The Insider: Us too?

MPs' offices do tend to attract sad, desperate and sometimes dangerous people, and incidents do happen, such as the axe attack on Helen Clark's office. Photo / File

Us too?

With employers, workers and many others trying to figure out what the new health and safety laws will mean, many will be pleased to know that MPs are also making a rod for their own backs. Parliament's legal advice is that the way the law is drafted, "MPs who operate out-of-Parliament offices would be 'persons conducting a business or undertaking' (PCBUs) for the purposes of the bill and would be subject to the primary duties of PCBUs, including the significant sanctions under the bill for breaches of those duties". This will come as a shock to MPs who have community offices, which is most of them. They have had the best of both worlds - they can hire and fire their office staff, but Parliamentary Services is technically the employer, dealing with all the hassles. MPs' offices do tend to attract sad, desperate and sometimes dangerous people, and incidents do happen, such as the axe attack on Helen Clark's office. As things stand, MPs could face the same hefty penalties as other "PCBUs" if staff are harmed. What are the odds of MPs deciding they are a "special case"?

Cool or cot-case?

This week, Wellingtonians celebrated 150 years of their city being the country's capital, after political skulduggery stole the role from Auckland. Among the events were a light show and concert on the grounds of Parliament. The proceedings included a congratulatory message from John Key, praising Wellington as the "coolest little capital". This prompted many people to recall his previous description of it as a "dying city". Of course, both statements could be correct.

Dead-end job

The Government has found something for Act Party leader David Seymour to do in his role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regulatory Reform. Seymour will oversee publication of a strategy for regulatory management, which is meant to result in departments taking a more proactive approach to updating and culling poor regulations and cost recovery practices. Some may recall that the last time an Act MP got such a role, it ended with Rodney Hide's Regulatory Standards Bill. This has been languishing in Parliament since 2011, in a terminal state because no one much supports it. Will Seymour have more success whipping departments into line, or will he find herding cats is easier?

Running up the flag

Debate on whether New Zealand should change its flag has heated up in Parliament. In the bizarre world that is politics, Labour is opposing the legislation allowing a referendum on the issue because it says it doesn't like the process, although really it is because it doesn't like John Key leading the change. Meanwhile, those in National who like John Key but really don't want to change the flag are supporting the legislation. While some MPs are ambivalent, others are wearing their hearts on their sleeves, or in the case of National backbencher Paul Foster-Bell, around his neck - his flag bowtie is a badge of pride. Some in Labour reckon he tends not to wear it when Key is in the building.

Rocket power

Change is coming to the fireworks business, but what it means is yet to be seen. Alterations are being made to health and safety legislation as regulators reorganise the responsibilities of the new WorkSafe agency. It has foisted the task of enforcing fireworks sales restrictions on to the police. This might be good news for anyone who dreads the fireworks season and would welcome tougher enforcement. Then again, the long arm of the law might find it has more pressing priorities than policing banger sales.

Go with the grain

This week's prize for the most reassuring heading on a press release goes to Federated Farmers, for "Grain survey finds no cause for alarm". So if you were losing sleep over the state of the grain industry, feel free to relax.

Plug in, switch off

Technology is coming to the rescue of workers in open plan offices, reports the Bloomberg news agency. If you're fed up with interruptions, US company Wired In is taking orders for a desktop sign that lights up with various messages - including the direct "Go Away." Or you could just do what everyone already does - jam on a pair of headphones and hope your colleagues take the hint.