Fenton Darien: Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Fenton Darien: Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:654;Page:3647] 
DARIEN FENTON 
: I go back to the amendments I am moving to clause 101 “General Principles” to add new paragraphs to subclause (1)(a). Paragraph (i) of my amendment states: “The principles of a good employer must include the views of employees” and paragraph (ii): “The principles of a good employer must respect the democratic rights of employees”. I will go on to the rest of the provisions in a moment but I tell the Committee that we cannot help but notice how desperately National members have been called on to hold meetings in Auckland to go and get the views of Aucklanders. You know there have been big ads in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 and those members have been running around. There are some gaps in those meetings I must say but the National members have been running around and saying they want to listen to people’s views. Here is a chance for National members to put things right to go beyond listening to the views of Aucklanders—which clearly they have not done—and to ensure that the views of employees are listened to. This is a chance for employees’ democratic rights in the workplace—to have a say in their workplace to contribute to the change that is happening to be listened to and to be treated as partners in the workplace—to be actually affirmed. 
Paragraph (iii) of my amendment states: “ The principles of a good employer must include the shared understanding of employees” and paragraph (iv): “The principles of a good employer must include regular consultation with all employees”. Well the principle of consultation is well established but we believe that because of the inability of the National Government to understand what consultation means—and particularly consultation with the people of Auckland—we need to have that written into this bill when it comes to employees. The word “consultation” means that employers sit down and take the time to share views with their employees. It means they talk about proposals ask for input on those proposals genuinely consider the employees’ responses—genuinely consider them—then come to decisions and work with employees to implement them. 
The final paragraph in my amendment is that “(v) The principles of a good employer must include a regular statement that no employee”—no employee—“should feel obliged to participate in the making of political videos for the employer”. I wonder why we think we need that! I think the events of the last week have been very very difficult for the National Party candidate for Mt Albert and many many questions are still to be answered about the making of a particular video that stars a particular National MP who is now a Minister. I look forward to hearing the answers to those questions but I want local government employees of the Auckland Council and the Auckland Transition Agency to be assured that they will not be required to make political videos for Rodney Hide or for the transition agency with goodness knows who being in those videos. The type of employment practice that National favours was I think confirmed last night when it did not support our amendments to Part 3. When it came to giving a voice to workers in the transition authority National’s call was “if the face fits”—if the face is white male and rich.