Burton Mark: Volunteers Employment Protection Amendment Bill — Procedure Second Reading In Committee 
Burton Mark: Volunteers Employment Protection Amendment Bill — Procedure Second Reading In Committee 
[Volume:615;Page:11577] 
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Defence) 
: 
 We do indeed have every reason to be immensely proud of all our service personnel for the work they are doing and for the reputation they continue to build for New Zealand and New Zealanders and—I agree with Dr Mapp—nowhere more so than in East Timor. It gives me pleasure to rise in support of the second reading of the bill. 
This Government has made it clear through its defence policy framework its defence statement and its long-term development plan and of course the major acquisitions announced as a result of those three documents that it is committed to a Defence Force that is equipped and supported to a standard that can match the high level of skill dedication and indeed courage constantly displayed by our personnel. 
The deployment of our Defence Force to East Timor drew into public focus the role of our personnel in a way that has not happened for many years. It also highlighted the important role played by the men and women in the territorial forces and reserve forces many of whom as Dr Mapp mentioned served in East Timor and indeed continue to serve in operations today. I will use the term “Territorial Force” but it does include volunteers and reservists from all three services. 
 In the past Territorial Force personnel were recruited and trained to give New Zealand the ability to expand its defence forces to meet a serious threat to national security. With increasing demands for peace support operations around the world and the need to use defence resources in the most efficient manner possible the Territorial Force must be able to contribute to the things the Army is most likely to do. Where extra personnel are needed as in East Timor the enhancement of New Zealand’s ability to utilise volunteers provides a cost-effective solution. 
As part of the Government’s initiative to enhance the pay and conditions of service for the armed forces there have been a number of improvements to conditions in the Territorial Force. For example its personnel are now paid the same as regular force personnel as indeed they should be. To ensure that the Territorial Force is able to contribute effectively to Defence Force deployments service in the Territorial Force needs to be more attractive to volunteers and their employers. I think all parties in this House agree about that. 
The Volunteers Employment Protection Act of 1973 was enacted at the same time that national service was abolished. It currently protects the civil employment of the volunteer members of all three services but only when they undergo their initial or annual training. It was extended under the Defence Act of 1990 to cover the deployment of the members of the Territorial Force and reserves when called up by proclamation for an actual or imminent emergency involving overseas deployment of our forces. It has not been systematically reviewed previously it is fair to say and frankly it is quite out of step with modern employment legislation. It does not cover members of the Territorial Force who serve overseas voluntarily and as Dr Mapp indicated it was the major deployment to East Timor just such a deployment that really drew this into sharp focus. 
This bill was initially a member’s bill sponsored by Dr Mapp in order to protect the employment of volunteers and to provide support for employers. As he said it was introduced in August 2000. It was then referred to the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee which heard public submissions to the effect that the bill needed to go further than its original scope. Substantial work was undertaken by committee members and myself working together and I also acknowledge Brigadier Brewer and a number of other members of the Defence Force who put in a substantial amount of work; their support was excellent. With the full agreement of the select committee and with leave of the House a Government Supplementary Order Paper has been introduced for consideration by the Committee of the whole House. 
The Supplementary Order Paper significantly expands the scope of the protection available to volunteers in the Territorial Force for all three services both when called up by proclamation for continuous service whether or not in New Zealand or overseas and when serving voluntarily for fixed periods when that service is declared to be in the national interest. 
It provides for a workable mechanism for volunteers in the Territorial Force to serve voluntarily for such fixed periods. As far as possible it aligns the procedures and practices for volunteers’ leave with those established under the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act. It brings the Volunteers Employment Protection Act up to date with present employment law. It also empowers the Governor-General in Council to make regulations to compensate employers when their Territorial Force volunteer employees serve in a situation of national interest. It provides for the appointment of a Territorial Forces Employer Support Council to promote service in those forces and to advise the Minister of Defence on matters relating to those forces. 
The bill was reported back from the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee with the recommendation that it be passed with amendments and I am pleased tonight to stand to support the progress of the bill. 
Bill read a second time.