Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20662] 
7.  
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Labour 
: Does he have any concerns regarding the increasing number of workers striking over their pay and working conditions; if so what plans if any does he have to address this issue? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 The number of work stoppages has actually been steadily declining over time since the repeal of the Employment Contracts Act. It is the role of the Government to set the framework for the resolution of employment disputes and in our view that is much improved since the days of the Employment Contracts Act. It is up to the parties to negotiate in good faith and it is not for the Government to get involved. 
Peter Brown 
: Is the Minister concerned that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction among many working people who see managers leaving with golden handshakes and senior executives receiving huge bonuses and other perks yet at the other end of the scale they see fishing people losing their jobs and New Zealand fruit pickers being dispensed with but foreign labour being imported to work at less than the minimum wage—is he not concerned about the concerns of working people? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Of course there is a broad range of issues such as the member has raised across the labour market. The Employment Relations Act sets a framework whereby these things can be resolved and the vast majority of them around 70 to 80 percent of them are resolved through the Mediation Service which is an integral part of the Employment Relations Act. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Does the Minister understand that it is his discredited 2004 amendments to the Employment Relations Act that have led to the increased union militancy—an avalanche of strikes throughout April and May—and forced employers to give across-the-board wage increases; and that right now there is a threatened strike by radiologists that will mean many people will have operations put off? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: No because it is not true. 
Gerrard Eckhoff 
: Why when a 5 percent pay increase across the board could be achieved without disruption to industry does this Government steadfastly refuse to accept that the sensible tax policy of the ACT party would achieve that forthwith? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: As I said the matters around labour relations are my responsibility and as far as I am concerned the Employment Relations Act sets out a framework by which parties can negotiate their wage increases according to each other’s needs. 
Lianne Dalziel 
: Has the Minister seen any reports on any proposed future frameworks for resolving employment disputes; if so what do they say? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Fortunately yes. I have seen a report from a person who wants to repeal the Employment Relations Act and return to the failed employment policies of the 1990s. I have also seen a report stating that the “business community is broadly happy with the Employment Relations Act”. The first report comes from National’s employment spokesperson Dr Wayne Mapp and the second comes from National’s leader Dr Don Brash. 
Sue Bradford 
: Will the Minister lift the minimum wage to $12 an hour so that the hundreds and thousands of workers on the lowest wages will not have to strike to get even the barest minimum needed to live on and support a family in this country today? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The member will know that this Government has raised the minimum wage every year since it has been in office and that has been a very very big advantage to lots of low-income people. 
Peter Brown 
: What is the point of raising the minimum wage for New Zealanders if the Government is going to allow foreign people to come here and work for less than the minimum wage? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: As the member will know the report that came out the other day actually looked at how we can enforce more effectively minimum wage rates in the New Zealand fishing industry. That is a critical issue. The industry itself has agreed that this is an important issue to address. A lot of it has been around interpretation and we are going to make constructive progress working with the industry to resolve these things. 
Larry Baldock 
: Is the Minister concerned about the pay and working conditions of those who cannot take strike action for themselves like the overseas fishing crews on foreign-chartered vessels in New Zealand waters; if so will he stick up for them by taking action on United Future’s suggestion that inspectors from the Ministry of Fisheries and the Department of Labour should be on every foreign vessel with the cost of this paid for by the New Zealand companies that charter them? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: As I said yesterday if it was going to be an impost on the Government obviously no Government would support that. However there are some issues that the member raises particularly around enforcement—how do we enforce New Zealand law on fishing boats that are obviously out at sea for some considerable time? I am very keen and happy to meet with the member to discuss some of these things and how we might progress them. 
Peter Brown 
: Is the Minister aware of any funding by way of levies or what have you given to the Fishing Industry Guild by operators to encourage foreign people to work on fishing boats or engage in contracting foreign fishing vessels and if he is not aware will he make it his business to find out and advise New Zealand First—because New Zealand First takes employment issues seriously whereas the Government seems to think it is a joke judging by its response? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I certainly do not consider this matter to be a joke. I have said that quite often and I certainly said that yesterday. I am aware of some arrangement between the companies and the guild. I am not aware precisely of it but I would be happy to look— 
Peter Brown 
: Will you find out and let us know? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes I would be happy to look into it as far the member has asked and get back to him. 
Keith Locke 
: Will the Minister be following the lead of other elected officials such as Auckland Regional Council chair Mike Lee or the Deputy Mayor of Auckland Bruce Hucker or Green Party MPs and give some moral support to the Auckland bus drivers’ efforts to get better wages? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: No. The important point about a Minister of Labour—and this is a long tradition that goes back over many years—is that the Government sets the framework and it is up to the parties to negotiate. The Government does not get involved. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Given the advice the Minister has received from New Zealand First over recent days about the importance of New Zealand – born people working would he support a resignation from the deputy leader of New Zealand First which would cause a Kiwi to get a job in here? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I do not think that that is within ministerial responsibility. The Minister will not answer. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I think Mr Mallard was suggesting that an honourable member of this House was not really a New Zealander. As we are required to be New Zealanders in order to stand for election to this House I think Mr Mallard’s comment is a great offence to the whole House. I think Mr Mallard should be asked to withdraw the comment. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I withdraw and apologise.