Brooke van Velden: Workplace Relations and Safety Minister on the health and safety shake up passing its third reading
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government's health and safety reforms. They passed into law yesterday looking to cut the red tape, reflect common sense, all that sort of stuff, but the start date has been pushed back to April next year. Brooke Van Velden is the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety and has guided this through to law and is with us morning. Good morning Mike. Classic example of MMP isn't it? Nothing's easy.
Well look I think there's always an element of compromise in MMP and look If the compromise on the commencement date was what was needed to get a very good law change across the line, then I'm always a pragmatist and I was willing to make it. But I haven't compromised on the policy yet. and small business out there should be thanking ACT for lowering compliance costs while also managing to keep people safe.
Yeah, do you reckon, that's one of the fascinating things about you and ACT, as much as we may look at the specifics of this and go, yep, that makes sense and that will materially improve life, it's not sexy, is it? It's not a vote-getter. You're not going to campaign on these great things and people go, wow, I'm going to vote for you because of it.
No, look, well, I don't think health and safety is ever that exciting for most people. But look, what I was tasked with when I came in as the Minister for Act was to grow the economy, to support small business and to stop wasting money. And I think I've ticked off all three with this. So for businesses around the country, yes, there's still a requirement to keep people safe from serious and significant harm. But we're not going to put up compliance for the sake of it. So we're reducing that for everybody. but especially for small businesses, because we do want to support the economy and have money going to the right places, not just to tick a box.
Do you reckon, I mean, Labour say they're going to repeal it. If you guys win the election and you're back, you won't be, but say your party's back and you're in government again, do you think a couple of terms of this gives it a chance to become permanent?
Oh, absolutely. Look, this shows the strength of having Act in government at the moment, but it also shows the importance of keeping a strong Act in government, because I can tell you, For the parties in this government, ACT definitely is on the side of small business and lowering compliance costs and regulations. I can tell you New Zealand First is not. But we actually need to have parties that want to support small business holding those positions of power. And look, I think the law itself has been overblown by some of the opponents in terms of what it will do. I think there's been a strong campaign of misunderstanding and fear But I just really think some of those business groups have actually been out there holding the line the whole way through, like Retail NZ, who have actually said, yeah, the majority of retail in New Zealand is small business and compliance cost is too high.
And this is the right move. And, you know, I think it will bear out in time.
We are a country of small businesses. Appreciate it.
Brooke Van Velden, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety.
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