Margaret Wilson Wins over Commonsense

Monday 21 Oct 2002 Deborah Coddington Press Releases -- Commerce

Margaret Wilson can claim a victory over commonsense with the return of the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill to Parliament from select committee, ACT Commerce Spokesman Deborah Coddington said today.

"I find it remarkable that Margaret Wilson is crowing about this legislation, given that it contains nothing but ignorance and a loathing of business and employers.

"This legislation should be necessary reading for every New Zealand worker, because they will realise in an instant that Ms Wilson and her Labour cronies simply do not understand business at all.

"Has Ms Wilson even compared the maximum $20,000 fine for causing death by dangerous driving with the $500,000 fine this bill introduces for employers who cause workplace `stress and fatigue'?

"The unions - and apparently Ms Wilson - believe that all employers are trying to exploit their workers and need to be threatened with massive fines to bring them into line.

"The most bizarre feature of this legislation is that it is aimed at huge, faceless and supposedly evil corporates, when New Zealand is in fact a nation of small businesses employing five or less people. Many are run by Mums and Dads who have mortgaged the family home to go into business. The draconian penalties in this legislation will put business owners under and cost many workers their jobs.

"ACT New Zealand led an e-campaign against this Bill, encouraging New Zealand businesses to lodge submissions against it to the select committee. Despite a counter-campaign by unions, 409 of the 594 substantive submissions were opposed to this legislation.

"I am bewildered that Ms Wilson and her friends in the unions think anti-business and anti-jobs legislation will be good for our country. New Zealand needs more employment, not less," Miss Coddington said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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