Dalziel Lianne: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Dalziel Lianne: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:665;Page:12683] 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Labour—Christchurch East) 
: 
 I went collecting for Women’s Refuge on Friday and when I came out to my car I discovered that there was a little plastic bag with a message tucked inside it under my windscreen wiper. I thought that I would bring that message to Parliament. Actually when I saw it there I thought it was probably something awful about me because I do have rather a large picture of myself on my car. But anyway I found that it had this message: “Tell the powers that be”—and this is why it is appropriate to read it out in relation to Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet—“that John Key’s glued on mask is merely a drastic attempt at covering his feeling of INSECURITY when he loses the next election. I will have so many fond memories of him but won’t remember where I put them.”. It was signed “GD”. I thank “GD”. He is a very good constituent and I have done what he asked me do to. He actually attached the message to a cartoon which states: “What’s the good of having something to look forward to if I can’t remember what it was?”. 
I think the point that my constituent was trying to make there is exactly the point that we are making in this debate. I want to know why the Government is no longer ambitious for New Zealand. I thought we were promised a brighter future. I thought the Prime Minister said he would be unrelenting in his quest to lift our economic growth rate and to raise wage rates so that we could catch up with Australia. Does anyone else remember that? My constituent obviously cannot remember that because he has nothing to look forward to as far as this Government is concerned. That is because the Government has spearheaded a move in the opposite direction to the one that it spelt out in its election campaign. I wonder whether that was because Mr Key was overseas working in the financial institutions that brought us the global financial crisis when the wage gap was actually created by a former National Government. There was no wage gap when National took office in 1990. It was created during the 1990s and John Key did not know that because he was not living in New Zealand at the time. National managed to produce a huge wage gap growing year after year through its policies and it is doing that all over again. We have heard the Hon Darren Hughes spell out all of the different things that the Government is failing to do. That failure means that we are not able to address that gap at all. 
I will comment briefly on a couple of the matters regarding the workplace and those are the issues of union access to worksites and letting employers sack workers without good cause and without a reason within the first 3 months on the job. I ask the Prime Minister how that works for a young person. I wonder whether the Prime Minister is aware that there are already probationary provisions in the Employment Relations Act that enable employers to set expectations to monitor performance and to provide feedback. Those provisions enable employers to terminate employment for cause if an individual is not up to scratch. What does sacking someone without telling the person why he or she is being sacked do for the worker in terms of his or her capacity to enter the workforce and be a contributor to New Zealand’s economic future and in terms of the person’s own social and economic well-being? 
I recall a case that was brought to Labour’s attention when the Employment Contracts Act went through the House. A young worker in his first job unfortunately at the end of the first week became involved in some drinking and he was smoking at the workplace as well. At the end of the shift when the shop was closed and he had spilt some ash on the carpet the employer sacked him on the spot for the damage that he had done to the shop. This young man carried on drinking. He actually bought a bottle of spirits went down to the river and killed himself. I know that that is an extreme example but his mother brought it to our attention because she was very concerned that vulnerable individuals were being left without proper support when they could be terminated from their employment and that it ended up with them having to cope with that. 
I think it is really important that young people know what is expected of them. How on earth do we grow good workers in this country if we do not teach them how to do well in the workforce? I think it is a disgraceful misrepresentation to the public to pretend that the change is about a trial period given that we already have those in the law. It is an excuse to sack workers with no excuse and that simply is inexcusable. 
I also ask the Prime Minister to tell us what evidence there was that unions were abusing their right of entry. Not one example was given in the Chamber today. 
I seek leave to table the statement that I found on my windscreen. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is anyone opposed to that course of action? It appears not. Leave is granted. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Vote agreed to.