Guy Nathan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Guy Nathan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:633;Page:4705] 
3.  
NATHAN GUY (National) 
 to the  
Member in charge of the Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill 
: How does the Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill compare to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries’ practice of probationary employment periods? 
Dr WAYNE MAPP (Member in charge of the Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill) 
: 
 The bill falls fair and square within the standard practice of the OECD. Every OECD country has a probation period; it is seen as critical to getting people into the workforce. This bill brings New Zealand into conformity with the rest of the OECD which has far higher productivity than this country does. 
Nathan Guy 
: What is the typical length of probationary periods in the OECD countries? 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: In the United Kingdom the length of the probation period is 12 months— 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Under Tony Blair? 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: Under Tony Blair it is 12 months. In Australia it is 6 months. Throughout most of Western Europe—which of course the Government has a certain fondness for—the time is typically 3 months. Three months is in fact a conservative and modest measure. One must ask the question whether Mr Field would last 3 months. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I ask the member to withdraw that last comment. We are trying to comply with the Standing Orders as I understand it. 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: I withdraw the comment. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: Will the member be taking the advice of his colleague the Hon Maurice Williamson who said that any decent employer would know whether a worker was up to standard within the first 9 days and removing the nought from his probationary bill so that a probationary period of 9 days is the standard as his colleague the Hon Maurice Williamson advised; or will he follow the advice of Bob Clarkson who said it should really take only a week and make it a 7-day probationary period instead? 
Bob Clarkson 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I am a little bit concerned. Was that not privileged information? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Was it when submissions were being heard? [ 
Interruption 
] Was it part of a submission? [ 
Interruption 
] Well this is what happens with questions to members. 
David Bennett 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The Hon Mark Gosche said he could not get his caucus to agree to at least a 7-day— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: Throughout the developed world there is in fact a complete range of probation periods. The country that the Government is most fond of—the United Kingdom—actually has a 12-month probation period. I have taken a very conservative approach of a 3-month probation period because of course different jobs have different requirements and different times to measure whether someone is up to the job. 
Sue Moroney 
: I seek leave to table the latest OECD survey which ranks New Zealand’s economy a commendable fourth out of 155 OECD countries for the ease of employers starting or ending an employment relationship. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It seems that your ruling on that last answer was that the member was addressing the question even though he clearly did not answer it to the satisfaction of the member asking the question. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Yes I take the point. It was a broad answer but he addressed the question. 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: I seek leave to table the 2006 report of the Small Business Advisory Group to the Government. In relation to recommendation 19 which refers to personal grievance - free probation periods it has scored the Government zero out of 10. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.