‘Bureaucracy’ rejected

| Greymouth Star | Laura Mills |

The Government says another layer of bureaucracy is not needed at Gloriavale.

It emerged recently that a Gloriavale West Coast Stakeholder Group, which included police, Work Safe NZ and Oranga Tamariki, had been disbanded.

However, Gloriavale said last week it was working to maintain the five outcomes set by the group. Labour MP Camilla Belich asked in Parliament why the Government was not continuing the all-ofgovernment response.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said ministers across the Government would work in their respective portfolios with Gloriavale.

“Within the workplace relations and safety portfolio, the Labour Inspectorate is continuing work with Gloriavale, and I understand that other ministers, where it’s related to their portfolios, will also uphold those roles. However, it’s not necessary to have more bureaucracy for us to have an overview of what is happening in Gloriavale.”

She said the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, within the Labour Inspectorate, had worked in the past with Gloriavale to make sure the community was aware of the minimum entitlements and obligations under the Employment Relations Act, and they continue to do so.

“Within Gloriavale, I am aware that the Minister for Education, for example, has members within the education portfolio working with Gloriavale to ensure that education standards are upheld. I am also aware that the Minister for Community and Social Development has members of her officials who are working to ensure that members who leave the group also have support, and within my purview, which is workplace relations and safety, the labour inspectorate is continuing to do work to make sure that the rights of workers are upheld under the minimum standards that we expect of all people across New Zealand,” Ms van Velden said.

“It is not necessary for there to be added bureaucracy to ensure that all of these relations can happen within their respective purviews.”