Lees-Galloway Iain: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLees-Galloway Iain: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 23 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4622. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North)to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does he stand by his statement that “What will improve our health and safety record is changes in behaviour and attitude and that is what I am promoting”?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety):I stand by the full statement I made which was that “a very strong legislative framework is important in improving health and safety yes. But laws alone will not prevent the types of deaths and injuries the member describes any more than road rules prevent death and injury on the road. What will improve our health and safety record is changes in behaviour and attitude and that is what I am promoting.”Iain Lees-Galloway: Does he agree with the Employers and Manufacturers Association when it says: “Employers for the most part are prepared to lead much of that attitudinal shift but the strongest and most prominent leadership—even if it is unpopular among a small proportion of voters—must come from Government. Government must show real leadership in driving this legislation or too many New Zealanders will continue to be injured or die in the workplace.”?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Largely yes but I do not believe one necessarily leads the other. The Government needs to work with business with unions and with workers to change behaviour and improve health and safety.Iain Lees-Galloway: Does he agree with the Employers and Manufacturers Association when it says: “If there was one piece of employment legislation demanding a lead role from Government this is it. This is what the Pike River inquiry and subsequent inquiries around issues of health and safety have found. This is why we must act. New Zealand’s ‘she’ll be right’ attitude just isn’t working for our workforce.”?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: I have not had that quote but if that is what the Employers and Manufacturers Association said yes I do agree with it. I believe that the Government is showing exactly the sort of leadership that the association is calling for. This is the biggest health and safety reform in nearly 25 years. It is really important that we get it right. That is what we are doing.Iain Lees-Galloway: Does he agree with the Employers and Manufacturers Association in the letter it sent him that in order to prevent incidents like the tragic recent lime quarry accident in North Canterbury where the owner of the mine was operating without proper certification WorkSafe needs to be well resourced and active in enforcing workplace health and safety law?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: I certainly agree that WorkSafe needs to be well resourced which is why the Government provided $35 million extra funding for the regulator bringing ongoing funding up to $80 million a year. There are now 167 health and safety inspectors including 17 new high-hazard inspectors.Iain Lees-Galloway: Does he share the concerns of the Employers and Manufacturers Association that there are too few WorkSafe inspectors and even planned increases will come up 30 short of ILO standards and that without proper enforcement of the law his desired change in behaviour and attitude will not come about because WorkSafe will not have the resources to make it happen?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Certainly to the extent that the Government recognised that it did need to increase the number of health and safety inspectors on the ground that is exactly what we have done. What is also really important is that we target appropriate risk. WorkSafe’s role is to make sure that it focuses on those risky enterprises and activities in order that we do prevent those deaths and injuries.