8. Question No. 8—Workplace Relations and SafetyHon SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel) to the Minister for Workplace Relations and SafetyQuestion No. 8—Workplace Relations and Safety8. Hon SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel) to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: How many people have gone on strike in the last 12 months and how does this compare to the 12 months prior?Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety): I'm advised that the data the member is looking for is collected and reported on an annual basis from the beginning of each calendar year. So far in 2018 the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment has received reports of 7285 employees going on strike. The number for 2017 was 421.Hon Scott Simpson: How can he have confidence in the Government's approach to industrial relations when information supplied to me by the Parliamentary Library indicates that 65000 people have gone on strike in the last 12 months more than double the number that went on strike in the previous nine years?Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: I would point out to the member that although we've made good progress in this House on the Employment Relations Amendment Bill thus far the Government has made no changes to industrial relations law. We're operating under the settings we received from the previous Government.Hon Scott Simpson: How can he have confidence in the Government's approach to industrial relations when Joe Carolan an organiser at Unite Union has said We're gearing up for a big round of strikes in 2019 that is coming with the new mood"?Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: I can understand why people whose wages were supressed for nine long years under the previous Government now see the opportunity to get a fairer share of a prospering economy. They've seen how this Government is running the books they've seen the fact that this Government is responsible in the way it runs surpluses and in the way it spends taxpayers' money they're feeling confident and they want a decent share—at last.Marja Lubeck: Malo ni. How does the Minister characterise the proposed changes of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill?Hon David Bennett: Communism.SPEAKER: Order! Who said that? Stand withdraw and apologise.Hon David Bennett: I withdraw and apologise.Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: For the benefit of everyone especially those who are travelling the country spreading misinformation about the Employment Relations Amendment Bill the bill overwhelmingly restores settings that were in place—many as recently as 2015 but which were all in place when Labour was last in Government; a period of sustained growth nine years of surpluses and record low unemployment.Hon Scott Simpson: Does he believe the way union organisers went about advising bus companies of their intention to strike over the long weekend was constructive given the union hasn't been engaged with bus companies for a number of months and they're not currently in collective bargaining?Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: Well I'm relying on what that member says about that situation and I find that hard to do given that the member has claimed that this year 81000 people have gone on strike—no wait 70000 people have gone on strike; no no it's 65000 people have gone on strike. I would say though that that trend is downward not unlike the member's party's polling."