Bennett David: Employment Relations Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Bennett David: Employment Relations Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:633;Page:5132] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 It is amazing to hear a Minister—the Hon Parekura Horomia—talk about economic growth when Labour is the Governnment that has managed to give us zero percent economic growth from last September to March of this year. This Government has given zero percent when our trading neighbours are growing at 9 to 10 percent a year. This Government has killed our economy. It has strangled what was a strong economy good economic times and good commodity prices. Now we are at the bottom of growth rates; at zero percent for 6 months. That is completely unacceptable. We need to be growing at least 3 or 4 percent to be competitive with Australia and our neighbours who are at 9 to 10 percent. Why are we growing at zero percent? It is because this Government has constantly fiddled with the economic fundamentals that National set up in the 1990s and Labour set up in the 1980s—the fundamentals that set this country on the right track. 
Today we have seen a New Zealand First Party that has said that it was not going to turn its back on the small businesses of New Zealand do exactly that. This is the New Zealand First party that voted against this legislation in the first place. New Zealand First members voted against this legislation and now they are supporting it while they are in Government. Can members figure that? Why did they vote against it and now why do they vote for it? Well there has been a general election and they got the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; that is why they voted for it— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Baubles! 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Yes exactly—they have changed their vote to go for legislation that they were against 3 years ago. That is a shame for this Parliament and for this country. We do not want to see that word beginning with “h” used again but it can apply to only one party here and that is New Zealand First. It had the chance to stand up for all workers. 
The thing about this legislation is that it is about vulnerable workers the people who need assistance from government—the 16180 people who are in businesses with more than 10 employees. But the other 2860 employees and 2307 businesses need the discretion and the ability to grow their businesses. They need a Government that will actually back them. This concept—to back our people to give them a chance to trust our people to make the most of their opportunities—would be so foreign to Labour. Labour members could never do that. They cannot have people given a chance because they cannot control them. If you cannot control them they will not vote for you—that is the theory they are working on. So they continually try to control everyone and they will not even let 2860 people who are in 2307 businesses live their own lives and make their own decisions about their futures. They will not give them that chance. They do not want to see someone progress. They just want to see 451 big employers and that is against the rationale of this legislation. 
This legislation should be for vulnerable workers. How can you have legislation for vulnerable workers and at the same time you crucify them by saying you cannot grow out of vulnerability? You are always going to be working for a big employer. That is what Labour and New Zealand First are doing here today. They are saying if you are in those occupations—such as cleaning—you have to work for a big employer. Why do you have to work for a big employer? It is because you have to pay a union fee and if you pay a union fee you get that party back on the programme—and they dearly need that money at this time. 
So keeping people under control is a fundamental part of this legislation. It is not about vulnerable workers’ rights it is about union control union domination and stifling the ambition and hard work of ordinary Kiwis. When we see New Zealand First members in the election campaign next time if they stand up and say they are going to keep the Government honest if they say they are there to allow New Zealanders to grow and make the most of their opportunities then we can say: “You had your chance 2 years ago. You could have voted for this legislation—you did not. You gave the people a slap around the face. You will pay the price in 3 years’ time and so will the Labour Government.” 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Can I just say to the member who has just sat down—and I have given this ruling several times—he knows he cannot bring the Chair into the debate. He did it many times.