Tuiono TeanauTEANAU TUIONO (Green): Thank you Madam Speaker. The Greens are very pleased to rise in support of this bill.I would like to also echo what others have said around the House about commemorating 50 percent of wahine representation in this House. My maths isn't good but I think with the vacancy in Hamilton West that means we're over right? There's probably better mathematicians around the House. So more than 50 percent representation in the House and that's a good thing. We're used to that in the Greens—being wahine-led where 70 percent of our MPs are wahine. Perhaps just a thought: maybe the world wouldn't be in such a shambles if all of the Parliaments were like this.I would like to thank the member Deborah Russell for bringing this bill to the House. The purpose of the bill is to extend the time available to raise a personal grievance that involves allegations of sexual harassment from 90 days to 12 months. It's the perfect example of an effective member's bill that is very simple and addresses a very specific problem.I would also like to thank the submitters especially those who gave oral submissions. It's been a very valuable examination of one small aspect of our response to sexual harassment and our personal grievance system. And Jan Logie our spokesperson for these issues—in amongst a number of these issues—was our person who sat on the select committee.The submissions were very thoughtful and overwhelmingly supportive. Though the majority would have liked to see it go further with the time frame extended even further and the inclusion of racial harassment. Particularly we want to thank the submitters women leaders who shared their own stories of sexual harassment helping to break the silence. So important. Sexual harassment is a high-prevalence offence with low reporting rates.The 2022 Kantar Public survey commissioned by the Human Rights Commission found that 30 percent of workers have experienced sexual harassment—30 percent—and 39 percent racial harassment in the last five years; and 20 percent have been bullied in the last 12 months. Young people bisexual and disabled workers are the most likely to have experienced sexual harassment yet only 5 to 20 percent of people are estimated to file formal complaints—5 to 20 percent.Unite Union in their submission referenced research that showed 80 percent of workers were not sure what to do and 45 percent didn't know what a personal grievance is. Not one person under 20 knew what a personal grievance was when they were sexually harassed. Some did try to raise with management and 50 percent said if there was more time they would raise a personal grievance. The others were not sure of outcomes concerns about workplace culture and didn't understand the process and they felt like it was too much.Unite noted it was critical to have more time to disclose and learn about personal grievances. Young people googling rights at work need to have time frames clear and upfront for sexual harassment and other forms of bullying and harassment.As the #MeToo Collective pointed out in their submission the Employment Relations Act's using a finding process of the balance of probabilities not reasonable doubt. So while there are limitations to the process it was generally less harrowing than the criminal justice system and offers opportunities to hold employers to account for their decisions and actions not otherwise available. The law does currently allow for personal grievances to be taken over 90 days in two situations—one of those with the agreement of the employer. So you can see how many times that's going to happen—very rarely obviously. And also in exceptional cases. Trauma is not considered exceptional; it must be circumstances outside of the ordinary.So this bill does go some way in addressing those concerns. I'm mindful of many of our young people out there in the workforce and having that clarity for them about their rights and having that extension of time will make it so much easier for them to access justice.The definition of sexual harassment I'm noting is quite limiting particularly given the 90-day constraints. Amongst many other points the New Zealand Law Journal article by Simon Schofield from the University of Waikato on the 90-day time frame in personal grievances found the current legal settings do not recognise the delayed reality and delayed realities of sexual harassment. There were calls also including from the Public Service Association and the New Zealand Educational Institute—and of course Unite—to extend the time frame to 24 months to match the findings of an Australian Parliament investigation. New Zealand Taxpayers' Union and Aotearoa McDonald's Workers Council called for a six-year limitation to lodge personal grievances in the authority after it is raised with the employer and 50 years to lodge a personal grievance proceedings relating to racial or sexual harassment. One of the submitters Zoë Lawton suggested that the bill remove the time frame to match and provide consistency with the Criminal Procedure Act.So we would like to thank the committee and all the submitters who have put a lot of thought and time into this and again to the member who brought this bill to the House. The Greens we're very open—still open—to extending the bill to lengthen the time frame and include racial harassment as well. But because the bill was so tightly and cleverly drafted it would have required approval of the Business Committee to extend the scope and sadly the National Party were not open to that. We are pleased to support this bill.