11. Question No. 11—Workplace Relations and SafetyHon SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel) to the Minister for Workplace Relations and SafetyQuestion No. 11—Workplace Relations and Safety11. Hon SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel) to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: How many people and what sectors of the economy have been on strike in the past 12 months?Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety): The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) advises me that so far in 2018 there have been 7485 employees reported to have gone on strike. The sectors where there is industrial action include education health and the Public Service—sectors that were chronically under-funded by the National-led Government for nine long years. Hon Scott Simpson: Is he aware that there have been more people going on strike this year than in any year since the 1980s and why does he think that after years of a stable industrial relations environment there has suddenly been such a surge in strikes across almost every sector of the economy?Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: I cannot speak to the veracity of that information—I never can with that member—but I would say this: I think the reason why we're seeing such a large amount of industrial action at this point in time—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Are you going to allow that as a reasonable statement from a Minister who's answering a question under the scrutiny of the House about his actions as a Minister?SPEAKER: What is the particular objection the member has?Hon Gerry Brownlee: I'm not going to explain it.SPEAKER: Well if the member's worried about the word veracity" the word "veracity" is not outlawed in this House. It's a question of veracity and knowledge—if someone's deliberately misleading the House that is a problem. If someone makes a mistake and their veracity is challenged that is not a problem. It's a question of—I'm not the lawyer and I hesitate to get myself charged $500 for five minutes' advice but if the member on your left gave you some advice he could tell you about mens rea. People have to know what they're doing. Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: In answer to the second part of the question I believe the reason for the level of industrial action that we're seeing is twofold. One a large number of public sector collective agreements expired during the last 12 months and we're seeing a lot of collective negotiation happening at this point in time. But secondly it's because those people have felt their wages have been suppressed for the last nine years and they think it's their time to get their fair share. Hon Scott Simpson: Can he confirm that strikes by nurses midwives primary school teachers secondary school teachers principals IRD workers MBIE workers Lyttelton Port workers Auckland bus drivers Hamilton bus drivers Wellington bus drivers ACC workers Burger King workers Wellington rail workers Silver Fern Farms workers Hurunui District Council workers Ministry of Justice workers Premier Bacon workers have all occurred in the last 12 months—and have I missed any?Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: I can confirm that. That has all occurred under the legislation we inherited from the previous Government. Hon Scott Simpson: What changes has the Government agreed to make in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill and which Ministers requested those changes?Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: The second reading of that bill will occur during the next session of Parliament—or at least I'm advised by the Leader of the House that that is likely to occur. Any changes to the legislation will become apparent at that time."