Woodhouse Michael: Employment Relations (Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Woodhouse Michael: Employment Relations (Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:675;Page:21115] 
MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) 
: 
 I am very happy to take a call on the Employment Relations (Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill but I first have to reflect on the most outrageous comment that has been made in this House for a very long time which came from the member Miss Mackey. She said in her first call that this bill is a complete and utter waste of time. That was from a member of the party that has spent 9 months filibustering on members’ days on a bill it supports. That is an outrageous waste of taxpayers’ money—I think it has been mentioned that it is $453000 an hour—Wednesday after Wednesday after Wednesday this year. We have not had a single draw of a Labour member’s bill from a ballot in 2011—not one. Do members know why they do not care? It is because they do not have any ideas for a member’s bill. The only Labour member’s bill in the last ballot in November 2010 came from the Hon Darren Hughes. I do not know where that is but there has not been a single Labour member’s bill in the ballot in 2011. For Miss Mackey to accuse Tau Henare of wasting House time is completely outrageous. 
I will go on to what Miss Darien Fenton said about people on this side of the House—in fact she has been misquoted. I do not believe she said there are no union delegates on this side of the House. She said there are no people on this side of the House who deal with unions. Well I have news for that member: employers deal with unions every single day. She should not stand here and say that employers do not know what unions want because unions make that very clear. Those employers that have good relations with their unions get to deal with them on a daily basis. 
So why have the bill? Jacinda Ardern asked that very good question. This party and the member who introduced the bill Tau Henare believe in workers’ rights. We do not believe in union rights and the choice of the unions to ride roughshod over their members at any will. Talk about being in a vortex. This is the first line of Labour’s minority view: “The Labour Party is supportive of secret ballots for strike action because it largely reflects current practice …”. But Labour does not want to entrench it in legislation. Is Labour the new neo-liberal party of New Zealand? ACT’s demise has led to the new neo-liberal “No Need to Pass Legislation Party”. But hang on if Labour was so keen on choice and flexibility why would it have the Employment Relations Act in the first place? It is a fudge. It is opposition for opposition’s sake. 
But I have realised who has the greatest to fear from a secret ballot right now not only in this House but in the whole country. It is the Leader of the Opposition Phil Goff. What would happen if a secret ballot was allowed in the Labour Party caucus this week? I ask myself how many of those members would be prepared to stand up in their caucus when a ballot was called and say whether they support the Leader of the Opposition. It is the ultimate dilemma—whether to support their leader when the time comes. It will not be long; there are 81 days to go. It will probably be on day 82 because nobody has the courage to stand and challenge the Leader of the Opposition. Nobody has said they will they do that. So what will these members do? Will they stand and support him? Then if he loses after his demise what will that mean for their future? Are they not going to stand and support him? What if he passes muster? What if he wins the ballot? If anybody needs a secret ballot right now it is the members on the other side of the Chamber. It is a complete paradox. They do not support this bill but they do support secret ballots. Reconcile that.