Brooke Van Velden Clarifies Exactly When We're All Equal

Brooke Van Velden With A Box Full Of Exceptions To ACT’s Principles

Minister Brooke Van Velden, welcome.

Thanks! Think of me of as Nicola Willis 2.0.

Right, then.

Very much so.

Minister, under your proposal people on salaries of more than $180,000 a year won’t have the legal right to take personal grievance cases claiming they have been unfairly dismissed. Is that correct?

I think it’s something all hardworking Kiwis want.

Yes, I imagine in Papakura and Hokitika the talk is of little else. So if an employer says ‘You’re fired because you looked at me in a funny way?’ Would that be an example of an unjustified dismissal?

Yes, absolutely.

And what about ‘you’re fired because I saw you at the mall at the weekend wearing an ABBA T-shirt and it brought up bad memories of when I unsuccessfully auditioned for my local amateur musical society’s production of Mamma Mia?’ Would that be an example of an unjustified dismissal?

How did you know about that? I mean yes, again, absolutely. Totally unjustified.

And under your proposal an employee earning over $180K could be fired for exactly those reasons and be unable to take a personal grievance case for unfair dismissal.

Well as I’ve already said, having a poor-performing manager or executive can have big flow-on effects for the entire business.

Yes you have said those exact words already, but poor performance might be the grounds for an actual, justified dismissal. Not that I’m an employment lawyer.

Neither I am!

Who would have thought?