Mike Williams on Q & A this morning

Mike Williams, former Labour Party president, was one of the panel members on TVNZ’s Q&A this morning. Williams is an astute watcher of politics and this extract is from the panel discussion after Espiner G’s interview with John Key:-

PAUL Michael, the 90 day kind of probation business for people beginning work at a firm. What is wrong with that?

MIKE I don’t think that’s the issue. The issue for me was actually something that’s been a bit swept under the carpet and that is union access, and I’m just wondering why John Key would go there, and I think it may be one of a very rare mistake because in doing that he’s alienated a group which were not supportive, but at least sort of giving him a go.

PAUL Which group?

MIKE The Trade Unions, and I think he’s made a bad enemy there, and I don’t know why he would do that. It’s potentially as John Howard found a third rail issue. But let’s see how far he pushes it.

PAUL Why is he talking only about the small businesses which comprise about 200 odd thousand of our businesses where you want to be sure when you take someone on full time.

MIKE Yes I don’t think the unions are gonna win that argument, it’s the union access thing I think that John Key has chosen to mark himself out as a right winger, and I think that’s a mistake and I don’t know why he’s done it.

To some extent Adam agrees with Williams, why pick a fight with the unions on access to the workplace? Unless Key has evidence to show that it is a question of protecting workers, for example> Why has Key chosen to fight a battle on this issue at this time, especially when as Williams notes the 90 day issue is not really an issue.

How will Key sell the reasoning here? Or will the unions by their frothing/foaming at the mouth response make Key’s case for him?

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