Health and safety bill passes third reading, Labour promises repeal

The health and safety legislation has passed its third reading, with Labour already promising to repeal it should it enter government.

But the minister responsible for the bill is sticking to her guns, saying the existing regime was overly-complex and was undermining confidence, creating unnecessary costs, and distracting from what actually kept people safe.

The legislation reverses many of the changes brought in by the 2015 Health and Safety at Work Act, which was passed in response to the Pike River tragedy.

The government's argument has been that the changes have created a system that is too confusing, and too difficult for businesses to comply with.

Speaking at the third reading, workplace relations and safety minister Brooke van Velden said the bill would restore "clarity, common sense, and focus" to New Zealand's work health and safety system, by focusing on critical risk.

"It makes clear that attention should be directed towards the hazards that can kill or seriously injure people, or that could cause serious illnesses. The risks that seriously change lives. By sharpening this focus, businesses can concentrate their efforts where it has the greatest impact, and regulators can target their activity more effectively."

Van Velden said the reforms were "forward-looking" and reflected the feedback the government had received that the system had become too hard to navigate, with too much effort going into compliance for its own sake.

"This bill strikes that balance. It supports businesses and workers to do the right thing. It provides greater certainty about what is expected, and it strengthens a system that is fundamental to the wellbeing of New Zealanders."

Yet van Velden's speech did not mention the political stoush that has emerged around the bill.

The legislation's commencement date has been pushed back from November 1, 2026 to April 1, 2027, with New Zealand First promising changes to the bill after the election.

ACT has said it would push back at any attempts to repeal the law if it is still part of the government.

National MPs' contributions were brief, with most barely saying a sentence or two before commending it to the House.

New Zealand First's Mark Patterson said it was "no secret" his parties had reservations, but it still supported van Velden in her intent "to have a less bureaucratic, burdensome, and ultimately more effective" workplace safety legislation.

Patterson said New Zealand First became increasingly concerned as it saw the submissions in opposition to the changes.

"It has not been possible to convince our coalition colleagues to make substantial changes, and we are compelled to vote for this bill via the coalition agreement, which we take our responsibilities extremely seriously," he said.

"What we have done... is brought the most precious of commodities in politics: time, a delay in the implementation date."

"An absolute horror" - Labour

Labour MP Jan Tinetti said the bill would weaken the protections that kept people safe, would risk more injuries and deaths, and did nothing to reduce New Zealand's "already unacceptable" rate of workplace fatalities.

"The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill is an absolute horror of a bill," she said.

Tinetti drew attention to the "widespread condemnation" against the bill, from workers, businesses, employers, and academics, and accused van Velden of not taking the criticism seriously.

"She met these concerns with sarcasm, she belittled them, she said that they didn't understand, she then went on to take political potshots at the members of the opposition who were trying to ask genuine questions about this bill on the back of the consultation that we have had with those people who have been contacting us," Tinetti said.

She finished her contribution with a promise to the Pike River families that Labour would repeal the bill.

"We will get it right, we will repeal, and your men did not die in vain."

The Greens' Teanau Tuiono said it was disappointing that the only amendment to the bill that was adopted was the government amendment to push out the commencement date.

"My concern continues to be that we have rushed this bill, that we have not done it due diligence, that there were concerns raised at the last minute between the coalition partners, and those concerns should have been enough for this bill to be paused, and it hasn't."

Opposition MPs expressed disappointment that New Zealand First did not withdraw its support at the third reading.