Woodhouse Michael: Employment Relations (Workers’ Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Woodhouse Michael: Employment Relations (Workers’ Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:668;Page:15220] 
MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) 
: 
 I am delighted to take the final call in the second reading of the Employment Relations (Workers’ Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill. But as this is the first time I have spoken today I wonder whether Assistant Speaker Roy would indulge my acknowledging the people of Otago and Southland and the very good day this is for them. The South Island district health boards have unanimously endorsed the expert panel’s recommendations for the future of neurosurgical services. This is really a victory for common sense and for clinical safety and viability but most of all for people power and for the huge amount of support that was galvanised behind the issue and the success of the campaign. The expert panel acknowledged that were it not for that the outcome might well have been different. 
I will address the issue of my relationship with unions. Ms Beaumont is absolutely correct. I have a very very good relationship with unions; I regard them fondly. They make good managers’ lives easier. When those relationships work well they work very well. But like any organisation even unions can have their problems internally. I congratulate the Opposition on being an Opposition even when that flies in the face of absolutely everything it believes in. It believes in democracy and it believes in the International Labour Organization conventions that say this is a good thing to do. But it is also a case of “If you’re a sinner you must have sinned.”—if this bill is being brought forward by National it cannot possibly be a good idea. I think it is a terrible shame that in its efforts to be a good Opposition it cannot do the common-sense thing like the expert panel did and look at the issues and support this bill on its merits. 
As members know I am a rugby referee. I still get the odd game in; in fact even Mr Mallard has run touch for me on the odd occasion when I have been refereeing Hutt Old Boys Marist. One of the things players always say to me is: “Whether you get it right or get it wrong at least be consistent.” That I think is a message and a lesson that that party and its supporter unions could take on board. 
I will give members a couple of examples. I was fascinated by the Unite union campaigning outside Television New Zealand demanding the immediate sacking of Paul Henry. It wanted instant dismissal—no rights of process no rights of natural justice; it wanted just to get rid of him. It did not matter about the merits of the case or whether it was valid. There was a union that said that employee has no rights. I think we also heard that in select committee where we are simultaneously hearing the Employment Relations Amendment Bill (No 2) and in particular the extension of the 90-day probation period. Members on the other side will recall asking employer associations what would happen to an employee when applying for a job if the employer said that there was a 90-day provision and the employee said they did not like that. The answer was that the prospective employee was free not to accept the job on those terms. Oh how terrible! Oh is that not absolutely appalling? 
I compare that with what we heard Carol Beaumont say tonight and the Service and Food Workers Union repeated it in submissions on this bill. When we asked what would happen to an employee a member of a union who did not like the rules that required an open process Ms Beaumont said they were free to leave. So that was it: take it or leave it. Members opposite should at least be consistent. This bill is a principled approach and a good idea. If it codifies what is exactly happening in practice why on earth do they oppose it? There is still time for Labour to support this bill. It is a good bill and I certainly support it. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: The member has a right of reply.