Hipango HareteHARETE HIPANGO (National—Whanganui): Kia ora Mr Assistant Speaker and to all members in the House this afternoon. I acknowledge those who have worked previously on the legislation the Health and Safety at Work Act and my colleagues here who have been hands-on and also members across the House and across the floor. I also acknowledge everybody who's spoken both in support and in opposition because what it does highlight is that those who have expressed an opposing view—you're certainly entitled to this. But I do share with you that they are flawed to hold such concerns. I've cast a legal eye over this although it's a cursory one and the words that have been spoken in support from my colleagues this afternoon are highlighting that this is not an amendment that is seeking to diminish in any way whatsoever the legal protections around health and safety for volunteers. The emphasis and focus in this bill is very much around those volunteer associations who are no longer able to sustain continued service premised on volunteer work and are required to have to pay for that service. This is about the payment of those persons who would otherwise volunteer their time up to no more than 100 hours per week. So this amendment is a pragmatic one. May I just go through and summarise the speakers in the House both earlier when this was called before the recess and continued today. Mr McAnulty—regrettably he's left the Chamber.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): Order! Members shouldn't mention the absence of other members.HARETE HIPANGO: I apologise to the House—an oversight of a rookie MP. It won't happen again. May I just indicate that the previous speaker from the Labour Party around this Jamie Strange has made assertions and aspersions that are very much flawed based on the law. The member has spoken about concerns associated with workers' rights. This amendment is about volunteers who happen to be under the situation of giving service—a volunteer association being defined because having to pay a volunteer person who falls within the definition of being a worker is classified as a person conducting a business or undertaking. This amendment is about ensuring that those who do give service are no longer required as recognised by the amendment to fall within the ambit of this Act. That certainly doesn't dispense or dismiss in any way whatsoever the legal protections that have been highlighted in my friend Ms Lee's comment in submissions to the House around the protection and ACC laws and also civil and tort laws.In summary I go through and canvass that—Mr McAnulty talked about his time and experience as a volunteer serviceman. I just share with the House that his view has very much ignited an unsustainable and unnecessary fire in so far as the concerns that have been expressed. He's simply fanning something that just does not exist and I seek to extinguish any such concern that he's misrepresented to the House.Further in relation to that we've heard from the Hon Iain Lees-Galloway who has loudly expressed his view in the House this afternoon scaremongering that workers' rights must be upheld. This amendment has nothing to do with diminishing workers' rights or volunteers' rights in so far as health and safety protections are concerned. May I acknowledge the Greens' speaker for a gracious manner in conveying an opposing view to this. However again just to reiterate there is misunderstanding and misrepresentation around what this bill is about.In conclusion I acknowledge New Zealand First for the support that's been given to this bill. The speaker Clayton Mitchell has spoken about his experience as a volunteer surf lifesaver. Literally a lifeline's been thrown for this bill to be sustained for it to advance to the select committee. In conclusion I just share and acknowledge that having spent some time over in Australia the surf lifeboat racing championships—coming back to speak on this being thrown a lifeline literally for this to proceed further. At select committee those concerns will be expressed and canvassed. I simply say and reiterate to all members in the House and the public—acknowledging all the fine work from our volunteer sector that this recognises and will continue to sustain with the passage of this bill into law. The health and safety standards and protections that have been highlighted under the Act will not be diminished in any way whatsoever with the amendment.