SpeechCHRIS BAILLIE (ACT): Thank you Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure to speak on the third reading of the Employment Relations (Extended Time for Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Bill. It's great to hear the fantastic support for this bill for the victims of workplace sexual harassment—often but not always women. No doubt we'll hear from the Green Party expressing the same outrage and sympathy for the women involved. But the irony isn't lost and it should never be forgotten by the public that these are parties that recently condoned and supported violence against women. It just seems that if you do agree with their agenda or ideology then you're OK. But if you don't you're on your own.However ACT has no such agenda or bias and we support everyone—whether we agree with them or not—and we support this bill. The bill amends the Employment Relations Act extending the time available to raise a sexual harassment personal grievance from 90 days to 12 months. It only relates to sexual harassment and not any other forms of personal grievance. As you might expect the submissions varied in opinions. Some thought the time frame was too short some thought the time frame was too long and some thought the time frame was just right—spot on. Some thought it should be extended to all personal grievances. But we think this bill has got it about right. The personal grievance process by nature leaves a lot up for interpretation and unfortunately it is easily abused. Every employer will have examples of the process being used in an unjustified way whether it's the waitress who filed a personal grievance because she was told to smile the painter who thought it was OK to use a work van on the weekend or the cleaner who thought it was OK to steal. We hear all the time from the left about the so-called imbalance of power which I think is a silly phrase. Of course there is: one side is paying the other to do a job. One side needs to be able to tell the other side how they want things done and when they want things done. But if there is an imbalance of power the pendulum has well and truly swung in the other direction. I know of a recent case where a young man—25 years of age—went through a case manager at the Ministry of Social Development and managed to get a job in the kitchen of a restaurant. All the interviews were done and a contract was signed. He was immediately given a relocation payment of $5000—just $5000 straight into his account. He didn't turn up for the first two shifts turned up for the third shift worked for two hours went on a break and didn't come back. He rang two weeks later saying that he actually worked four not two and wanted to know where his money was. Like I said before the pendulum has swung too far. Employees must be protected but any abuse of the system must be treated just as seriously as the offence itself. Lives can be and are regularly ruined by false accusations.ACT supports this bill but we do advise caution. Emotions perspectives and relationships all need to be taken into account. I'm reminded of when I was at college 45 years ago and every lunchtime a group of girls would walk past the driveway on their way to the canteen. For reasons we couldn't work out a particular young man—15 years of age—would find an apple or find some other missile and throw it in the direction of this group of girls and at one particular female and he often connected. It seemed like odd behaviour back then and would no doubt be harassment and classed as bullying and at least misogynistic today but they've been happily married for 33 years. We should never forget that humans are funny creatures. This bill makes sense and ACT commends it to the House. Thank you.