Brown Peter: Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Brown Peter: Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:629;Page:1850] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 The Minister of Labour made some passionate claims. I think she is wrong; indeed I hope she is wrong. I hope there are not an abundance of employers who will behave in the way that the Minister outlined. I do not think there are. New Zealand is a country made up of fair-minded people. They like to give people a go. New Zealand First will give them a go by supporting this bill going to a select committee. We are absolutely consistent in that approach. New Zealanders wanted the minimum wage problem to be addressed and we supported that bill—we are firm advocates for raising the minimum wage I might add. But we believe that New Zealanders must be heard on these sorts of issues. We know that a number of small businesses are concerned about the current industrial legislation and would like to see this sort of legislation enacted. 
But let me warn the National Party. We know that many people in this country are employed on a casual unfair basis. I am not talking about the man or woman employed in a restaurant to fill in for a holiday period to cover for sickness or just to increase his or her income by working on Friday nights. I am talking about the people who are employed on a regular basis for close to 40 hours a week on a casual base contract. That is totally unfair and we will be looking to address that issue in this bill. I have spoken to Wayne Mapp and he knows New Zealand First’s concerns on it and has given me the distinct impression that he is prepared to accommodate our suggestion. 
It is more than a suggestion; it is a request—or dare I say a demand. I do not believe that this bill will go any further without New Zealand First’s support and we will not support it if we do not address the casual problem. I can tell National members now that my colleagues are hot about that issue. 
Judith Collins 
: Absolutely. 
PETER BROWN 
: I look forward to the member keeping the promise. We raised this issue when Max Bradford was Minister of Labour. We got nowhere with him and we know that a number of New Zealanders suffered for a long time after. We will be making strong submissions to the select committee to look at that issue and we look forward to the National Party supporting our cause in terms of our concerns around casualisation. 
The Minister says that there is a probationary provision—section 67—in the current legislation. That does not fit well with small or even large employers. Quite a number of employers tell me that that section is not adequate. Many of them did not know it existed and they say they need something a little fairer. I believe this bill has the potential to do that although I think some provisions need to be pulled back a bit. Dare I say it to Dr Mapp but I think it might be a little too far to the right. But at this point in time I can say with certainty that New Zealand First will support this bill going to a select committee. We will make strong demands to address the problems of casual people in the workforce and hopefully a number of people will make submissions to the select committee to indicate whether this bill should go any further on its merits. We have some doubts about that; we believe that it might need tidying up. 
I know from employers’ representations as I said a few moments ago that they welcome this bill coming before the select committee. New Zealand First is not prepared to deny them that opportunity to have their say. We know that the unions will make strong representations against this bill. We look forward to receiving their submissions on it because we must first and foremost talk about this issue and the select committee is the ideal forum in which to do that. 
But I emphasise again to my National Party colleagues that New Zealand First support will not go any further than the select committee if we do not address the problems surrounding casualised work. I am getting nods from quite a number of those members so they are awake. I think they have taken the message on board and even Dr Brash looks as though he has taken the message on board. Wayne Mapp will make reference I am certain in his reply and acknowledge New Zealand First’s concern.