O'Connor Damien: Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee 
O'Connor Damien: Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:14994] 
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR (Labour) 
: 
 I always believe that any bill should have truth in labelling I guess and should reflect what it will do. Many people have spoken in the House of their love of  
The Hobbit 
; in fact it was mentioned before. But one thing we all love is New Zealand and what is happening around New Zealand at this moment—and I spoke to some friends just an hour ago—is that people are embarrassed. They are absolutely embarrassed at what is happening in this Parliament the Parliament of a sovereign nation under urgency. 
I put it to the Committee that this bill should be called “The New Zealand Cringe Bill”. Members on the other side of the Chamber laugh. They should go out and ask intelligent New Zealanders what they think about this whole exercise. New Zealanders are absolutely embarrassed and they cringe at the thought of a few executives flying from Hollywood to this country alighting from their plane and being met by ministerial limousines to transport them to Premier House for a meeting with the Prime Minister. 
I have had the privilege as a Minister of going to Hollywood to meet with executives and deal with issues. There have been immigration issues to be dealt with so that some of those companies can bring into this country the actors whom they want to appear in their films. We have worked through immigration issues and taxation issues and we have built up a relationship with them on the basis of mutual respect. What has happened now is that we have been rolled by a large multinational sitting in the US. Do not ask us; just go and read the US newspapers— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Come back to the title. 
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR 
: I am speaking around the title of the bill. People should look at the international comment about what Warner Bros has done to the New Zealand Government. Intelligent sensible New Zealanders cringe at the thought that for a few million dollars more we have had to bow down to their demands. But it is more than the money—money is always an issue. I am not a student of history but is it not true that this Parliament is the oldest pure democracy in the world? Is that not true? It is the oldest pure democracy in the world where men and women have all had the vote. This democracy has been brought to its knees by a few executives from Warner Bros. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: Oh rubbish! 
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR 
: The Leader of the House says that is rubbish. He has put this House into urgency to bring into place legislation that will undermine what the Americans would call constitutional rights around labour law. The Americans would not stand for this. This is why the title of the bill should be “The New Zealand Cringe Bill”. 
The Prime Minister who leads this country and his fellow Ministers have kowtowed to a few smart executives. All credit to them—they are smart players. They are hard-nosed players. They want more money they want the best deal they can get from any country they go to and they saw the naive Prime Minister John Key as a soft target—absolutely. They seized upon the opportunity to come here and blame the unions. So the Prime Minister’s mates on the right wing of this country are saying: “Come on John. Toughen up. We want a bit more hard legislation.” He said: “All right. We will bring down some legislation to undermine the rights of the workers in this country.” while at the same time bowing down and kissing the butts of a few executives from Hollywood. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: Mr Chair! 
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR 
: Oh no—Mr Brownlee knows that that is the truth and so does every fair-minded New Zealander. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: That is enough. I am terminating the member’s speech.