Henare Tau: Employment Relations (Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Henare Tau: Employment Relations (Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
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Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 I follow an appalling contribution to the Committee from Lynne Pillay. Not only did that member get personal but she thought she knew her subject. Well let me tell this esteemed Committee that the worst union organiser in this country’s history was Fintan Patrick Walsh. That is right—Fintan Patrick Walsh. He used to throw people off the bloody—excuse me sorry I apologise—ferry. He was an appalling unionist and not one of those members on the other side of the Chamber will get up on their hind legs and say otherwise. Sorry but Fintan Patrick Walsh was one of the worst unionists this country has ever ever seen. 
Let us talk about Moana Mackey. She is here only because she took over some sort of rogue dynasty from her mother. She took over from her mother as some sort of union official down on the East Coast for goodness’ sake. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I understand we are up to clause 1 and I have not heard the member in the chair refer at all to clause 1. He has given just a rather personal tirade—which we on this side of the Chamber quite enjoy actually—and that little tirade about history does not seem to be of much relevance. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I thank the member for her contribution. A number of Speakers’ rulings say that with any speech in reply the speaker has some time to rebut some of the accusations against him or her. But I would hope that the member would shortly come to answering the questions that were raised. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Well now that I have dealt with the last speaker from over there let us have a talk about Mr Faafoi. He says this Employment Relations (Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill— 
Lynne Pillay 
: The member’s a bully. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: The member wants to call me names. Oh dear! How sad! I am really hurt. I am really hurt. Lynne Pillay has spent the last 10 years in this place and she has never ever—ever—in the last 10 years said anything worthwhile on the floor of the House. It amazes me. It is no wonder she lost to Paula Bennett. It is no wonder that Paula Bennett is the member for Waitakere and will continue to be— 
Jacinda Ardern 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I really question the relevance of this at this point—we are debating clause 1—particularly given that the member began his speech by questioning the personalisation of this debate. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Thank you. I again thank the honourable member. It has been rather robust debate tonight. When people make interjections on someone who has the floor they can expect some feedback. But I ask the member now to come to the title and to answer some of the questions. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: If this bill is such a waste of time why have we spent the last 40 minutes listening to members on that side say the bill is a waste of time and not worth debating? Why have we been hearing from those members who have been getting up and down for the last 40 minutes to talk about a bill they think is a waste of time? Well I can tell the Committee why. Mr Faafoi said this bill does not increase the safety of workers. I say to Mr Faafoi “Guess what? It does.” It protects the worker from the bullying tactics that we all know are out there—the bully-boy tactics from the unions. That is what this bill does. It protects. 
The funny thing is I think about Christchurch where all the people have insurance—well most of the people have insurance. A secret ballot whether of a union or of a country is insurance against intimidation. That is all this bill is. It is insurance. It is insurance against intimidation. 
Moana Mackey 
: Should shareholders get secret ballots? Do they have to do secret ballots as well? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: It is insurance against the bully-boy tactics of the likes of Moana Mackey and her mother. 
Kris Faafoi 
: That’s rather rich. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: That is what this bill is all about. And while I am on my feet I say that those members get up and say— 
Kelvin Davis 
: Seconds out! 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: —that the word “worker” is being pulled from the bill. Well here is the reason why I tell Mr Davis and Mr Faafoi; here is the reason why. If they knew what was in the principal Act they would realise that the word “worker” does not appear in the principal Act. It was the Labour Government that passed the principal Act and nowhere in that Act of Parliament which was passed by “Lady Muck” Helen Clark—she passed that bill— 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I take offence at the reference to the previous Prime Minister. I would like the member to withdraw and apologise. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No. The member cannot take offence at that. People make disparaging remarks about each other all the time. This is a robust Parliament. But I would ask the member to try to be careful. Courtesy as I said is contagious. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Well it would have been if they had been courteous. 
Nowhere in the principal Act does the word “worker” appear. Work out why Kelvin Davis got up on his feet and said that that was an attack on workers—that it was a clear attack on workers’ rights that the word “worker” had been pulled from my bill. But the word does not even appear in a bill that was put forward and turned into an Act by a Labour Government. Work that one out. My question to Kris Faafoi who could not even find his way to McDonald’s in 1960 or whenever it was— 
Kris Faafoi 
: You did. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Absolutely—absolutely! I know where they all are and I am quite proud of that fact. 
The last thing I will say for the moment is this. How horrible members on that side of the Chamber must feel. They think that this side of the Chamber does not have any unionists does not have any people who have worked with workers. Well I have news for Labour: most of the members on this side either have been delegates or have helped out during their work experience way back— 
Lynne Pillay 
: Which of those ones? 
Moana Mackey 
: Name them! 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Oh in the abattoirs people have worked in in the hospitals people have worked in they have belonged to unions and they have also been delegates on the shop floor. That is not the preserve of the left. It is about representation. It is about making sure that people are OK. That is it—end of story. I look forward to some pearls of wisdom from the little miss from Waitakere Lynne Pillay and others as this debate goes on.