Media statement Wednesday, January 21st, 2004

EMA's plea to Government: Practice good faith, allow more time

The Prime Minister need not fear that business will engage in the process of trying to stop or radically alter the Employment Relations Reform Bill, which is more than her Government allowed business in the shaping of it, the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) says.

"The Government would demonstrate good faith if it were to allow a reasonable time to consult our member organisations before making submissions on the proposed new employment law," said Alasdair Thompson, EMA's chief executive.

"We haven't been able to do that yet because everyone has been on holiday for the past four weeks.

"Our position is not 'silly rhetoric' but a plea for Government to observe the requirements of good faith it is so keen for everyone else to practice.

"Government could show it's not arrogant, and that it is open to reason over the new law if it were to extend the deadline for making submissions by those four weeks.

"In that case the Prime Minister really could say her Government allowed 'the best part of three months' to consider the Bill and respond to it.

"Otherwise she's disingenuous to make a claim that is plainly lacking in good faith.

"The PM's belittling of employers efforts to consult members and form a balanced and representative view of the new employment law framework is inconsistent with her traditions of participatory democracy.

"Employers were not consulted over the amendments to the proposed new law which our legal advice affirms is much more than 'minor fine tuning'.

"Our study thus far indicates it will have major, far reaching consequences for employers and employees. As it stands, lawyers and the courts will be arguing over many of its provisions for years to come.

"It's a far cry from Labour Minister Margaret Wilson's stated ambition when she introduced the Employment Relations Act in 2000 that she wanted to see litigation removed from the employment scene. The present Bill will see legal argument over it increase ten fold."

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>