Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:646;Page:14967] 
6.  
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Labour 
: Has he received any reports explaining the gross pay disparities between Air New Zealand staff based in China and in New Zealand disparities which have led former member Tuariki Delamere to describe the situation as a “flying sweat shop”? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 I have not yet received a report from the Department of Labour. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Is he aware that the Shanghai-based Chinese cabin crew members were paid approximately $NZ3.75 an hour; and would he agree with the Maritime Union general secretary Trevor Hanson that this is a blatant attack on workers; if not why not? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I have seen media reports to that effect. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: Can the Minister tell the House whether he has seen any other reports on wage gaps? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Yes I have. I have seen a report saying: “We would love to see wages drop.” I have seen subsequent reports explaining that away as firstly light-handed then that person saying he wanted Australian wages to drop later saying it did not count because it was said at a café and then saying he had not finished his thought. When none of those things worked efforts were made to bully the reporter and bully the editor: bully the editor into sacking the reporter. Pressure was put on APN for a clarification and when the report was all read in the end it confirmed that John Key had said that. 
Keith Locke 
: Does the Minister think that this example of free trade between Chinese and New Zealand labour within Air New Zealand is an indicator of the savings that may be made by other employers in construction manufacturing or the service industry who currently reserve their employment for hard-working Kiwi residents? 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: According to what’s done in Shanghai yes. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think there is not a plan to take on the process that the Deputy Prime Minister has suggested but as the member is aware the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website does have the Government framework for incorporating labour-related issues into our free-trade agreements and I think the member would be a lot better informed if he read it. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Has the Minister read the information from the Service and Food Workers Union that Air New Zealand has offered less money to union workers than it paid to other workers who are doing the same work; and what role can he play in advising Air New Zealand of its obligations to be a good employer? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No I have not seen that report but there are clear processes to follow if the union believes that the airline has breached the Employment Relations Act. 
Sue Bradford 
: Does the Minister think it would be ethical and legal for fishing boats operating within New Zealand waters to pay their crew Chinese wages that are well below our minimum wage; if not why is it acceptable for a company in which the Government has a majority shareholding to pay its Chinese air crew substantially less than their New Zealand colleagues are paid and well below our minimum wage? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: There is a fundamental gap in the member’s logic. Air New Zealand does not employ these people. 
Peter Brown 
: Noting those answers and the remarks attributed to the Minister in the media can I take it he could well be recommending to his Government colleagues that ambassadors high commissioners and other people on Government service working overseas will have their wages and salaries tagged to those paid in the local communities or local countries that they are in; or will he insist that they work on the pay scale as determined by New Zealand? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am tempted to recommend to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that Keith Locke be appointed to India as a third secretary paid at local rates. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Does the Minister agree with the sentiments expressed in yesterday’s  
Sydney Morning Herald 
 which describes Air New Zealand’s attitude as disgusting in paying more than 30 Chinese workers less than their New Zealand counterparts are paid particularly as it is 76 percent owned by the Government; and what impact does he think this scandal may have on the Government’s negotiations for a free-trade agreement with China? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: In response to the second part of the question nil and to the first part of the question it just shows that the  
Sydney Morning Herald 
 is ill-informed as was Ms Bradford with her earlier supplementary question.