Willis NicolaNICOLA WILLIS (National): Well I'd like to start by thanking the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety for selecting the date of 6 May 2019 when these changes will happen. The Minister has a keen sense of history it is clear because it was of course on 6 May 1937 that the Hindenburg disaster occurred. A Zeppelin fell to the ground and 36 people were killed. Well 6 May 2019 in New Zealand will be a date that creates sighs in many many workplaces around this country creates furrowed brows creates that feeling of frustration that small business owners tell us about when yet again they have to go through paperwork and changes that make their businesses go slower not faster; that make it harder to employ people not easier; that make it harder to do a good job by their employees.Of course 6 May 2019 has a particularly nasty side effect doesn't it because what do the summer holidays and the Christmas holidays look like for employers up and down New Zealand? They look like the time when these people will have to prepare the paperwork prepare all of the changes that will need to be made so that they are ready by 6 May 2019.I would like to ask the Minister about one provision in particular and that's the one that relates to sections 8A and 17 to 19A—so addressed here in clause 2(a)(iv)—(which relate to employers' obligations in relation to new and prospective employees who are not union members):". So this is to commence on 6 May 2019. These are the provisions that have been discussed a lot during the course of this debate because they relate to employees having their information handed over to unions if they don't sign up for the union.So what I want to know is: is the Minister confident that by 6 May 2019 his officials will be able to come up with a form that adequately communicates to employees exactly what information will be handed over when they fill in that form? Will they be able to make sure that that opt-out box is big enough by 6 May 2019? And actually will they be able to design a form that is simple enough that employees up and down the country will in fact fill it in? Of course if they don't fill it in the fall-back position is that their employer will tell the union that they haven't filled that form in and will tell the union that they can go and give them a visit. So it's very important that we have assurance that 6 May 2019 provides enough time for officials to think through these issues which have significant consequences for the privacy of New Zealand employees.I'd also like to know from the Minister why we have the arbitrary distinction between clause 2(a) which relates to 6 May and then in clause 2(b) the sections 24 to 27 which are to come into force six months after the date of Royal assent and why those provisions are seen differently from the other provisions. And why in fact it is that the rest of the Act comes into force on the very day after the date of Royal assent? Why is the Minister distinguishing between all of these bits?I'd also like to ask the Minister whether in fact he has considered whether 6 May 2019 was the right date to get because let's remember some history. In 1997 it was 6 May that the Bank of England became independent from politics. So perhaps this is the day that the Labour Party's employment policies will become independent from what is good for employees? This is also the day in 2001 when Pope John Paul II entered a mosque for the first time which of course was a very special occasion for global faith; quite different from the not auspicious occasion that it will be in New Zealand. In 2010 this was when the Dow-Jones index plummeted a thousand points in just 36 minutes.So this has not been a day in history that seems to have any relation and it leaves employers scrambling over their summer break over their Christmas holiday to prepare for a raft of changes and we know from experience don't we members that where there are lots of files to be prepared where there's lots of work to be done for officials if this doesn't go right we know who will get blamed don't we? It won't be the Minister who will stand up and say "Look you know it was me who made the decision to make this all happen on 6 May 2009." No we know that he's got form so he'll say "Actually you know the officials they didn't get it done in time." So I really want assurance that this is going to provide time for officials to get all of these things together to ensure employers are properly informed that they have what they need to abide by the law. If they don't we can be sure that they will suffer that their employees will suffer so it's very important that this commencement clause is dealt with appropriately."