Mapp Wayne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Mapp Wayne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:623;Page:18877] 
8.  
Dr WAYNE MAPP (National—North Shore) 
 to the  
Minister of Labour 
: Has he been briefed by Andrew Little Secretary of the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union on the union’s push for 5 percent across-the-board wage rises; if so does he agree with the statement by Mr Mike Williams President of the New Zealand Labour Party that the 5 percent claim against all companies was “pretty modest” given the economy? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 No. However last Friday afternoon Mr Little rang my office to say that the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union would be launching a campaign to increase the wage rates for its membership. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Who then should the unions believe: the Prime Minister when she says that a 5 percent across-the-board wage claim is unrealistic and should be tempered by the Working for Families package or the Labour Party President Mike Williams when he says that 5 percent across the board is perfectly reasonable? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The Prime Minister has made it clear that the policy of the Government is that the wage rates that are struck are the responsibility of employers unions or employees. The President of the Labour Party Mike Williams has been made aware of Government policy. 
Lianne Dalziel 
: What role in the context of this question does workplace productivity play in ensuring that economic growth is sustainable? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Heaps! Improving workplace productivity helps ensure that wage growth does not put undue pressure on inflation targets. The release of the workplace productivity working group’s report late last year identified a number of key factors that help drive productivity in all workplaces. Examples include investing in people in skills encouraging innovation and use of technology. The Government in partnership with business industry and unions is now working on turning these drivers into practical action that all employers and employees can use to improve productivity at the workplace level. 
Peter Brown 
: Is it not true that the Government is totally opposed to the 5 percent general wage rise for a number of reasons principally because it would be more embarrassed when handling organisations that depend on it such as rest homes that have not yet been reimbursed for inflation costs the Holidays Act and superannuitants who are being short-changed weekly by this Government and is that not the real reason the Government is opposed to this wage rise? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: No. The point is that the Government does not set wage rates. That is between employers employees and unions. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: How does the Minister reconcile the Prime Minister’s claim that the Working for Families package will help workers when on 1 April every worker and citizen in New Zealand will be hit by a 5c per litre increase in petrol tax that will decrease workers’ take-home pay? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Because what she said is true. 
Hon Damien O'Connor 
: I sought leave previously to table my speech. I seek leave to table another article “Smoking Cannabis Virtually Doubles the Risk of Developing Mental Illnesses such as Schizophrenia” again for the Green Party to read. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.