Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Bill

I will take just a brief call partly to answer Chris Tremain, who mentioned in the debate on Part 6 some issues in regard to the way courses were structured by the plumbing industry, etc. Mr Tremain quite rightly said there was concern in the industry, particularly among its older participants, that these courses were somehow mandated by the legislation. Well, that is the job properly of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board, and Part 8 of the bill sets out how the board will function. It improves the transparency of the board, addresses some of the issues in this bill, and addresses some of the issues that have been causing some grief in the industry. That is a result of the review that the committee had. The committee saw fit to change this part of the bill and to strengthen it.

The determination by the industry training organisation—the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board—as to what sorts of courses are necessary for a practising licence and what sorts of courses might be offered, is entirely up to the board to make rather than for us to prescribe in legislation, and that is fit and proper. I think that it is probably what we have now, and that this bill will be welcomed by the industry.

I take on board what Mr Tremain said about how plumbers were saying that they were fearful of this legislation and that the changes were going too far. The bill is now in better shape as a result of the select committee work done on it, and as a result of officials working with the industry to try to redress some of the misinformation that had gone out early on.

The industry, as we heard earlier, had not been adequately consulted—not by the officials, the Minister, or the ministry in terms of getting the bill together, but because the industry itself did not have effective communication between the board and the participants. The ordinary plumber working in society was not getting the feedback from the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board as to what should be happening.

There is, of course, split accountability. The Energy Safety Review Bill properly comes under my delegation, but the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Bill was a subset of Ministry of Health delegations. Therefore, different Ministers were involved, as well.

So I will just say that I am very pleased with where this legislation has got to. The points made by Mr Tremain were valid, and they have largely been addressed by what has happened. I shall be particularly interested to see, when we get to the review stage in 3 years’ time—as is set out in the legislation—how this has worked out, and whether the plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying industry wants to change the provisions that are now before us in this bill. Thank you, Mr Chairperson.

The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 78 in the name of the Hon Harry Duynhoven to Part 8 be agreed to.

Amendments agreed to.

Part 8 as amended agreed to.

Schedule 2 agreed to.

Schedule 3 Consequential amendments

The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 78 in the name of the Hon Harry Duynhoven to schedule 3 be agreed to.

Amendments agreed to.

Schedule 3 as amended agreed to.

Clause 1 agreed to.

Clause 2 agreed to.

Bill to be reported with amendment presently.

House resumed.

The Chairperson reported the Energy Safety Review Bill with amendment, and that the Committee had divided it into four bills; and the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Bill with amendment.

Report adopted.