Wilkinson Kate: Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Wilkinson Kate: Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:668;Page:15041] 
Hon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 I move  
That the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill be now read a third time 
. We have said it before: this bill provides certainty and clarity to the film industry in New Zealand an industry that is worth $2.8 billion to our economy. The two  
Hobbit 
 films alone are worth $670 million. This is not a minor issue. The Government gave serious thought to how it would respond to the threat posed to the entire New Zealand film industry. Although this bill is a direct response to ensure that  
The Hobbit 
 is filmed here it is also a response to the fact that if we had lost  
The Hobbit 
 our reputation as a filming location would have been in tatters. It is clear that Labour would have sacrificed the film industry for the sake of its union friends.  
The Hobbit 
 would most certainly have disappeared from our shores if Labour had had its way. This Government was not going to let that happen. We were not prepared to see thousands of Kiwi jobs disappear and we were not prepared to see the hard work of the many talented New Zealanders who built our film industry from scratch being destroyed. 
The facts are clear: on 17 August an international union without a mandate issued an international boycott against  
The Hobbit 
 as its first action in an effort to negotiate a collective agreement which is illegal under New Zealand law. That action immediately put the production of  
The Hobbit 
 in New Zealand under threat. How anyone can claim that issuing a global boycott as a starting point for negotiations is acting in good faith is beyond me particularly when the very agreement that the union wanted to have negotiated is not lawful. The unions went too far and put the jobs of thousands of New Zealanders at risk. They have since complained that the producers did not believe their pledge that industrial action had been rescinded and would not occur during filming. But it is no surprise that the producers had no faith in that promise. Once credibility is lost it is difficult to regain it. The actions of the unions raised concerns for Warner Bros that our industrial relations environment was unstable and that it could again be held over a barrel. 
That was a legitimate concern for us. The Government has recognised that concern and today we are addressing it. The bill clarifies what is already widespread industry practice: that actors crew members and other production personnel in the film industry who sign on as independent contractors are just that—independent contractors. If they sign on as employees they are employees. It recognises that in some instances the parties may agree that rather than a contract for services an employment relationship is more appropriate in particular circumstances. In those cases the parties can enter into an employment agreement that provides that the worker is an employee and therefore will be covered by the employment relations legislation. 
The film industry makes a very important contribution to our economy provides employment and promotes tourism. This bill gives the industry the confidence that it needs in order to continue to invest in and make films in New Zealand. I commend this bill to the House.