Tisch Lindsay: Minimum Wage Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Tisch Lindsay: Minimum Wage Amendment Bill — In Committee 
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LINDSAY TISCH (NZ National—Piako) 
: 
 It is very interesting is it not that here we have a Government that wants to talk about growth in the economy wants to have investment wants to do all the things that Governments want to do and wants to give out money yet here is an opportunity for employers to take people on take on trainees to be involved in business at the coalface learning those skills that are so important in business— 
Hon Rick Barker 
: What does this member know? 
LINDSAY TISCH 
: That member has probably never been an employer. He has probably never employed anybody so how would he know? He is just a union man. He would not have a clue. He has never employed anyone never invested and never put his money at risk. Now he is telling young people what is best for them. 
At the moment if I want to employ somebody who does not have the skills I am prepared to give that person a go. I will take people on and give them those opportunities. I will allow them to get that work ethic learn those skills build that expertise and get involved at the coalface. 
 But what does this bill do? This bill says no. The title actually repeals the exemption so the bill could be called the “Minimum Wage (Repeal of Exemption) Bill”. This bill repeals that opportunity for young people and it repeals the opportunity for employers who make an investment by going out there and taking on these people. 
This Government is anti-business anti-growth and anti-employer. This is just another huge compliance cost along with the Holidays (Four Weeks Annual Leave) Amendment Bill accident compensation levies and occupational safety and health regulations. This is just another anti-business anti-employer piece of legislation. What about the people involved? What about the trainees? They are the people we should be looking after. We have an opportunity to help them and what does this Government do? It takes away that exemption. 
Why would I want to take the risk of giving a young person an opportunity to learn some skills and to get some firsthand experience when this Government is saying that young people have to be given a minimum wage? There is a risk associated with it and part of risk management for people who are in business is to weigh up the pros and the cons. I am prepared to give someone a go; I am prepared to give someone the opportunity but I will not be stifled hamstrung and shackled in terms of what I can do in the long term. That is what the Minimum Wage Amendment Bill is about because it does away with the current exemption to make it an incentive for employers to take people on and to allow them to have opportunities. The bill removes that exemption. It is anti-business and anti-employer. 
As Tony Ryall has recommended the bill should be known as the “Minimum Wage (Repeal of Exemption) Bill”. That fairly reflects articulates and crystallises what this bill is about. If we look at the explanatory note we will see it states that a class of trainees will be exempt from the application of the principal Act. It goes on to state: “Currently trainees who are required in their employment to undertake at least 60 credits of training per year … are exempt from the principal Act.” That is fine. There are about 26000 trainees out there who will be affected by this. I will tell members what will happen if we move in and say there will be a minimum wage: employers will say “I’m not prepared to take the risk. I am not prepared to take these people on. I am prepared to give them a fair go at the moment because I have that opportunity.” 
As the Hon Richard Prebble said there is nothing better than hands-on training—that is where people learn life skills. That is where they get the best training they will ever have. They will not get that from either a training institution or a tertiary institution; it is when they are out there doing what has to be done that they learn life skills. This bill takes away that opportunity from these kids. 
I am concerned about the trainees—I am not worried about the employers because they will just find somebody else. I am concerned that this bill says: “Hey we’re not going to allow you to do this. We are going to make it difficult for you.” As the Hon Tony Ryall has said this bill should be regarded as the “Repeal of the Training Exemption Bill”—that is the true title. There is absolutely no way that this bill will help those 26000 trainees out there because it is anti-business.