Coleman Jonathan: Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee 
Coleman Jonathan: Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:14957] 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 Talk about being able to get on the wrong side of an argument. The diatribe we have just heard from Charles Chauvel sums up where Labour is going wrong. With his legal background he has gone into the very depths of the detail of his legalistic arguments and he is completely out of touch with the majority of New Zealanders. He says that this bill will not fix anything but I can tell members exactly what it has fixed. It means that a production worth $670 million to the New Zealand economy is now going to be made here in New Zealand. Apart from Labour and Green members there is unanimous support out there in New Zealand for what happened yesterday. John Key has literally saved the day and this legislation is saving this massive important project for New Zealand. 
Carol Beaumont 
: What about some facts. 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: Carol Beaumont is showing why the people of Maungakiekie will never vote her in because quite frankly she is completely out of touch with reality on this issue. Charles Chauvel said that this legislation was unnecessary. Well it was absolutely necessary if we were to keep this project in New Zealand. 
Labour members’ response to this issue shows us how tied up they really are with the union movement and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions because that is where their funding will come from at the next election. There is no question about it. So when members of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions were out there making complete fools of themselves over this issue Labour members had no option but to back them. It was indicative. It must have been the first Labour Day when we actually had anti-Labour marches. The coalition of Labour and the unions has been quite amazing; they have been able to direct public opinion with incredible force directly against them. If those members over there were in charge they would have been quite happy to see the 
 Hobbit 
 project go offshore. For the cost of $33 million we will get a $670 million boost to the New Zealand economy. 
Labour used to fancy itself as the party of the arts and the party of the film industry; that has been totally blown away. That member Carol Beaumont is so out of touch. If she thinks that her party now has any credibility with the film industry she is out to lunch. Darren Hughes is not saying much because he knows that his party is on the wrong side of this argument. 
I want to talk about the fantastic work that the Prime Minister did yesterday saving this project for New Zealand. Those members—there are about 40 of them—are the only people in New Zealand who feel that what happened yesterday was the wrong move for New Zealand. It was fantastic for the country and it was fantastic for the tourism industry. One in 10 visitors to New Zealand comes to New Zealand because they have seen  
The Lord of the Rings 
. It is amazing but it is true. 
I ask whether members know about the publicity that money just cannot buy that this project will bring to this country. We cannot quantify the positive benefits; they will be massive. I must say that John Key really did a great thing for New Zealand yesterday in getting Sir Peter Jackson and Warner Bros to actively market New Zealand in every DVD sold of the 
 Hobbit 
 movies. 
So there we have it. The Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill is important legislation. It specifically clarifies the employment situation for people working in the film production industry. It gives them a choice: they can decide at the outset whether they want to be contractors or employees. This legislation makes it clear. It is absolutely clear that in order for Warner Bros to make this movie in New Zealand the legal situation had to be clarified. 
Quite frankly beforehand there was a lot of uncertainty. The public needs to remember that before the unions got involved with the backing of Labour  
The Hobbit  
was being made in New Zealand. It was only once the unions the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and all the rest jumped in that the project was thrown into major jeopardy. It became a fifty-fifty prospect at best. It took the Prime Minister specifically to come in with his skills and his powers of negotiation to save this project for New Zealand. He deserves full credit for what has gone on. It is a great thing that this production will be coming here. Certainly anyone with any sense will be commending this bill to the House.