Peachey Allan: Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Peachey Allan: Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:642;Page:12488] 
ALLAN PEACHEY (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 I appreciate the opportunity to speak on clause 6A of the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Bill. I would like to begin by inviting the Labour list member who just resumed her seat Darien Fenton to perhaps table the thousands of letters she claims to have received on this matter because this side of the House would be very interested to see them. I am willing to yield to the member if she would like to do that. There is silence. 
Clause 6A the object of this part of the debate gives me the opportunity to reflect on some of the things that have been said by the other side of the House tonight and to reflect on comments made by the proposer of the bill Sue Kedgley. It seems to me that if we are really honest about the object of the bill we should be saying only one thing: the object of this proposed legislation is to take the New Zealand of 2007—a supposedly independent freethinking and democratic country—and turn it into— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member needs to come back to clause 6A. 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: The object it seems to me is to turn New Zealand into a little England. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member needs to speak about the details of clause 6A. 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: I was keen to make the point. 
Peter Brown 
: What’s wrong with England? We’re in the World Cup final. 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: Oh the mouthpiece of little England itself! 
Darren Hughes 
: Little Britain. 
ALLAN PEACHEY 
: No it is not little Britain; it is little England. That has to be of concern. I listened to the previous speaker Darien Fenton talking about balance and about adjusting the balance between employer and employee as if the relationship is currently out of balance. That line is the old left-wing trade union line that New Zealanders have listened to for the length of time the Labour Party has been around—90 long years. Its thinking has not moved beyond that. 
I would have thought that every reasonable fair-minded New Zealander would be concerned at a provision that allows a dissatisfied employee to take mediation. But what about a dissatisfied employer? You see the thinking that is behind this sort of provision is the thinking that we on this side of the House seek to challenge tonight. It is more than just about flexibility; it is also about efforts by the left wing in this House to shift the balance in employment relationships even further to the disadvantage of those New Zealanders who take the risk run the businesses create the employment and work very very hard to ensure that their employees have the opportunity to earn a reasonable income. 
When I look at the provisions that are contained in new section 69AA and subsequently I see the opportunity for more red tape and for the onerous imposition of further financial charges against the very people who create employment in New Zealand. When we talk about new part 6AA and subsequent provisions we have to ask why this Committee is debating a measure that has no further object than to make it more difficult for small employers—and New Zealand is a nation of small employers which is why the attempt to turn New Zealand into a little England is not valid—and for the men and women who work for them to manage their own employment relationships.