Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 06 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7273. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
7. 
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Labour 
: What steps is he taking to implement the recommendations of the Pike River Mine Royal Commission Inquiry? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Acting Minister of Labour) 
: 
 The Government is moving to implement all 16 recommendations. It regards this as an urgent matter and as I told the families in Greymouth a couple of weeks ago we will have implemented the recommendations by the end of 2013. For example by reference to recommendation No. 1 which was that there needs to be a new Crown agent focusing solely on health and safety that issue is being looked at by the task force and the ministry and I hope that there will be some particular guidance on that matter if not before the end of the year then early next year. A detailed implementation plan is just about completed. It will be provided to the Pike River families in the first instance before Christmas and then will be publicly released. 
Darien Fenton 
: Why is his department proposing a major restructuring of the health and safety inspectorate where 150 jobs will be disestablished and health and safety inspectors forced to reapply for positions? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: The Government is committed to dealing with all issues of health and safety. The task force is working on matters but at the same time the department even though there may be a transfer of some powers to the new regulator is knocking itself into shape to deal with these issues. 
Darien Fenton 
: What impact will this restructuring have on the major recommendation of the Pike River royal commission to establish a new Crown agency that is solely focused on health and safety or will he instead make do with job and title reshuffling in the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: As I said the Government regards this issue—health and safety—as a top tier issue which is why we are giving very serious consideration to the exact shape form and function of the new regulator. The ministry is also going to have a major policy involvement in those issues. The suggestion that we are treating it in a cavalier manner—which is at the heart of the member’s question—is totally wrong. 
Darien Fenton 
: Is he comfortable with the  
Safety and Health in Forest Operations  
code of practice issued yesterday which ignores major recommendations coming out of the Pike River tragedy such as the importance of employee participation in health and safety and reciprocal obligations on employers and employees? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: Yes I am. Shortly after I became the Minister I asked for a briefing on the forestry issue. The importance of health and safety in forestry was also emphasised to me in a productive meeting that I had with the Council of Trade Unions a week or so ago. These regulations had basically been prepared before the royal commission’s report came out so I was anxious to get them out. The task force is looking at broader issues and if they need to be altered after the task force reports to the Minister on 30 April then that is OK by me. 
Darien Fenton 
: Will such alterations that may be proposed include looking at working conditions in industries such as forestry where health and safety concerns and accidents are a major contributor to accident levels with issues like long hours and fatigue and will he be doing something about the suboptimal standards that were issued yesterday? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: The answer is yes. I think the member makes a very fair point. There are too many deaths in this sector most recently a tragic death last week and that is why we got these regulations out but it could well be that they have to go further. I am very happy to consult with both the industry and importantly the Council of Trade Unions to make sure we get it right.