Auchinvole Chris: Estimates Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeAuchinvole Chris: Estimates Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 30 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:12073. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National):It is a pleasure to follow on from the chair of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee and indeed it is with pleasure that I see we have the two Ministers involved in employment and employment conditions—both are held in considerable respect. The subject of employment relations touches all our lives in some form.Darien Fenton: Wrong portfolio. Wrong vote.CHRIS AUCHINVOLE: It is a very significant aspect of economic growth and employment relations have changed and advanced hugely over the years. I speak unlike the lady member on the other side as one old enough to have worked through the changes and have experienced the results of them as an employee as an employer and as a sole trader.Paul Goldsmith: You’ve covered all the bases.CHRIS AUCHINVOLE: Well not quite because what I have not covered was being a politician and to be a politician provides a much wider aspect of consideration.Paul Goldsmith: Have you been unemployed?CHRIS AUCHINVOLE: No I have never been unemployed. It is funny you should say that but I do not think I ever have.Sure there has been an improvement but we still need to improve further and we need legislation to improve it further and this Government I am very proud to say is focused on a series of steps to produce better results. National’s focus is on creating more and higher-paying jobs for New Zealanders as part of our plan to build a more competitive and productive economy which is only one of our four priorities this term. A flexible and fair labour market is crucial for encouraging economic growth; I think everybody agrees with that. This Government knows that a flexible and fair labour market is crucial for encouraging economic growth. This Government is focused on protecting jobs and ensuring fair wages.The results so far. If we look at our results so far we can pick on just a few items for which I am sure given the consideration of time even Opposition members will see the benefits of them. Our starting out wage is now in force. Young people get the chance to gain experience and job skills where they are currently missing them or have been missing out. The starting out wage we estimate could create up to 2000 new jobs for 16 to 19-year-olds in its first 2 years. We have supported and created jobs.Ninety-day trials have encouraged businesses to take a chance on new employees. Has this worked or not? We say that more than 13000 jobs have been created with that. Eighty percent of employers retained their staff once this trial period was over—80 percent of workers stayed with their selected place of work. I remember we heard somuch that we were going to have “name and shame” examples from the trade unions of companies that were using it as a device to get rid of people after 3 months.David Bennett: Where are they?CHRIS AUCHINVOLE: Where are they? Where is the list? We have not heard it yet. We have not heard it.Nearly 60000 more Kiwis have jobs now than 2 years ago. That is from the household labour force survey. I believe and I am open to correction that there are more New Zealanders in work now than ever before. I am getting nods from Minister Paula Bennett. I am getting agreement from Minister Bridges. These are the people who know.We made the Holidays Act more flexible. We have raised the minimum wage every year. We have taken a careful and balanced approach that prevents workers being priced out of the labour market. We have supported working parents and continue to discuss that—we continue to discuss it. Our next steps include—Tracey Martin: “Continue to discuss it”? You’re going to veto it.David Bennett: There’s a mouse over there somewhere.CHRIS AUCHINVOLE: What is that? Sorry?David Bennett: There’s a mouse over there.CHRIS AUCHINVOLE: Thank you Mr Bennett—thank you. We are establishing several new reforms as our next steps. We are establishing WorkSafe New Zealand and implementing the report recommendations from the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy. I guess the message is clear from the Ministers: if you want to create wealth there had better be full regard for the health and the safety of all involved because that is going to be a priority. The royal commission sat in Greymouth and I strove to be at the hearings whenever the parliamentary calendar allowed. It was a very very sombre part of my life and of the lives of everybody who was there. Since the recommendations have been presented a lot has happened and it will continue to happen. Let us look at some of those things now.