It has now been 17 days since Minister of Workplace Relations Brooke Van Velden made extraordinary and unprecedented comments about new and existing members of the Employment Relations Authority, yet these damaging remarks remain uncorrected on the public record.
"This defiance shows a concerning pattern where ideology and politics override cabinet rules and longstanding constitutional principles," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
"For Minister Van Velden, political point-scoring appears more important than respecting the separation of powers that underpins our democracy."
Minister Van Velden's statements that she hopes new Authority members will 'lend a more sympathetic ear to business,' that she expects 'smaller awards against business,' and her dismissive claim that current members 'believe money grows on trees' represent a fundamental breach of constitutional norms.
The seriousness of these comments was acknowledged by the Prime Minister, who asked the Attorney General to warn Cabinet of the 'need for careful use of language' and remind Cabinet members that the Employment Relations Authority is independent.
"Despite this clear rebuke, Minister Van Velden has offered neither clarification nor apology, allowing her inappropriate interference to stand.
"It's also alarming that the Minister's stance was echoed by ACT Party leader David Seymour, who celebrated these comments in a LinkedIn post that he has also failed to withdraw despite the Prime Minister's intervention.
"This is not an isolated incident. Minister Van Velden previously dismantled pay equity laws and cancelled claims under urgency, denying natural justice to thousands of workers whose cases were shredded without warning or recourse. These actions demonstrate a pattern of disregard for both workers' rights and proper democratic processes.
"When judicial independence is undermined, it affects every worker's ability to seek fair treatment and protection.
"This goes to the heart of separation of powers - an independent judiciary and basic standards of democratic accountability for cabinet ministers. How can these comments remain on the public record while she remains a Cabinet Minister?"
With Parliament sitting this week, the PSA is calling for answers to critical questions:
- Did the Attorney General speak to Minister Van Velden before she told media she stood by her comments?
- Why has David Seymour left his endorsement of these comments on LinkedIn after the Attorney General's warning?
- Will the National Party reconsider giving ACT the Workplace Relations portfolio and take leadership to halt current plans to gut personal grievance protections?
"New Zealand workers deserve a government that respects both their rights and the constitutional principles that protect those rights," said Fitzsimons. "17 days of silence is 17 days too long. It's time for accountability."
