Over 13,500 of around 17,000 submissions on the Employment Relations Bill support the proposed legislation, says Employment and Accident Insurance Legislation Select Committee chair Graham Kelly.

"In addition to the 2300 standard submissions, between 14,000 and 15,000 form letters have been received. All except 1100 of these support the Bill," says Mr Kelly.

"National's so-called analysis of the submissions on the Bill, suggesting most are opposed to it, is based on a selected portion of the submissions. It is completely misleading and inaccurate.

"Furthermore, of those submissions which were opposed to the Bill, many were repetitive and referred to a small number of clauses which the Minister of Labour has already recommended be addressed before the Bill is reported back to Parliament.

"In addition to the submissions to the Select Committee, the Minister's office has received thousands of postcards supporting the Bill.

"If we measure the public's response to the Bill by the preferences shown in the complete range of submissions, then they are overwhelmingly in favour of the Bill," says Mr Kelly.

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