SpeechTERISA NGOBI (Labour—Ōtaki): Noa'ia 'e Mḁuri. Happy Rotuman Language Week and also acknowledging New Zealand Sign Language Week. So thank you Mr Speaker. It is always an honour and a privilege to take a call in the Chamber of change as the member of Parliament for the beautiful Ōtaki electorate and on this members' day. In 2019 Statistics New Zealand recorded that one in 10 workers feel discriminated against harassed or bullied at work. We know that Asian and Māori ethnic groups both reported a rate of discrimination harassment or bullying of 13 percent while Pacific and European ethnic groups had a rate of 11 percent to report. We know across all of those ethnic groups that women have higher rates of reporting in terms of experiences of discrimination harassment and bullying than men in the workplace. That is why this bill is critical.I will lend my voice also of thanks to the Hon Dr Deborah Russell and now Marja Lubeck who's bringing this kaupapa through the House. We know the member Marja Lubeck is a staunch and long-time advocate for good and safe working conditions here in Aotearoa New Zealand.This bill will improve the personal grievances process for victims of workplace sexual harassment by allowing them time to consider what has happened to them before deciding to come forward. It amends section 114 of the principal Act to extend the period within which a personal grievance may be brought to 12 months instead of the 90 days where we are currently at. The 12 months is for those with personal grievances that involve sexual harassment.Currently with an employee only having those 90 days to come forward and report sexual harassment this gives the employee limited time to process what has happened. We've heard tonight the many traumas that come with sexual harassment the time that it's going to take the person who has experienced that to work through that trauma to find support to get the tools to be able to get the support to work through that and then finally—and hopefully—report that bad behaviour and sexual harassment within their workplace.But unfortunately we know that more often than not victims of sexual harassment don't come forward. Again we've heard others talk about how there can be a whole raft of reasons including feeling shame or ma victims not feeling that they have a safe space to do that and again victims of sexual harassment that don't feel they have support to do that.Then those that do find support or those that do get to the place where they feel they can make a personal grievance and report sexual harassment in the workplace quite often that's taken them some time. Again they might have needed to get counselling—that takes time. They might have needed to work within themselves to work through some of that trauma just to get to the stage where they can actually report—that takes time. Like we've heard from others some of them don't know what that means or how to go about it—that takes time. So by the time some of these brave people are ready to report it's too late. That 90-day period is so limiting that they've missed the boat and an opportunity to have their voice and put a wrong right. So while it is currently 90 days it absolutely makes sense to make sure that we shift that and for me this is the major part of the bill that I think is good—that we shift that to that 12-month period to make sure they have got time to get themselves to a place where they can feel safe and be in a safe space to report but also to get the support they need because we also know that once someone has the tools and the courage and the support to report that isn't the end of the story; that's just the beginning. They have to be able to have the support the stamina and be in the right place to be able to continue with that personal grievance.I wasn't part of the Education and Workforce Committee who worked through this the Employment Relations (Extended Time for Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Bill but I do want to thank the committee for the work they've done on this bill. I understand the committee were unanimous with the recommendations that they put in this bill when they passed it including the time period in employment agreements.Clauses 4 and 5 of the bill would amend sections 54(3)(a)(iii) and 65(2)(a)(iv) of the Employment Relations Act respectively. These sections require employment agreements to refer to the time period within which a personal grievance must be raised. The bill would replace as I spoke about before the reference to 90 days with the relevant periods.The Education and Workforce Committee recommended that the clauses in the bill specify the two different periods that would apply depending on the nature of the personal grievance. So as we've heard before—and we heard Jan Logie talk about—12 months for those personal grievances who experienced sexual harassment and 90 days for the other personal grievances that employees would bring to the workplace.This legislation is part of the Labour Government's plan in improving women's working lives. And we heard Ms Helen White talk about how important that is and what workplaces mean—you know how work helps our families especially our women in terms of making sure that we can live and support our families and support our tamariki our children.You also heard at the start I quoted some of the stats around what that shows for women in comparison to men who are far more likely to be sexually harassed in the workplace—bullied and discriminated against. We know that women have a far different experience in the workplace than our men counterparts. So this Government's work in Te Mahere Whai Mahi Wāhine has immediate to medium-term and then long-term actions to address barriers to women's employment.This bill was another piece of work that supports improving the working lives for women here in Aotearoa New Zealand. Further this Government is doing some work on reducing the gender pay gap and we've already started to see some of that with the Public Service at its lowest they've ever been on 28 November 2021 at 8.6 percent. Again this bill builds on furthering some of that work. Everyone should feel safe when they go to work. They should feel supported in their workplace and that is what this bill is about. It ensures employees who experience sexual harassment in the workplace have a fair and reasonable process and it allows time for these employees to report.We've heard from others tonight about the struggles to even get to the place where you can report. That's why it was a little bit disappointing to hear the ACT member Chris Baillie I guess downplay some of that as bad behaviour. Sexual harassment or any kind of bullying or harassment or discrimination in the workplace is not just banter and it's not just kidding around. You know we heard again the high rates of women that are affected by this and that experience sexual harassment. The trauma that's behind that is not just some words and that's it; that they do a personal grievance and it's finished. That trauma stays with them for a really long time.Words really hurt; they cut deep. I feel that we need to make sure that we remind ourselves of that and that also the words we use in this House cut deep so reminding ourselves that—well I said earlier—the majority of people who do experience sexual harassment in the workplace are women. That is somebody's daughter. That is somebody's wife. That is somebody's mother. That is somebody's sister. That is somebody's someone to them. We have to remind ourselves of that. So not only do those words and feelings cut deep in the workplace it cuts deep here too and we have a responsibility to make sure we remember that and that our words have real meaning to it.I want to finish my contribution by also saying that if there is one out there that is experiencing harassment sexual harassment bullying or discrimination in any kind in the workplace—or if you know someone who is and you see it and they are experiencing sexual harassment discrimination or bullying be brave and stand by them and support them to make sure that you can help them to get the support they need in the first instance and if they are ready and strong enough help them to be able to report that.I also want to finish my contribution by talking about some of the places you can go to. There are many organisations and hopefully you will see some of your local ones out there. But I wanted to just highlight a couple here. So Safe to talk—it's a sexual harm helpline and its number is 0800 044 334 or you can text them on 4334. Then there are local Victim Support local Women's Refuge. Obviously if it's life-threatening you should ring the police and also the police are there to be able to connect you with Victim Support and other organisations that can support you. And of course you can text or call 1737 if you are seeking counselling as well. Kia ora Mr Speaker.