Lees-Galloway Iain: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLees-Galloway Iain: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 16 March 2016. Volume:712;Page:9796. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North) to the Minister of Immigration: Is the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme working for New Zealand and for the temporary migrants who work under the scheme?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Minister of Immigration): Yes to both. The Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme has been held up by the World Bank as a model scheme because of its benefits to both New Zealand and the Pacific. For example in a report released last year four out of five recognised seasonal employers said they had employed more New Zealand workers as a result of the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme because they could expand their business.Iain Lees-Galloway: Does he agree with Kaikōura MP Stuart Smith that the answer to the labour shortage on Marlborough vineyards is to increase the number of temporary migrants who work in New Zealand each year under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme despite the fact that the Government has nearly doubled that number already?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: The member may be aware that actually the largest increase in the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme numbers was by the Labour Government 4 days—4 days—before being thrown out of office in November 2008. It increased the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme numbers by—Iain Lees-Galloway: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was: does he agree with Stuart Smith about increasing the numbers now despite the increase that this Government has made—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! In framing the question the member then went on and talked about a recent doubling of the numbers and the Minister has chosen to respond to that part of the question.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: In contrast to that this Government takes a much more discerning view about where those increases in Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme numbers go including into Nelson-Marlborough when the last increase of 500 last year targeted specific regions with the lowest unemployment. That was western Bay of Plenty and Nelson-Marlborough.Iain Lees-Galloway: If he cannot bring himself to agree with Stuart Smith does he agree—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. Do not start the question that way; simply start the question in line with the Standing Orders.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Which part of the beginning of his question was not in line with the Standing Orders?Mr SPEAKER: When the member stood up there and said “If he cannot agree with his colleague” and I said: “Don’t start the question that way. Start it in line with the Standing Orders.”Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: I have ruled Mr Hipkins. Is it a fresh point of order?Chris Hipkins: It is a fresh point of order.Mr SPEAKER: And it is not relitigating a decision I have just made? I just want to check on that.Chris Hipkins: Yes it is a fresh point of order.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear it.Chris Hipkins: Are you now ruling that a question beginning with the word “If” cannot then contain a statement relating to the answer that has just been given?Mr SPEAKER: No that is not a fresh point of order. The member is now only attempting to relitigate. It was the reference to the fact that according to Mr Lees-Galloway the Minister was not prepared to agree with the statement of Stuart Smith. That is the part I took objection to. Does the member have further supplementary questions? I am happy to move on.Iain Lees-Galloway: Does he agree with Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens who says that “for New Zealanders who want to get on board the opportunities are endless there are jobs for life.”; if so should he and Stuart Smith not focus on how to get more New Zealanders working in vineyards and orchards?Mr SPEAKER: Either of those two supplementary questions the Hon Michael Woodhouse.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Speaking to the second part of that question that is exactly what the Government is doing and the best evidence of that is that although there has been a 10 percent increase in growth in the horticulture and viticulture industry in the last couple of years only 1 percent of the extra labour costs has come from the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. This Government has been very very stern with the employers to ensure that they are diligent in employing Kiwis first.Iain Lees-Galloway: Does he believe in free markets; if so will he encourage employers to meet the market by ensuring that pay conditions and accommodation are sufficient to attract New Zealand citizens to work in horticulture and agriculture?Mr SPEAKER: Again either of those two supplementary questions—the Hon Michael Woodhouse.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: I am very sure that the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety has a strong framework for ensuring that fair flexible and safe workplaces in New Zealand are maintained including increasing the minimum wage by about 3.4 percent only a couple of weeks ago. I think he is doing a very good job.Hon Paula Bennett: Has the Minister seen any reports on the economic benefits to the Pacific Islands that actually come from the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. Can he say actually what past Governments have done to support that and how ironic—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I allowed the member to ask a supplementary question. It was not a chance to ask three.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Indeed I have seen a plethora of reports about how beneficial this is to Pacific nations. The remittances that are sent back the skills that are developed and the work ethics identified are extraordinarily positive. I have had successive Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Immigration coming to my office saying how valuable this scheme is to them and to New Zealand.Iain Lees-Galloway: Supplementary question—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! [Interruption] Order! Mr Brownlee I am giving you your last warning for this week. If you are going to continue to interject when I call for order you leave me no choice but to ask you to leave the Chamber. That is your final warning for this week.Iain Lees-Galloway: Why should temporary migrants have to work for pay and conditions that New Zealanders will not tolerate and is it not in the long-term interests of the New Zealand wine industry to build a sustainable workforce rather than looking for short-term fixes that are designed to keep wages down and discourage investment and providing better conditions?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: I simply do not accept the prefacing statement in that question. I am satisfied that overseas workers are being treated fairly and in accordance with New Zealand wage rates. Indeed I have direct experience of vineyards right around the country where those Pacific workers are enjoying very much the benefits of their productivity and taking significant remittances back to their home countries.