Belich CamillaCAMILLA BELICH (Labour): Thank you Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure to take a call on this the second reading of the Fair Pay Agreements Bill. I said in the first reading debate on this bill that this is a significant change and that I considered it would bring in decent working conditions and fair pay for workers in industries throughout New Zealand. I still believe that this is the case. This is also the most significant change that we have seen in industrial relations since the repeal of the Employment Contracts Act and it addresses some of the devastation that was brought in as a result of that Act. Even though I was a child I remember living through that and let me tell you it was very very difficult for people who were affected by those significant changes in terms of conditions.But from listening to the other side you would think that we were under some misapprehension and that we're ushering in some kind of revolution. We hear statements that we're ripping out the heart" and "we're taking away choice". We are categorically not. All we are doing with fair pay agreements is implementing the ability for businesses and employers workers and unions in an occupation or industry to negotiate basic industry standards—basic industry or occupation standards. That's all it is—that's what this entire bill is about. It's about minimum standards the floor conditions which no one would want to work under. Let's say what they are. Hang on—let's get the employers and the workers within that industry to tell us what they are and agree them. That sounds like a good idea to me. Let me tell you—it might even make it easier for people.I'm a small-business owner and I have spoken to small-business owners. Specifically I'm thinking about the owner of a cleaning company in Auckland I spoke to. He told me "I'm sick of being undercut by people who want to lower the wages of their employees and get contracts ahead of me." He said "I want to be a good employer. I want to have standards for my employees. I want them to want to come to work and want to do this work and be happy in their job but I can't do it at the moment because I'm constantly being undercut." I said "Well we're introducing fair pay agreements—good news for you. Hopefully one day in the cleaning industry there will be an agreement that will set minimum standards that mean you don't have to worry about losing your workforce." That's what this is about—basic dignity security and rights for New Zealand workers.We hear from the other side that we don't know who pays the bills. Well I'll tell you. In households across New Zealand it is working people who pay their bills and they need security to know where that money is coming from not just tomorrow not just next week when they get their roster but throughout their career when they choose to work in the industry and this is how we get a productive economy—it's through implementing changes that allow people to make these kinds of decisions that allow them to choose a career and have confidence that that career will provide for them and their families for the rest of their working life. That is what this Fair Pay Agreements Bill is about.Now we had a very interesting select committee process. It was very long. We did listen to a number of submitters for I think around about 30 hours. I think I was there for almost all of those. Three quarters of submitters supported this bill so when we hear the other side say that we're not listening and that we don't know what New Zealanders want I say that the evidence points to the opposite. We are listening to New Zealanders we've heard what they've said and they have said in the majority that they support the direction we're going in with the Fair Pay Agreements Bill.I also want to specifically thank the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) officials and Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO) for their work on this bill. This is a very complex piece of legislation. It must be this way because of the nature of how it works and all the different scenarios it has to cover. It's designed in a way that is user-friendly and it's well-thought-out. It's had a significant amount of work from those public servants and we are really lucky to have the high calibre of public servants who work in MBIE and PCO and have worked on this bill and I thank them for their work.I don't have much longer to go over this but I could probably speak on this bill for an incredibly long time. I think the main thing I want to end on is just looking at the point that has been raised about competition. Competition in business as we know is important but what are we competing on? Today I heard Richard Wagstaff who is the president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions speak about the Fair Pay Agreements Bill at a rally. He said that he thinks that competition in New Zealand should be on the basis of innovation and quality and not on the basis of low wages and that if we bring in the Fair Pay Agreements Bill we will be able to complete on this level. We will have the kind of country that allows competition that respects New Zealand workers and allows our businesses to thrive and that is why I commend this bill to the House."