bill, I wonder whether it might be in order that I seek leave of the House for us to go to the lunch break and to resume after that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206778b655efb4f9cbcb53ef08eb7b5df\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to go to the lunch break now and resume at 2 o\u2019clock. Is there any objection? There is objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203bc0052-6dd8-4807-998a-4768a4732e0b\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022803b6678e6d449d4abb182b0a7601617\u0022\u003ESummary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a578b1b87cb24989b771916e21ea3941\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u00223facef3743b847d49c417d494a4c4795\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223facef3743b847d49c417d494a4c4795\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Conservation) \u003C/span\u003Eon behalf of the Minister of Justice: I move, That the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a first time. This bill addresses a misclassification of some minor property offences by adding them to schedule 1 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957. It also validates the proceedings that have occurred without jurisdiction because of that misclassification. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThe way in which a criminal case proceeds through the courts in New Zealand is largely dependent on how charges are laid. Charges can be laid either summarily, which means they are tried by a judge alone, or indictably, which means they are tried before a jury. Purely indictable offences can be tried only by a jury. There are certain limited exceptions to this rule, such as when there is a threat of juror intimidation. Purely summary offences can be heard only by a judge alone. All offences in the Crimes Act are indictable offences. The exception is if the definition of the offence explicitly states that it can be tried summarily, or if the offence is listed in schedule 1 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957. Listing an offence in schedule 1 enables the offence to be tried summarily at the discretion of the prosecution.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EAn amendment to the Summary Proceedings Act that came into force in June 2008 excluded some minor property offences in the Crimes Act from being in schedule 1 of the Summary Proceedings Act. The offences are theft of property not exceeding $500, obtaining by deception when the value of the property does not exceed $500, and receiving property not exceeding $500. The intention on the part of the previous Government was to make these offences purely summary offences that would always be heard by a judge alone. These offences were intended to be purely summary, because they are all minor property crimes where the value of the property does not exceed $500, including shoplifting and theft from vehicles, and are punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months. Therefore, these offences fall below the current threshold for the right to a jury trial in section 24(e) of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, and in section 66 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EUnfortunately, excluding these offences from schedule 1 did not achieve the intended effect. In fact, it achieved the opposite effect: it made the offences purely indictable offences. This means that since 2008 these offences should have been tried by jury in every case. Because many of these cases have been laid summarily instead of indictably, those prosecutions have proceeded in the absence of sufficient legal jurisdiction. There have been approximately 46,000 relevant summary prosecutions for the offences from June 2008 to date. This means that 46,000 proceedings could potentially be challenged, be deemed to have proceeded without legal jurisdiction, and be nullified. This would have high cost and resource implications, both in appeals and in future proceedings. In addition, all future proceedings under these sections would have to be tried indictably, leading to a significant increase in the number of jury trials.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThe misclassification is a technical error that does not undermine the fairness or appropriateness of the convictions, but it is important that this misclassification is rectified as quickly as possible to minimise the impact that this would have on our court system. Two steps are involved in rectifying this issue. Firstly, this bill will stop any more proceedings occurring without jurisdiction by adding the relevant sections of the Crimes Act to schedule 1 of the Summary Proceedings Act. Secondly, the bill will validate any proceedings that have already occurred.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThis bill will also protect anyone who has already commenced proceedings, by challenging his or her convictions on the grounds that he or she should have been tried before a jury. Anyone who appeals on that basis before the legislation receives the Royal assent can continue with his or her appeal. In any such case, it will be left to the courts to decide whether the conviction was valid. This includes the case that brought this matter to the Government\u2019s attention, which is named in the bill. The bill will preserve the rule of law and maintain the separation of powers, by allowing the judiciary to complete matters that are already before it when this legislation comes into force.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EIn the longer term, the proposed Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill will abolish the terms \u201Csummary\u201D and \u201Cindictable\u201D, along with the overly complex system of offence classification. That bill is due to be introduced before the end of the year. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u0022c9aff8d9870d43ad9d2f3dc77d019b99\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c9aff8d9870d43ad9d2f3dc77d019b99\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I want to associate Labour members with what the Minister Kate Wilkinson said in her first reading speech on the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2). It is the case at the moment that the way in which a criminal charge proceeds in New Zealand depends on how information is laid. There are two choices. As we heard from the Minister, there is the summary jurisdiction, where the case is heard by a judge alone, or the indictable jurisdiction, where a jury trial is required. As the Minister said, that distinction, which has long been maintained in New Zealand law, is due to end when the Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill comes before the House. In principle, the idea of ending the distinction is one that I understand has the support of a number of parties; certainly Labour supports the idea of ending what is essentially now an archaic distinction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E In respect of the mistake that Parliament will correct by passing this legislation, as we heard the Minister explain, there was an attempt to amend the Summary Proceedings Act\u2014an attempt that came into force in June 2008\u2014to exclude three offences from schedule 1 of the Act. The intention of Parliament was that that would result in those offences being able to be proceeded against summarily. But, in fact, it is quite apparent from a case decided by the District Court in Hamilton in June that the opposite effect was achieved to that which Parliament intended. As we have been reminded, that does not mean in respect of the 46,000 potentially ultra vires proceedings since 2008 that some unfair substantive result has occurred; it is simply an issue of having adopted the wrong procedure by which those offences had been tried. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EIt is important to point out that there are two parts to the bill. First of all, Parliament intends to remedy the problem and stop any more ultra vires proceedings occurring. Obviously that is appropriate, given the error that has been identified here. Secondly, all proceedings that have already occurred will be validated. There is an important aspect to that. If there has been a challenge to the way in which a prosecution has been brought, then this bill will also preserve the right of a person to continue to bring that challenge. So no rule-of-law principles are offended. This is a classic example of how Parliament ought to rectify a mistake. It will have the support of members on this side of the House, and I commend the amending legislation to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u0022d70ec4c4bf994b3ebe588eccf1a99d43\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d70ec4c4bf994b3ebe588eccf1a99d43\u0022\u003ECHESTER BORROWS (National\u2014Whanganui):\u003C/span\u003E I rise in support of this administrative procedure to undo a mistake that was made just a few years ago. It is the sort of thing that can happen in any parliamentary system where we as parliamentarians receive advice and act accordingly in wanting to simplify processes, and sometimes the reverse occurs. So we are here today in urgency to put that matter right with the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2). When that occurs in other contexts, in respect of other bills that may have been brought to the House by esteemed members like Mr Paul Quinn, legislation can get bashed around by members on the other side of the House, but it is good to be here on an occasion when both sides of the House are able to understand that mistakes happen, even in the most perfect of systems under the most ideal of Governments\u2014little glitches and things occur that sometimes have to be fixed up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227cfb9c61b3da4a70b7162fa2cd631f72\u0022\u003EHon Darren Hughes\u003C/span\u003E: How can a perfect system throw up that, though?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d0db9c9abce8443386a50890f213549a\u0022\u003ECHESTER BORROWS\u003C/span\u003E: Let us face it. It threw up a number of unusual beings on the other side of the House, so we will be\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002256fd0801f0f749ceb068ee7564df801f\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Steady on!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ecbcbdc363b4ea48e5b7fa3c68ba89e\u0022\u003ECHESTER BORROWS\u003C/span\u003E: Slap for slap. We are all here of one accord today. I am sure those listening and those watching from the gallery will be very pleased to see it happen. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u0022f81035a732c24b27832070ff08e6a48d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f81035a732c24b27832070ff08e6a48d\u0022\u003ESIMON BRIDGES (National\u2014Tauranga):\u003C/span\u003E The Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2)\u2014we can put it bluntly, I think\u2014is the result of a cock-up. Although the previous Labour Government made it, National voted for it, so let us all accept that and not sugar-coat it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EI will not go through what the bill does; it has been very well explained by Minister Wilkinson and Charles Chauvel. Effectively, I want to make the point that in correcting something that has happened we are acting retrospectively to take away the right, I suppose we can say, to have a jury trial. No injustice at all has been done in that act, because common sense would suggest that the persons involved have done minor offences\u2014theft and the like at a very minor level. They are summary offences and they should be summary offences, but through the mistake we made they were indictable offences under the old law, which we are amending. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EWe are acting, as I said, retrospectively. A number of academic lawyers would take issue with that. There will be some hand-wringing about it. But in this very short call I suggest that the hand-wringing over retrospective legislation by academic lawyers is sometimes overdone. Some might say\u2014and I do not necessarily say this\u2014that it is because they see it as a problem with parliamentary sovereignty. They say it should be rule by lawyers\u2014not necessarily rule by law\u2014rather than, as we are in this Parliament because we are democratically elected, ruled by the people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EI say to this House that we are sovereign. Parliament is able to, in appropriate circumstances, retrospectively enact law that corrects things. Sometimes in a technical sense, at least, it does away with rights, although with this bill it is a common-sense thing to do. We should not shy away from that. We should, of course, take care and we should not do it unnecessarily, but there are appropriate instances\u2014and this is such an instance\u2014when we need to act retrospectively. We should not, and academic lawyers should not, conflate the \u201Cnever act retrospectively\u201D with the \u201Ctake care when acting retrospectively\u201D in this Parliament. It is a right that we have that we should jealously guard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EAs I said, the changes we are making with this bill are the right thing to do morally, politically, and legally. We are talking about minor crimes that never should have come with a right to jury trial. We fix that cock-up today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022 data-id=\u00227833108b5766453f92053d996165a267\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227833108b5766453f92053d996165a267\u0022\u003ECATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. The Green Party did not support the 2008 Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill, the flaws of which this current bill, the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2) is intended to rectify. We believe in taking care. The relevant Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill was part of the omnibus Criminal Procedure Bill, which the Green Party opposed as deeply problematic and flawed legislation. As we opposed the primary legislation that this bill amends, the Green Party will be abstaining from voting on the current bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022 data-id=\u00224abe95d960724d0daa2b9a2bd4f30172\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224abe95d960724d0daa2b9a2bd4f30172\u0022\u003EHon HEATHER ROY (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to speak to the first reading of the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2). The ACT Party will be supporting this bill, as I think most other parties are, except for the Greens, who have just announced their abstention. It makes good sense, of course, to proceed with this rectification of a mistake that was made. Without wanting to apportion blame, I think the best thing we can do is learn a lesson from this. The ACT Party puts a lot of store on regulatory responsibility. In fact, we have measures in the confidence and supply agreement with National in that regard. Regulatory responsibility is something that each and every one of us in this House should take very seriously. There are some very basic questions that we should always ask ourselves, I believe, when we write legislation. They are questions such as what the intent is of this legislation, what exactly it is set to achieve; what the costs will be, both financial costs and societal costs; and, most important, some thought should certainly be given to what the unintended consequences could be, looking forward. There are some lessons for us, particularly in light of this legislation. We should be mindful of that when we put things forward in this House, when we do our work at select committees, and when we debate in this Chamber. We are happy to pass this bill under urgency today. It certainly is an issue that I think warrants urgency. It is not often that we in the ACT Party say that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226c1d5df8-ac1d-4ce1-a778-202845cfc69f\u0022\u003EThe previous National speaker, Simon Bridges, also talked about the rights and wrongs of retrospective legislation. As a rule, we in the ACT Party are opposed to retrospective legislation. Since I have been in this House, since 2002, there have been a number of occasions when we have very vigorously opposed retrospective legislation. But in this case I agree with Simon Bridges when he says that occasionally there is an issue that warrants retrospective legislation being put in place. I agree with him that this is one such case. With those things in mind, the ACT Party supports this legislation, but we remind each and every one of our colleagues sitting in this House that regulatory responsibility certainly is something we should take very seriously. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u00220b6ff5f21cc8419db58f39fcfdc7389f\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a first time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 94\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; New Zealand Labour 30; ACT New Zealand 4; Progressive 1; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAbstentions 7\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EGreen Party 7.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a first time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000475\u0022\u003EThe result corrected after originally being announced as Ayes 99, Abstentions 7.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022528409787f7d4f7d9f4fe930c62a2fc4\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u00228aa554f8cfd6412183a577ebd8a8fc8f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228aa554f8cfd6412183a577ebd8a8fc8f\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Conservation)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Justice: I move, That the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a second time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u0022070664b655944d0ca364c6d79c40185e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022070664b655944d0ca364c6d79c40185e\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E For all the reasons that I referred to in my speech on the previous reading of the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2), I commend the bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002267431f57-e958-4c83-b438-7da8061d479e\u0022 data-id=\u0022bbaae341cd114878b5110d1af5104202\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267431f57-e958-4c83-b438-7da8061d479e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bbaae341cd114878b5110d1af5104202\u0022\u003EPAUL QUINN (National):\u003C/span\u003E I will take only a short call, I promise. I just wanted to make a few remarks. The first is that I was always taught a little saying: \u201CWhat goes around comes around\u201D. The second little ditty was \u201CGood things come to those who wait\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002267431f57-e958-4c83-b438-7da8061d479e\u0022\u003EWe have heard a lot about bad drafting of legislation of recent times. So let this be a salutary lesson to all of us that we can all make mistakes. In the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie and in friendship, I have great pleasure in supporting the second reading of the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2). \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022804a8916045c418b973488bcfbeb18cf\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 94\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; New Zealand Labour 30; ACT New Zealand 4; Progressive 1; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAbstentions 7\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EGreen Party 7.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000481\u0022\u003EThe result corrected after originally being announced as Ayes 99, Abstentions 7.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00225e59c02476284c6899b44585d123cc1f\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022 data-id=\u00220b947c0ab4a94081918fcee8a76e35c7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221368ba6c-25be-40f6-a2a0-8f81e1f78b79\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220b947c0ab4a94081918fcee8a76e35c7\u0022\u003ECHRIS TREMAIN (Senior Whip\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E I seek the leave of the House for the Committee stage of the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2) to be taken as one debate with multiple calls.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221874e0e6093a481fb9b0cfaa95bc8b66\u0022\u003EThe CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There is no objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00223d20ff7a93c84ec8bd5e7cd1911f5ff1\u0022\u003EClauses 1 to 6\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022855d8410874b4cd49ed6dd327ea3b8ca\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That clauses 1 to 6 be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 94\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; New Zealand Labour 30; ACT New Zealand 4; Progressive 1; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAbstentions 7\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EGreen Party 7.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EClauses 1 to 6 agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000486\u0022\u003EBill reported without amendment.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000487\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000488\u0022\u003EThe result corrected after originally being announced as Ayes 99, Abstentions 7.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022103ab771c7124614a0342f79efa2f397\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022103ab771c7124614a0342f79efa2f397\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I have made a mistake. I seek leave to correct that mistake. I should have cast a lower number than I did for Labour. So I seek leave to correct the vote.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a87075ccd2784c19b40905928c3291e7\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to correct the vote. Is anyone opposed to that course of action? It appears not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c437bda8-4741-4ac5-89ab-b0818e1ab9fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ce9e73c6a8f43e293feb05a9dc94bd3\u0022\u003EHon DARREN HUGHES\u003C/span\u003E: It should have been 30 Labour votes in favour of the first and second readings and during the Committee stage. I incorrectly cast a higher number, and for that I offer a fulsome apology this hour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f4112fc5-c53f-4aa9-bf6d-5a05ce6252cf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce06ac1771ca4c92b6101cf798734610\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy)\u003C/span\u003E: The apology is accepted and the record will be corrected. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022547df72505a24c45a78d7f4ff97ed498\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022 data-id=\u0022ab2e87d3257d49db8e4adc04318ff823\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ab2e87d3257d49db8e4adc04318ff823\u0022\u003EHon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a third time. As the House has heard, this bill addresses a misclassification of some minor property offences by adding them to schedule 1 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957. It also validates the proceedings that have occurred without jurisdiction because of the misclassification. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThe misclassification was identified in a recent District Court case. An amendment to the Summary Proceedings Act 1957 that came into force in June 2008 had intended to make some minor property offences purely summary offences, which are heard by a judge alone. The 2008 amendments aimed to do this by excluding them from schedule 1 of the Act. In fact, it had the opposite effect, making them purely indictable offences that should be tried before a jury. This misclassification should be rectified as quickly as possible to minimise its impact on our court system. It is not desirable to leave it to be dealt with by the courts as a matter of statutory interpretation. Leaving the question to be resolved by way of appeals would be a lengthy and costly process that would create uncertainty for the other 46,000 cases. Further, if it was ultimately found that these cases should be tried before a jury, the costs associated with holding jury hearings for those minor offences would be a significant strain on our courts\u2019 limited resources. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EThis technical error does not undermine the fairness or the appropriateness of any convictions. It is appropriate that low-level offences of this nature be dealt with summarily. There are two steps involved in rectifying this issue. Firstly, this bill will stop any more proceedings occurring without jurisdiction by adding the relevant sections of the Crimes Act to schedule 1 of the Summary Proceedings Act. Secondly, this bill will validate any proceedings that have already occurred. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EIn the longer term, the proposed Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill will abolish the terms \u201Csummary\u201D and \u201Cindictable\u201D, along with the overly complex system of offence classification. The Summary Proceedings Act 1957 will largely be replaced to make court processes clearer and more efficient, improving access to justice for court users and promoting public confidence in the system. That bill is due to be introduced before the end of the year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022136da8c4-afc7-483e-a39c-c66812f71774\u0022\u003EI close by acknowledging the cooperation we have had from members of the House in dealing with this matter expeditiously. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022 data-id=\u00220a9430b8cfd944aea1e77688660cb168\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220a9430b8cfd944aea1e77688660cb168\u0022\u003ECHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E There have been a number of excellent contributions to the debate on the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2), although it has been short. I will make a couple of references to those contributions in my third reading speech.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EIronically, one of those contributions, at least in substance if not in form, came from Paul Quinn. He pointed out that this sort of mistake is easily made, and that observation has been made by others, as well. One of the things we need to consider as a Parliament is why we make these sorts of mistakes, given that we have a number of checks and balances in the system. We have excellent officials\u2014that is generally agreed across the House\u2014both in the department and in the Parliamentary Counsel Office, advising on the form and substance of these sorts of changes. It probably is appropriate to reflect on whether omnibus criminal law reform is a good idea. Clearly, the previous Government thought it was on this occasion. As has been pointed out, the Opposition at the time supported that notion. But it is the case that criminal law changes dealing with the detail and the minutiae of the classification of offences, for example, are complex. They involve a level of detail that sometimes we gloss over in the House, particularly when there is consensus on an issue, and I think it is appropriate to reflect on whether we do pay enough attention to these sorts of issues all the time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EIt is particularly appropriate to consider that at the moment, because, as the Minister of Conservation has reminded us, we have amending legislation coming into the House this year\u2014if the Government\u2019s legislative programme advances to plan\u2014to remove the summary/indictable distinction, so we will be revisiting this issue. We have the Legislation Bill before the Regulations Review Committee at the moment, which would introduce a new, streamlined procedure for legislation that is certified by the Attorney-General, the Clerk, and others to be simply procedural in nature. That legislation would be enacted through a different form from the first, second, and third readings and Committee stage that we have become used to under the Standing Orders. We need to be very sure that before we adopt that sort of procedure, we have in this House sufficient safeguards to make sure that that sort of streamlined enactment procedure is appropriate for legislation that will not get the sort of detailed scrutiny that, frankly, as we now see\u2014thanks to Judge Marshall\u2019s decision\u2014this legislation should have had and did not get. As was said, it could have happened on anyone\u2019s watch, but we need to look at why it happened and at how we can do our best, I think through the safeguards we have in the form of the officials and the select committee procedure, and through our decisions as parties to vote in particular ways on particular legislation, to safeguard against this sort of mistake being repeated too often, at least.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EThe only other thing I wanted to say was to reflect on the comments that have been made about retrospective legislation. It is generally offensive to legislate retrospectively, but here it is pretty clear that the safeguards have been observed. There has been a real attempt in the drafting of the legislation to preserve rights as they exist at the time of the giving of the Royal assent, or as they will exist when that assent comes to be given to this legislation. There will be the preservation of rights to challenge proceedings that have been mounted to question the ultra vires of any proceedings under the amending legislation, and that is appropriate while taking a validating approach going forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002259e9efe2-6dea-4eeb-869a-ef5b3e48a5b5\u0022\u003EWith those concluding comments, I indicate that Labour members continue to support the validating legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022 data-id=\u0022099de856939144a1ae6fce7bb35b9a22\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022099de856939144a1ae6fce7bb35b9a22\u0022\u003EKANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is my privilege to contribute to the third reading of the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2). This bill fixes an anomaly in a 2008 amendment to the Summary Proceedings Act 1957 and ensures that only offences that are punishable by more than 3 months\u2019 imprisonment are eligible for jury trial.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003EI agree with Charles Chauvel that there are many mistakes in legislation that need be fixed. In the debate on my first member\u2019s bill, the Military Manoeuvres Act Repeal Bill, I mentioned that many statutory bills are not used for many years. I had a few meetings with the Attorney-General, and, hopefully, he will look into those bills that have not been used for many years, and we will fix that in the coming time. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022 data-id=\u0022ced74e0eedf347cf993b83c2279abbcb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220ee528dc-7870-4553-95ed-5ec0cab60f07\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ced74e0eedf347cf993b83c2279abbcb\u0022\u003ECATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green):\u003C/span\u003E I will take a brief final call. The Greens, the only party that is abstaining from voting on the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2), echo many of the comments that we have heard. I am a new MP and I am not a lawyer, but omnibus bills seem to me to be particularly problematic, in terms of consistency. The issues are all over the place, often, in terms of people recognising the consequences of the provisions. We as legislators have to recognise that not only do we have to write fair law but also it has to be seen to be fair. So when we do make mistakes, owning those mistakes and recognising who bears the consequences of them is a very important part of what we are here to do. Although the two major parties may have supported each other on the previous legislation, we certainly did not. We are also very committed to being consistent. We agree with the need to tidy up and rectify the legislation, but we do need to abstain from voting in this instance out of consistency, a commitment to fairness, and the desire to be seen by the public to be fair. Thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002203396c60e62e458dbbc71a672676d6da\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Summary Proceedings Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 94\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 58; New Zealand Labour 30; ACT New Zealand 4; Progressive 1; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAbstentions 6\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EGreen Party 6.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201010285898cf1ea5e3491fba54c47a3d2fade2000507\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 2.35 p.m. (Friday)\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"