Auchinvole Chris: Minimum Wage (Starting-out Wage) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Auchinvole Chris: Minimum Wage (Starting-out Wage) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 14 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8590. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National) 
: 
 I was going to say what a pleasure it is to follow Barbara Stewart as always but I am finding that a little bit difficult because—I am sure she did not mean her last remark when she said that New Zealand First will not support young people entering the workforce. Did you hear her say that? 
Colin King 
: I did. I did. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Mr King heard you say that. I am sure she did not mean that but in effect that is what her speech said. She said throughout the speech: “We would prefer people to be staying on welfare on the dole sitting and waiting for a job.” Young people love to work. That is what they want. But what did we hear? New Zealand First said: “No we will not support this new opportunity that is being put forward for a brighter future by National. We will not make it easier for employers who are doing their level best to employ people just to make it that skerrick easier for them. No we will not support this.” And I am astonished—I am astonished that the Greens said it too. I would have thought they would be very pleased to be involved in this and give us a bit of backing. “No it is preferable that young people stay out of work.”—that was the message we got. That is the message we got. 
Barbara Stewart 
: We want jobs. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Would you like some of my speaking time to correct your statement? I will sit down and let you— 
Barbara Stewart 
: No we just want jobs. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: You do not want to do that. All right. Perhaps a future speaker from New Zealand First will withdraw the remark and correct it. 
I am rising to speak on the Minimum Wage (Starting-out Wage) Amendment Bill in the name of the Minister of Labour the Hon Simon Bridges who is providing such inspirational leadership on this issue. It is great to see. This bill seeks to deal with what is an assuredly important issue. It is an issue so important that Su’a William Sio decided to bring it up during his speech on the Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Amendment Bill—a speech that should have been on ensuring the best practices of an industry that is vital to the safety of our homes. No Su’a William Sio decided to bring up the issue of employment and getting people into jobs. I thank him for the opportunity because you see that is exactly what this bill is about. He asked what we are doing about jobs. Now we are able to respond to him. 
The bill is about ensuring that starting-out workers can get their foot in the employment door. A low wage is surely better than no wage. It is indeed better than young people having to languish on welfare. I have not heard the phrase “dole-bludger” from this side of the House. Have you heard that phrase? 
Colin King 
: No. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Have you heard it from the other side of the House? 
Nicky Wagner 
: Yes. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Yes. That is what we heard this afternoon. We heard it from Barbara Stewart. So not only are young people dole-bludgers but they are not allowed to work because New Zealand First is not prepared to see people on starting-out wages—the incentive for employers to take a chance on a younger worker and it incentivises these young people to seek out work or training or both. Dave Bennett made the very good point that you cannot be dependent just on muscle for job security now—you really cannot—you do need training. However we do have this system coming forward. 
I would like to talk about it at greater length but I think we need to give the other side of the House the opportunity to correct its mistaken approach to this bill. Let us see whether it does not just swing around in support of it. I commend the bill to the House. Thank you.