Rosewarne DanDAN ROSEWARNE (Labour): Kia ora. Thank you Mr Speaker. It's my pleasure to rise in support of the Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill. I just want to take a moment to congratulate the member who brought this bill before the house Ibrahim Omer. Ibrahim's story about how he came to New Zealand and entered the workforce and the challenges that he faced is just a fine example of why we need people like him in this House advocating on behalf of the community. Even before he entered Parliament Ibrahim was working as a union organiser raising awareness on this issue and fighting for the rights of exploited workers. I want to thank him for continuing this work here in Parliament.This bill will send a strong signal that wage theft is a crime that will need to be taken seriously. As it stands now it is often quite hard for workers to go after employers withholding wages. This process can be costly complex and time-consuming and it's often hard for migrants with limited resources to navigate the current system. The bill also addresses a double standard: when employees steal from their employers they receive a criminal conviction; wage theft is usually treated as a civil matter. This bill proposes an amendment to the Crimes Act 1961 and introduces a new section that defines wage theft" as theft by an employer. The amendment aims to ensure that employers pay their employees the wages owed as agreed upon in the employment relationship. This bill clearly defines the withholding of wages as theft. Deliberately withholding wages or monetary entitlements will be considered theft and punished by a term of imprisonment or substantial fines.This is an important first step when we know that sanctions against wage theft in New Zealand are relatively light compared to other countries. In Queensland for example wage theft has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and the fines can reach in the amounts of hundreds of thousands of dollars. By clarifying the definition of wage theft this bill will simplify the process for the victims and make it easier for workers to get what they are owed for their labour and their hard work. It's time to hold everyone to account.This bill is important because the crime it punishes is one where the victims are often vulnerable members of society that can have a hard time fighting for their rights. This kind of practice is common in sectors employing low-paid immigrant labour and Ibrahim's experience shows how common this is for migrants here in New Zealand. They arrive here and they have no support system and only limited knowledge of their rights and legal protections. It's very easy for a small number of businesses out there—or owners out there—to exploit that vulnerable workforce. We should not accept that situation as normal and we should strive to guarantee the dignity of all workers here in New Zealand.This bill will deter those behaviours and it will make it clear to employers that these practices are unacceptable and will be punished. It will also make it easier for the exploited worker to report those practices with confidence and it will be taken seriously and punished in accordance with the new Act. When we make sure that everyone receives fair payment for their work and that all workers are protected from exploitation we will have a better workforce a workforce that is better represented.Now National often claims to be tough on crime. Well and this is—Hon Dr Duncan Webb: Not all crime!DAN ROSEWARNE: That's right. That's right Mr Webb. But the only reason I can explain why National will not support this bill is that they somehow consider white-collar crime to be less serious. Stealing and withholding pay—that's a crime in the same way that a thief's stealing from a home is a crime. The only difference is that sometimes the ones committing this crime in the first case are wearing suits. This bill fits with what the Government has done to protect workers: we have established the fair pay agreement system we've expanded workers' protection and we've raised the minimum wage. I commend this bill to the House."