Concerns over Vaccinations Bill being passed under urgency “Labour’s move to suspend democracy and avoid public scrutiny”

The Act Party has accused the Government of “suspending democracy to avoid public scrutiny over its vaccine mandate legislation.”

Parliament went into urgency today for the first reading of legislation making changes to the Covid-19 response.

They include new vaccination mandates covering 40 per cent of the workforce.

The Covid-19 Response (Vaccinations) Legislation Bill includes amendments to the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act 2020, to allow the new Covid-19 Protection Framework to come into force in 10 days’ time.

Leader David Seymour said the Bill might be the most significant legislation passed this term of Parliament and he’s accused Labour of suspending normal parliamentary processes and rushing the bill through without public scrutiny.

“It will first pass two non-COVID-19 bills so it can debate the law after the 6pm news goes to air. It’s difficult to imagine a more cynical attempt to avoid public scrutiny, but it gets worse.”

“Chris Hipkins is refusing to release the advice he received until late January 2022 meaning MPs won’t be able to read it before voting on the legislation.”

“The Government will use the cover of COVID-19 and parliamentary urgency to sneak through the welfare changes announced by Jacinda Ardern at the recent Labour Party conference” Seymour said.

“The reason we have a Parliament is to consult the voters, scrutinise legislation, make improvements, and ensure laws reflect the will of the public.”

“There are two possible explanations for Labour suspending normal democratic process. Either it doesn’t care, or it wasn’t prepared.”

Seymour said the Government has had nine months to draft this legislation, consult important stakeholders like the business community, and get the implementation right.

“All of this would make a mockery of Labour’s claim to be the most transparent government ever if New Zealanders still believed it.”

COVID-19 Response (Vaccinations) Legislation Bill

Amendments to COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020

provide for the broadening of COVID-19 orders to better reflect the new measures and intentions under the COVID-19 Protection Framework:
provide for forms of acceptable evidence of compliance with COVID-19 orders:
make it an offence to hold, store, use, or disclose personal information from COVID-19 vaccination certificates through the verification process, except for law enforcement purposes:
provide that enforcement officers can direct a person to produce evidence to demonstrate compliance with an order under the Act.

In addition, the Bill amends the Act to—

support future vaccination or testing mandates for work in the public interest:
provide for regulations to be made that prescribe an assessment tool that persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) may to use to ascertain whether it is reasonable for work carried out for the PCBU to be carried out only by workers who are vaccinated or tested.

Amendments to Employment Relations Act 2000

Amendments are also being made to the Employment Relations Act 2000 to provide for reasonable paid time off for employees to be vaccinated.

In addition, the amendments also provide for a 4-week paid notice period for termination if the work requires vaccination but an employee is unvaccinated. The termination notice will be cancelled if the employee gets vaccinated during that period, unless cancelling the notice would unreasonably disrupt the employer’s business.

The employee will still be able to bring a personal grievance in relation to the ending of the employment agreement and can terminate their employment early by mutual agreement with their employer.