SpeechCHRIS BAILLIE (ACT): Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of ACT to take a call on the Employment Relations (Protection for Kiwisaver Members) Amendment Bill and I hate to disappoint Helen White—and I'm sure it comes as no surprise that ACT opposes this bill. We oppose it because we fundamentally disagree with Government getting so involved in the employer-employee relationship. If we look at the explanatory note of the bill it says The majority of employers in Aotearoa New Zealand do the right thing by their workers but a small minority will seek to circumvent their responsibilities in order to cut costs." Small minority—this legislation is just not necessary. It really is another example of a Government that just doesn't trust employers and business owners which is really sad and really not justified and it's all about control.The bill would introduce grounds for raising a personal grievance where an employee's employment has been adversely affected as a result of their membership with a KiwiSaver or complying superannuation fund. The conditions upon which those personal grievances can be taken just to mention a couple—obviously you have to belong to a KiwiSaver scheme—the employee's employer refuses to or omits to offer them the same conditions as other employees whether it's a condition of work money fringe benefits or training.Workers can choose whether they want to work in a particular place if they want. If they don't want to they don't have to. There are other places if the conditions aren't what they like. That's what employment contracts are all about. Workers should also be able to use their KiwiSaver how they want contribute how much or how little they want. KiwiSaver at the moment's not performing particularly well and some people may want to use it in different ways—for example to pay off debt maybe. If they want to use it to pay off debt then they should be able to and that's pretty basic really. You pay off debt eventually save and then you can invest. That's the sort of financial advice that should be taught at schools.The bill also proposes repealing section 101B of the KiwiSaver Act 2006 which entitles employers and employees to agree that an employer's compulsory contributions do not need to be in addition to ordinary pay. So the Government is actually getting involved in telling an employee what they can and can't do. It really is unfortunate that the mistrust of employers is so much as to be interfering with the employment contract process.I listened to a debate before dinner and any New Zealander who just happened to tune in at the same time listening to the Labour speakers they'd wonder what country they were in because it's just not the reality of business in New Zealand. Business owners are good hard-working people. They take the risks. They go through all the stress of employing other New Zealanders and the extra costs they've had to accept just suck up over the last six years we won't dwell on it today. I think it's been mentioned enough over the last wee while and the rolling of the eyes over there is—I've had enough of those.To be constantly vilified by this Government—business owners—is just quite disgusting. Thank goodness it'll stop on 14 October. Employers and employees can breathe a sigh of relief. ACT opposes this bill."