Peters Winston: Employment Relations (Continuity of Labour) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Employment Relations (Continuity of Labour) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 13 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14693. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First): We have to say at the very outset in New Zealand First that we have great sympathy for Jami-Lee Ross and for some of the people who are behind this legislation the Employment Relations (Continuity of Labour) Amendment Bill outside of the House. By that we mean that we wish to raise a very serious question which is does the National Party actually support this piece of legislation?Hon Members: Yes.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: They do?Hon Simon Bridges: Yes yes we do.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Well if that is the case why is the bill being put up by—and there is no disrespect to Jami-Lee Ross who has got my deep sympathy—one of the most recent members to the Government benches in this country?Mike Sabin: Because he’s an outstanding member and came up with a great member’s bill.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: And he may be an outstanding member contrary to the one who is opening his mouth at the moment. He may have a brilliant future unlike the one who is opening his mouth at the moment. But the question that is sort of at the back of our minds starting to ask itself is why if this is a great piece of legislation—[Interruption] You see that is Mr Sabin’s problem. He thinks noise means quality. He thinks volume means talent. That is the kind of thing you might hire to be a drover’s dog down at the saleyard but it does not work here.I want to know the answer to the real question: does the National Party honestly support this legislation? Out there are businessmen and businesswomen watching tonight’s debate and my challenge to them having been told that tonight the National Party has got this great bill to help them the question I am asking them is do they really think the National Party supports this bill? Because if it does why is it not sponsoring the bill in its own name?That is a fair question for me to ask on behalf of my colleagues because unlike many in this House we have always been reasonable and prepared to hear alternative arguments or to hear the other side. When it comes to industrial relations our view has always been that great Governments take the role of an independent arbiter that does not take sides. If you have law like that then laws can last decade after decade after decade. If you do not out goes one side and the law changes and in comes the other side and the law changes back. You have the yo-yo uncertainty in effect in industrial affairs at the workplace and it is bad for everybody boss and worker alike.So my question is does the National Party support this bill? If it does why has it left Jami-Lee Ross all by himself valiantly holding the can?Mike Sabin: Wait till you hear the party vote.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Valiantly holding the can. Oh no do not tell me “Wait till you hear the party vote.” because this is a dog whistle to some people out there who think the National Party has got a stand. If it was not a dog whistle it would have it in its own name. It is a dog whistle though. National thinks this sort of poll-driven survey politics will get it home but it will not.My question to the perishable industries out there that think—like fishing and the milk industry and they have got a very valid point. I know as a former union delegate that this legislation the National Party is seeking to overset tonight is of use to less than 1 percent of the industrial workforce. That is a fact. The rest do not get these benefits because they are not in the perishable business where a lockout hurts the boss more than the worker. These are the facts. If you are going to be fair in industrial relations join neither side. In the interests of the international economy have a fair lasting regime.In the next three speeches made by the National Party and in Jami-Lee Ross’ conclusion I want an answer. New Zealand First is going to decide what we are going to do on this basis. We want to know does the Government really support this legislation and if that is true why is it not in its name? Anything short of a proper debate on that sees this bill fail.