Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Employment Relations Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee 
Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Employment Relations Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee 
[Volume:651;Page:388] 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie) 
: 
 I am here to talk about the Employment Relations Amendment Bill. I do not wish to repeat what has already been stated by both sides of the House; I want to add my perspective as the member of Parliament for Maungakiekie. I am glad that the former Minister actually asked about the Pasifika worker in Maungakiekie because I have talked to hundreds of Pasifika workers in Maungakiekie. 
Darien Fenton 
: Which factories? 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Sanitarium Coca-Cola—does the member want me to keep going? All right; I am happy to take any member from that side of the House to Maungakiekie not for a photo opportunity but to talk to the people—the people who voted for National by the way.  
I preface these statements by saying there has been a lot of talk about theory in this House. There has been a lot of talk about “the worker”. Well I can safely say that I have been one of those workers. I have been a worker who has spent 12 hours a day—even 12 hours a night—at UEB Industries and 12 hours a night at Deka and I am happy to show some of our fellow MPs what real work is about. We dealt with 30-kilogram rice sacks and 40-foot containers and I am happy to show my fellow members of Parliament what hard work is about.  
That is fine but I do not want to talk to members about myself. It is not about me; it is about the workers. I am happy that my Labour colleagues have asked about workers because the workers I talk to—the workers who are looking for opportunities currently the workers who are suffering after 9 years of Labour rule in this country—are saying to me that it is really about opportunity. It is about the opportunity to get a role in a business. It is about the opportunity for workers to at least be given the opportunity to prove themselves—to turn up to work and to give a good day’s work—and to get paid well. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Do you know they are allowed to do that now? 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: They are but this bill is about employers who put funds into a business. I have been an employer as well and it is hard to put capital into a business and then have a relationship break down. Within the 3 months that— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: It’s not easy for workers either. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: No it is not easy.  
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: So why write them off? Why abandon the workers? 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Let me tell the member about a prisoner called Chris because I can point to real examples. It is not theory—there is no theory. Chris was in Paremoremo prison. I attended his parole hearing and we got him out. I went with him to interviews where he could not get a job. He had ticked the box that said “I am an ex-convict”. Employers just were not willing to take the risk.  
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Did he ask for a trial? 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: I can speak only for Maungakiekie not Hutt South and employers in Maungakiekie have said: “If you give us a 90-day probation period then we’ll be able to make those investments in people.”  
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Well you can do that under the law now. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Yes and that is fine. I will talk to members about Sione in Panmure which is supposedly heartland Labour. Sione was struggling to get a job. Sione could not pay for his kids’ Christmas presents. Sione was struggling and I said to him: “Come with me and let’s go and talk to some employers in the Panmure area.” It is really tough right now and this bill will allow young companies that do not have funds to take a risk to employ people they would not otherwise employ. 
Some members from the other side talked about hiring foreign workers. Last Friday afternoon I was in a clothing plant in Onehunga—and Onehunga is in Maungakiekie—and the employers there were saying that 90 percent of their workforce are foreign-born. Employers really are crying out for help but they cannot take a risk on employees who would come in but just maybe not be able to perform within 3 months. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: What’s the member saying? He’s not being consistent. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: This is about choice. It really is. The employee and the employer will be able to agree on and sign a written agreement for a 90-day probation period. It really is about that. That is all I will say about the experiences I have had as an employee and as an employer. 
Funnily enough it is also about the experiences I have had with union members. On Saturday night I had the privilege of talking to a number of union members in my electorate. 
Darien Fenton 
: Did you? Who? 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: I am happy to name names. It happened to be the next president of the Labour Party Andrew Little and a number of his Amalgamated Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union friends and I was happy to have that dialogue. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: He’s never been the president of our party. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: He is the next president. I was happy to have the dialogue. We had a pleasant dialogue. He stated his case for why he disagreed with this bill and I stated my case. It was a pleasant dialogue. I still respect the man and that is what this democracy is about. This bill will improve the opportunities for working class people. That is what it is about. Mr Assistant Speaker I thank the House for its time.