Penk ChrisCHRIS PENK (National—Helensville): Thank you very much Mr Chair. I also thank the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety for pre-empting no doubt some discussion on this subject and I also want to take a moment to thank him for his constructive response to a question I raised in a previous part of the debate. It seems like a long time ago. I'm tempted to say it feels like 90 days ago because by this stage of the evening 90 days is about the only time frame that my mind is capable of handling. We've had I feel a debate for about 90 days. The whole thing has been somewhat of a 90-day trial and I'd like to just address some suggestion about the commencement date in my remaining 90 days that I have to speak. But if my suggestion that 90 days be the commencement date isn't adopted and if no quarter is given in that regard—and I'll just pause for a moment to allow the subtlety of that to ring round the Chamber which it's doing very silently—I'll move on to a particular suggestion that I have in relation to the commencement date that I wonder if the Minister might contemplate. Quite simply it's actually not in all seriousness that the bill will come into effect 90 days after this House passes it or indeed it receives Royal assent but instead that the commencement date be four months from the date of Royal assent in the case of all the different provisions.I acknowledge that that's the case for the following sections: section 4 sections 9 to 11 inclusive—it doesn't say inclusive" but that much is obvious—16 8A 17 to 19A 29 30 to 34 and 35 to 37. So I feel as though we could actually do a pretty good job of standardising the effect of the bill if we were actually to apply that particular time frame to the other sections in the Act which actually are stated to be different. Sections 24 to 27 for example which relate to discrimination in relation to union membership and involvement in union activities—it's some six months. I wonder if given the desirability of having legislation that's very clear accessible and easy to understand we shouldn't just standardise them all so that when people ask themselves around the water cooler or when they're taking their meal breaks—if you'll excuse the particular analogy—then they'll be able to say to themselves "Well I wonder when the Employment Relations Amendment Bill will come into force. I know there were some really good speeches last night on that by Chris Penk and some others too and I wonder when that's coming into force." And it'll be quite a long conversation. It might exceed the length of time available for the meal break if the person at the water cooler praising my speeches in this way—possibly related to me; possibly even me—would have to give quite a complex answer in terms of the number of different sections that I've already outlined and don't intend to do so further: those ones that come into effect after four months as opposed to those which come into effect six months after the date of Royal assent and indeed the provisions that come into effect the day after the Royal assent.On that latter category which is of course the rest of the Act which of course aren't enumerated because there's no good reason to do that except for the sake of clarity I suppose. But actually in that case there will be very little time for employers employees and other interested parties—for example including and in particular unions that might have a role in collective bargaining and so on and have different abilities to access workplaces and so on as is the specific intent of the bill. And so some period of time for everyone to get their heads around that to ensure that they comply with the law would seem to me very beneficial. It would be unfortunate indeed if there were accidental or unknowing breaches of the provisions of this legislation for reasons of perhaps acting in good faith but being unaware of the swiftness with which the matter is being contemplated by Parliament such that instead of the day after Royal assent some four months after or perhaps six months after would be more sensible and more helpful to all concerned. There is a lot going on in the bill and the Minister would no doubt acknowledge that because he's taken the time to respond to a number of different points. And so I feel as though if we give the rest of New Zealand the time to catch up and understand these things perhaps over a period of four to six months that might be easier for all concerned."