Hutchison Paul: Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill — In Committee 
Hutchison Paul: Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:637;Page:8083] 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Port Waikato) 
: 
 It was interesting to hear Peter Brown from New Zealand First talk about Part 2. He is absolutely correct that nobody is against the basic thrust of ensuring that all disabled people are given every opportunity possible. In the National Party we do support the New Zealand Disability Strategy and we do support  
Pathways to Inclusion 
. One of the things that Peter Brown did not understand about the excellent amendment I have suggested is that it would incentivise the Government to iron out the flaws in this bill. Then as soon as it had done that the bill could be enacted—2 years was the outer limit. The difficulty with what Peter Brown and New Zealand First have negotiated with the Government is that we have a finite date of 30 November and people just do not trust this Labour Government to have sorted out the practical flaws— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Pull the other one! 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: We see the Hon Clayton Cosgrove over there. I ask that member what the chairman of Workforce Auckland says. He says: “Our support for Dr Hutchison’s amendment stems from our concern that the system proposed to replace the DPEP Act contains serious flaws.” He goes on to say: “We cannot be confident that these flaws will be remedied … given the dismal lack of progress in the nearly 3 years since they were first identified.” That is the record of the Labour Government—a dismal lack of progress. That record goes right back to 2001. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: What’s your record? Cutting all the benefits. Cutting all the disability allowances. 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: Here we have Clayton Cosgrove questioning our record. I see in the chair the Minister of Corrections Damien O’Connor. Has he come here because of the pathetic muck-up he has caused in respect of the Department of Corrections? Will he do the same thing to the disability portfolio? Well I hope not. 
The reality of this bill is that it must be taken seriously and the machinery around the exempting of disabled people is not easy to apply. As has been pointed out by Peter Fraher from Abilities Group this is a very exacting task. There is difficulty in terms of the assessments. The people who are required to do these assessments appropriately require a lot of time and a lot of skill. In the case of abilities every single disabled worker will require an exemption. What is extraordinary about the Government’s amendments is that the Government has said that a labour inspector may revoke a permit at any time if the inspector considers it no longer reasonable and appropriate for the permit to remain in force. So here we have the sheltered workshop management carefully going through and assessing as sensitively and appropriately as it can every disabled worker. But the Labour Government is saying: “Don’t worry about that. One of our inspectors can come in and revoke the permit on a whim.” That clearly is not practical. 
I think Clayton Cosgrove should be aware of the fact that this is driven as always by the trade unions which just do not like the idea of exemptions. They will do everything possible to make it difficult for the sheltered workshops to be able to plan—and that is very much personified in the extra amendment the Government has put in. 
But National is concerned about the fact that the Labour Government given its dismal track record will not be able to put in this transitional machinery by 30 November. That is why it is so concerning for the people trying to run these workshops who have said to me that they need as long as it takes before the bill should be enacted. That is why it is such a tragedy that Minister Ruth Dyson has come in and admitted that it cannot be done by 30 June and has given only a finite time. That is the unfortunate part of that understanding of New Zealand First.