O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): I am very pleased to take a call on this Care and Support Worker (Pay Equity) Settlement Bill. I might actually start generally before I get specific. Why I want to start generally is to acknowledge those who work in the care and support sector. As someone who has engaged often with a different hat on with hospitals hospices retirement villages and the like I have always been very conscious of that level of care that is provided. It is not a level of care or an aspect of care that a lot of Kiwis get to see. I think for all of those who serve our communities in these roles it is something to be acknowledged and given a heartfelt thankyou.From my own side—granted not in New Zealand but from doing this work in Fiji for a number of years—I would actually echo what the previous speaker Iain Lees-Galloway was saying and reaching towards. There is an intimacy for want of a better word with this role as you are working to support and care alongside people who often have lost the ability to look after some of their most basic needs. It really is just I suppose a small personal element to acknowledge somewhat of an understanding of this dynamic but also to say thank you to those who are involved.More specifically we are very aware that this is a settlement negotiated between the Crown and a variety of unions led particularly through that court case by Kristine Bartlett. So to all the unions to Kristine and to all those involved including the Crown negotiators I thank you for bringing us to this point.This bill in its first reading today is all about bringing effect to the settlement. We have actually been through this dynamic before. This was around pay and travel costs also for those providing support in the community. What is really important particularly for those at home who are trying to understand is that while an agreement has been reached it does still take a piece of parliamentary legislation to make it happen.Importantly too for those who have been following the debate—discussion" is perhaps a better word—this evening we are moving to quite a quick select committee process. We intend to report this bill back to the House the day after the Queen's Birthday weekend—so just over a week away. The primary reason for that is that the agreement is set to take effect on 1 July. The long and the short of it is that we have to get this piece of legislation passed by then.We will as a select committee—and I am very pleased to chair the Health Committee; I think this is an appropriate committee for the bill to come to—be moving rapidly in the next few days and sitting extraordinary hours actually to make sure we can manage it. We will move swiftly and so I suppose there is the invitation in the discussion and debate today for those groups that are interested to put in a submission as quickly as possible and where possible as well to come and speak with us next week.I think importantly too for those making submissions this bill is about a particular agreement and obviously we want to hear about that. This bill is not for the wider pay equity discussion. That bill is being worked on by the Government and will be introduced in the House at a different point in time. But I think I can speak for the whole committee in saying that we are looking forward to considering this bill.The work that carers do has been acknowledged in many ways and a number of the people speaking so far have obviously talked around the recompense—the monetary side of things—but I think it is also important to acknowledge that this agreement brings in education and upskilling as well. First and foremost levels of experience and levels of qualifications are going to affect how much a person receives in their pay settlement. But really importantly this agreement is about making sure employers help to facilitate encourage or are cajoled if required to make sure that their caring staff are able to train and upskill as necessary. I think that is a win for all involved. It has been noted obviously—the stability of staff. But I think also really importantly it stresses the importance of care.I know that on our Health Committee at the moment and in some public fora there is a lot of discussion about how we appropriately care for our elderly and for those who are ill. I think actually that carers in our community show the way forward which is to provide more and more generous care. I know that some others have provided other options that might be available and I think this is why this bill becomes more important. It really stresses the importance of one human being caring for another—providing all that is required.So this is a very good settlement. This is a very good negotiation. I am not going to go into all the technical elements such as claims being extinguished which the Minister referred to but this bill fundamentally comes back to acknowledging a sector of New Zealand's workforce that I think is often unseen and is clearly undervalued. Importantly the agreement not only acknowledges that and moves the pay rates up but I think it is putting a structure in place to continue to support carers to be even better and stronger in their role. I think and I hope that this is in some ways the first step in a continuing journey in this regard.I am very pleased to recommend the bill and I commend it to the House. I am looking forward to it coming to the select committee. I think we will be meeting—as a heads-up to my colleagues—first thing tomorrow morning to begin work on this and throughout the rest of the week. I commend the bill to the House."