Hey Badger

I had been thinking about your situation, Have you talked to anyone about an harrasment suite? I know its just more $$ but I was disscussing it with a good friend of mine who is a very good prosecution lawyer and he thinks there could be something in it.

hear hear mate top site, which I have used a wee bit .....

Great speech by that lady!

Most of the Master Plumbers I talk to think the whole system is Bull Shit.  Its just the idiots at the top of the Master Plumbers that are letting the side down.  The leadership needs to be changed, not the CEO mind you.  It appears they have replaced the bull dog with a pit bull.

i would like to think the master plumbers who are calling the boards actions and the backing of the board by the master plumbers association would start to  speak out publicly against  whats happening, but i think most just sit back and wait.... maybe they hope when they wake up next week it all will be sweet .

Sent to every National Party member tonight......

Dear Member Of the National Party,

As a National Party member no doubt you will have heard that your vote is currently approving the Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers Amendment Bill which
has been brought into Parliament by Hon. Maurice Williamson.This legalises the theft of a substantial amount of money from everyday plumbers,gasfitters and drainlayers. Maybe you know some of them in your local neighbourhoods? If you do, will you tell the truth if they ask that you voted for this amendment bill to make the theft legitimate.

Remember that "The Board" was told this was illegal by Regs Review, Auditor General & Ombudsman over 2 years ago but they have continued to impose the same fees/levies right now, today....

As a member of the public and also a Certifying Plumber, Gasfitter and a Licensed Drainlayer of NZ I am alarmed that the National Party members of parliament are not even slightly interested in learning the truths about what evil is at work here within this Bill. This is a democracy and the house is empty when this Bill is read...I feel obligated that if you don't sit in the house, I must then point out these things to you myself as a matter of urgency!

You will be signing the death warrant of 7,127 plumbers,gasfitters and drainlayers if "The Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers Board" (PGDB) are given even more powers to charge us ANY fee they see fit as per the Amendment Bill. Fees/levies are already x10 any other trade! Yes this is correct!! It's 100% true!! The PGDB has been abusing it's power for years, hundreds have already left for Australia as its ten times cheaper in that country in most states for a work license!! Not to mention a trades person earns more anyway.

If you are friends with any trades people in NZ and have been voting in support of this Bill I would suggest you hide under a rock or under your desk for ten years because Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers hourly charge out rates are going to have to rise to around $100.00 per hour over the next few years if "The Board" are granted this incredible power which they seek. Builders as well as every other trade in construction will be affected. Even yourselves as homeowners, unless you go to the unlicensed cheaper "Cowboy Plumbers/Gasfitters" for a cheap deal? Everybody will cop it except "The Board" who already have a lavish luxury working environment yet seek more money and more power.

If you prioritise anything this week let it be this light easy reading!! Please read on, it is a real eye opener!

1.   Are you aware that average plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers are expected to pay millions in levies per year so the plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers Board (PGDB) can prosecute any member of the public caught doing plumbing,gasfitting or drainlaying with no license or qualification? 7000 trades people are being forced by "The Board" to provide 100% of the money required so the"The Board" can protect the health and safety of NZ. Did you know this currently equates to two levies totalling $256.00 per tradesperson per year and by approving this Bill you are slitting the throats of your own local trades people, as well as your own communities, in your own towns, cities and electorates. This is the current fee, under this "Board" it will triple in 5 years mark my words!

2.   Have you heard that fees and levies for Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers in NZ have risen 1000 PERCENT in only six years?
    (I bet you definitely don't know, or care for that matter that I haven't had a pay increase in over 5 years myself?!)

3.   Did you know that the Ombudsmen of NZ, The Office Of The Auditor General and The Regulations Review Committee ALL AGREE with the trades people that monies illegally levied by the Board (PGDB) should be returned?

4.   Did you know that Maurice Williamson lied when he stated in house that this Bill simply brings plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers into line with other Industry Boards? Do you realise he did not tell the truth here and this is not the case? It is in fact tearing our industry apart with fees and course costs at unbelievable levels never seen before in NZ in ANY industry.

5.   Are you aware that Minister Williamson also lied when he stated that any person can come to NZ from overseas or anywhere with no qualifications, decide they want to be a gasfitter, and go out and do gas work illegally but is immune from prosecution under the current legislation? He went on to state "The Board" is powerless to stop them currently and this Bill will fix that. ("The Board" actually do have a means to prosecute those people already, Williamson is using scare tactics and blatant lies to push this Bill through fast!! Is it ok to lie to other Ministers?)

6.   Did you know Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers are the only trades in the construction sector that are levied by a Board to fund mind blowing expensive prosecutions and investigations against cowboy trades people or the DIY public that are caught or under suspicion? No other trade is levied, not electricians nor builders, yet plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers are bled of millions per year. Ask yourself, Is this fair?? Is this really why you joined parliament to give the kiwi thumbs up to this injustice? To see honest people get dealt to, rubbed out and charged thousands to work and to see laws changed to favour a small few at the top of an industry pyramid??

7.   Did you know Minister Williamson lied when he said the Board will become possibly 'insolvent' if they have to pay this money back?
The Board have over 1 million dollars in reserve funding alone which is illegal under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers Act 2006 as their operation is supposed to be based on cost recovery only under the 2006 Act.

8.   Are you aware it already costs a trades person with these three trades (myself) $1279 including upskilling(CPD imposed by "The Board" i.e revenue gathering), just to go to work, payable once every year??

9.   Did you know it only costs $60.45 per year for a full Gasfitting license in the state of Queensland Australia, here under the leadership of teh PGDB in NZ "The Board", it is $717.00 per year.
(Based on $101 Practising license,$170.00 Disciplinary Levy,$86 Offences Fee, and compulsory annual continued professional development (CPD) course costs of $360, ($360 Based on Master Plumbers Association course prices of $30 per point, 12 points required per year per license.)

10.   Did you know that thousands of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers have already fled "The Board" and their oppressive regime and headed for the sanctuary of Australia and the U.K? You may know of it as "The Trade Drain".

11.  Did you know Electricians in NZ soon will only pay $120 for a two year license to their Industry Board if the application is completed online? A saving for them of around $60 a year. Did you know electricity is more dangerous than water? Yet they pay far less with no disciplinary levies? How is this possible? Is it perhaps "The Board" is in fact corrupt and I am right?
How can a random tradesperson be possibly correct you say??

12.   Are you ok with allowing Minister Williamson and this "Board" to break the law? Are you ok if I decide to start breaking laws if they are allowed to? Do you realise this sends a message the NZ tradespeople that its ok to break laws and really they are worthless documents?

13.   Did you know that if you vote this bill through again for a third time you will therefore no longer be able to complain about how expensive trades people are to perform work on your properties as it will be your own doing.

14.   Are you aware that under the Plumbers Gasfitters Drainlayers Act 2006, no member of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers Board is accountable at any time for any of their actions or inactions so they do what they like when they like?

15.   Did you know that by supporting this amendment Bill you are going to then allow "The Board" to charge ordinary trades people what they like with no limits?? They have been doing this to us anyway as fees have increased 1000% in 6 years but hey just thought I'd let you know before hand that your destroying an industry with your vote.

16.   I bet you don't know that the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board had their Christmas function in 2012 in Melbourne with all of their partners, paid for by "The Board" with trades peoples fees and levies?? (I bet you don't know or care for that matter I spent my Christmas in Wanganui with it's broken down sewerage plant stinking out the city?)

17.   Are you aware they spent $200,000.00 prosecuting a tradesman they knew didn't cause an explosion at the Milton St Fish & Chip Shop in Nelson but yet they charged him anyway so that one of their mates who actually was responsible, didn't go down for it.

18.   Did you hear "The Board" wasted $200k as the tradesman managed to fight his way to innocence but it cost him his business and his family home as "The Board" reported to newspapers he was guilty before he even had his court hearing. Do you even care no one has been held responsible to this day? Are you ok with this Board not doing their job correctly? What if your children were inside this building when it exploded? Would you want answers then perhaps ? And an enquiry, once it affects you at a personal level?

19.   Did you know that by supporting this validation Bill you are supporting "The Board" and you are therefore supporting corruption within NZ??

20.   Do you even care if you are seen to be supporting a party that is supporting corruption?

21.   Do you support corruption on a regular basis in order to collect your weekly parliamentary salary or is this a one off?

22.   Are you aware that by supporting this Bill you are destroying the inner fabric of your own country so a few out of control people on a National led government appointed "Board" (PGDB) can continue to harass, manipulate, lie and steal from 7,127 licensed trades people?

23.   Have you heard that by supporting this Bill your chance of remaining in Parliament after the next election is little to none? You have just lost 7,127 votes plus their families votes and possibly close extended families and friends votes also,possibly doing irreparable damage to your political career by betraying hard working trades people all over New Zealand by simply changing a law when it has already been proven multiple times by appropriate agencies like the Auditor-General to be wrong?

24.   Did you know Minister Williamson's hand appointed Plumbers, Gasfitters,Drainlayers Board (PGDB) has been illegally masquerading as a charity for a  number of years and he knew about it? Do you agree with an industry board and regulator being a charity when they are in fact not at all charitable?

25.   Did you know that the Plumbers,Gasfitters,Drainlayers Board (PGDB) were de-registered by the Charities commission in 2012 after the commission received complaints from trades people?
      ( I bet you didn't know nor care that they are appealing their deregistration using trades peoples money to prepare a defense, so far $10,000.00 spent.)

26.   You should know that if this passes I will consider democracy in NZ dead and will therefore probably continue the trade drain and leave. You need trades people more than ever for the Christchurch rebuild, instead you are telling us we must pay ten times the tax of others if we wish to work. It is democracy gone mad. If government fails us when we need them the most, or just plainly is not interested, Why stay in a country that doesn't want us??

 The National Party clearly has no sympathy for any plumber,gasfitter or drainlayer.

I live in Wanganui and have 11 plumber friends who have already "chucked it in' and gone abroad. What do you think is happening in other cities??

The good news is, its not too late!! You don't have to be remembered as the member who killed democracy for three trades at once by changing a law that was only being taken advantage of by a Board anyway. By all means vote with your conscience!! "The Board" survived for so many years without all these levies and fees but all of a sudden cannot? Sounds like greed has got the better of them. I can't even afford to have three licenses at once any more. It's not worth it I realised.
 
Thank-you to those taking time out of busy schedules to read through these valid industry points!

Yours Truthfully,

Rod J Sharp

Certifying Plumber
Certifying Gasfitter (gaining reg status this week finally plumbers forum people)
Certifying Drainlayer

027 936 2247
Wanganui, New Zealand.


Your thoughts and feedback, if any are welcomed.

Modified accordingly and sent to each member of parliament at greens, labour, NZ first inc Brendan Horan, who have spoken at the first and second reading who has opposed this bill, thanking them...the part where i say i will vote for them, not entirely true. All I know right now is I wont be voting National in next election if in NZ........



Dear Hon. Maryan Street,

I felt it was necessary to send you this e-mail thanking you for your efforts in raising some serious concerns and issues with the Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers Amendment Bill and also around the Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers Board. People may be quick to criticise MP's via e-mail on many different parliamentary matters of debate but I feel it is also important to provide good feedback on issues you are currently debating also especially where common sense is applied by the Minister.

This is some of that good feedback for you. I feel you have highlighted some important issues and I commend you for doing so I really do. We stood and clapped when you finished your speech at the second reading, we were very happy. I have waited patiently with many others for years who are beyond angry  for this to be at least mentioned in parliament. You have brought hope into my life for the first time in 2 years that I may be able to remain in NZ and pursue a normal career. We have been living under oppressive "Board Rule" where "The Board" enjoy no accountability for their actions for many years now. If only I could also claim, 'no accountability' in my own work and also life like "The Board" do, life would be easy.

If you have ever watched the movie Braveheart starring Mel Gibson, our situation is similar to this movie where the evil tyrant (The Board) is the English King Edward Longshanks who is ruthless and cold blooded, and we (the trades people) are the common scottish folk who etch out some sort of existence in their own country under an oppressive regime of ridiculous laws and taxes and who generally also live in poverty as a result, while the king lives like, well, a king. Similar to this movie I am sure an uprising has begun where practitioners are refusing to be part of the board's system and either leave for Australia, quit the trade or work unlicensed.

I began employment in 2003 in this sector upon leaving school as an impressionable young man seeking an apprenticeship and a fair go. Now after 10 years in this industry under the oppressive regime of "The Board" I am about as disillusioned as one can get. Thanks to "The Board" continually bleating about protecting the health and safety of the public, they have managed to implement many changes in our industry under this false pretence. These changes have seen our fees and levies imposed on us be on par almost with a medical practitioner's fees. "The Board" is trying to build their own empire out of this industry and they continue to gain wealth and position through extracting and imposing whatever they wish on us. We only have agencies such as the Ombudsman, Auditor-General and Regulations Review Committee in which to point out "The Boards" wrong doings or short comings or the Boards very obvious corrupt nature. Now they have openly and also publicly dismissed recommendations these agencies have made by looking the other way so the industry is left existing in an almost 'communist' like environment where "The Board" is for now, above the law and if this bill is passed, will continue to be.


My family and I are in dire straights over these matters. I have spent close to $30,000.00 on my career to date and as a now certifying plumber, certifying gasfitter and licensed drainlayer. I now have prove to "The Board" I am competent every year through "The Board's" CPD(continued professional development) points based licensing system which has been illegally imposed on industry without proper consultation. The Master Plumbers are the industry leader in offering upskilling CPD courses to trades people yet the Master Plumbers are stacked with "Board" members. They are cashing in on trades people's need to gain points, a huge conflict of interest. Master plumbers has turned from an association into what appears to be a legitimate company seeking maximum profits. 1 point on a Master Plumber CPD course is $30!!! ....., $30!!! and I need 24 points per year with three licenses to upkeep. If a member it is $15 per point, but I am not interested in being a member of an organisation that is still "The Board", as they just have their Master Plumbers suit and tie on etc, they are one and the same. $30 per point is not even close to a cost recovery process, it is a money making operation and trades people are the cows being milked. What's worse is they regurgitate what trade knowledge I already know when partaking in a Master Plumbers course!

I have also recently learned that "The Board" also wish to gazette a notice allowing them to again falsely misuse their power under the Act (06' Act) to audit any practitioner at any time where the practitioner must prove their competency to "The Board's" auditor. As if we aren't doing enough to already prove we know our trades with CPD!!! This was not the original intention of the Act but "The Board" have made it their own intention by 'interpreting' the Act in their own words to suit their selfish power hungry cause. They also wish to make it a condition of licensing, so any who refuse will not be able to gain a practicing license and therefore cannot legitimately work. They are currently 'consulting industry' by seeking submissions on this. Basically this means it WILL be implemented. "The Board" only ask for submissions to be seen to be consulting, they have not listened to a thing a trades person has said for the entire time I have been in this industry which is 10 years. They believe they are above regular trades people and it appears our input is not worth acknowledging. We have been referred to as "The guy with a ute, a dog and a cellphone" by Hon. Maurice Williamson. He mocks us whenever he feels the need. I have e-mailed him but as usual when he has something to hide neither he nor his staff respond.

"The Board" use the Master Plumbers Association as their avenue to falsely state that the industry support every change they make, when in fact the industry does not. Every Master plumber i know hates "The Board" and I know dozens of them personally, especially employees of Master Plumber businesses who they then have also claimed as members and so forth as why they think they are the majority organisation. The Master Plumbers have around 700 business owners as members, they cannot claim all the employees of those businesses as extra numbers when they are not asked to also be members. This is false representation. Only the Master Plumbers at the very top of their organisation go along with all this it appears, as they are either also current serving "Board" members which is a huge conflict of interest, and also illegal under the 06' Act, or, are future "Board" member candidates who want to look good for Minister Williamson to be 'the next' to get the tap on the shoulder to serve on "The Board".

Everything Master Plumbers publicly states or supports has been fabricated so it appears the industry generally welcomes ten fold fee increases, paying for "The Board" to prosecute members of the public in breach of the Act at our expense. Or being told your qualifications mean nothing and prove to us (The Board) by paying $600 a year in 'upskilling' you are still knowledgable. The industry does not agree, and I do not agree. There is no doubt I will become a target for publicly speaking out against "The Board" and will probably be a victim of the first round of "competency audits" when it is gazetted by "The Board" as there are no other people or organisations who can put a stop to it except the Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers Federation. It will legitimise "The Board" getting rid of those who make waves for them by way of failing them on a competency audit.


Basically the Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers Board have been stomping on the throat of regular plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers for a very very long time and no one has managed so far to put a stop to it. They have even been masquerading to the charities commission that they are a legitimate charity for quite a number of years, I am unsure how many. Upon receiving a complaint, they were eventually de-registered as a charity. "Board" members even rushed to be made "charitable officers" before the de-registration so they could appeal in court. To date "The Board" have spent over $10,000.00 on appealing their de-registration as a charity. If they are a charity then I am Superman, Clark Kent, the saviour of humanity.....

If it ever comes to light that we do not have enough tradesmen, blame "The Board" as I have lost count at how many of my plumbing,gasfitting,drainlaying trade friends have left NZ to move to Australia. My family and I only remain as I am a bit of a procrastinator i guess you could say and have not yet committed to the move. My former friends and colleagues were sick and tired of getting told by "The Board" they were incompetent and needed to do this and that and pay thousands in extra fees and levies all the while earning mediocre wages as an employee, when other trades pay small amounts in levies and fees, or no levies at all such as electricians. A lot of employers do not pay for their employees licenses and levies so "The Board" more or less steal from the pockets of low level wage earners such as myself. This means they basically steal from my partner and from my children when they have been told it is wrong. They do not care if we live or if we die, "The Board" would probably confiscate my childs food as (food levy)if they could do it under the Act,just like the evil tyrant king Edward Longshanks from the Braveheart movie I mentioned at the beginning of this e-mail would do.  They are "The Board", a well oiled well paid group, who are never wrong and only look to further their own personal causes most of which seem to be along the lines of amassing wealth, being important and gaining even more power.

I once complained to "The Board" about a similar situation to the event  which happened in Nelson at the Milton St fish and chip shop. My former employer had worked without a gasfitting license for two years as did one of his employees. They had a small fire in a house where a gas leak from a loose flare nut ignited and burnt it's way up through the inside of a cupboard. He cut a deal with the homeowner that it was an accident, they fixed the damage and the homeowner was ok about it. I complained to "The Board" that these two individuals were putting in gas appliances without having current practicing licenses and had caused a fire. Neither people were Certifying gasfitters either which is probably why they had no licenses. "The Board" rang me back a month later and told me If I had no proof they would do nothing. I thought, Is this is what I paid my levies for?? What a sham. A quick check of the public register would have shown for a start they both had no active license of any class at that time and no one at that business should be doing gas but they were advertising as gasfitters. So this is exactly what happened to the Nelson gasfitter you mentioned in your speech at the second reading of this amendment bill who lost his home and business thanks to "The Board". He tried to warn his previous employer was openly breaking the law in many ways, but they did not care to listen at the time just like they did not listen to my concerns. But what happened when there was an explosion, they charge him instead!!! The person who warned and complained all those years. You can see why I utterly despise them. Then they bleat about how incompetent we are and how we need constant upskilling to "Protect The Health And Safety Of The Public". In reality they could not care less.........and I believe furthermore they are the ones who need upskilling! Not the trades people.

My partner and I have our passports ready and we are watching very closely to see what happens with this bill. If it is passed we will probably go to Australia too and join the rest of my plumbing friends, as it will prove that with a Minister in their pocket, they can do whatever they want to the trades people of NZ. Licensing costs in many states in Australia are but a fraction of the price of what "The Board" impose in NZ. Why is this?? It is because they are corrupt.  I would be all too happy to give an Australian regulatory board my money instead.

Example 1: Queensland Gasfitting Full License, valid 1 year, $60.45

Example 2: Western Australia Plumbing Contractor's Full License, valid three years from date of issue, $550, (which includes $50 application fee.)
That breaks down to $183.33 per year but you have the added bonus of earning up to $50.00 AU per hour.


Hell, they can even persecute plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers as well as their families in the name of 'protecting public health and safety' and get away with it. They are never held to account for their actions. NEVER. Just read the initial report from the Office Of The Auditor general for proof. They were at it three or four years ago bullying people, and they are still at it today with the Milton St fish and chip shop case. Every Board is the same. They are completely and utterly corrupt and we as trades people are at their mercy as no one actually has any power to stop them except a biased Minister who appointed them. Any admittance by the Minister that "The Board" have acted unlawfully is an admission he has failed as he appointed them. Clearly he will never do this as it is bad for his political career and obviously that would be bad for his financial situation if he ever left office.

Just for your information I have calculated my cost to stay in this industry in NZ with three trade licenses under this "Board" regime per annum at currently $1279 inclusive. As you can see it is a tad more than what our Australian counterparts require. I find the fees, the levies and the CPD system preposterous as we do not not gain any thing more for our money that when it was one tenth the price to work ten years ago. I am not one bit more competent than before CPD, yet I have had to gain thousands of dollars worth of points. All of a sudden we are required to go on very expensive "upskilling" CPD courses run by the Master Plumbers as apparently one day a few years back someone at "The Board" decided that serving an apprenticeship, gaining a national certificate and passing "Board" administered exams does not mean you are competent. It means nothing as of today. Now we are faced with random compulsory 'competence' audits also. At the rate these injustices are accelerating soon we will have "The Plumbing Police", and "The Board" will be throwing plumbers in jail for minor "on the job" inconsistencies or errors, all in the name of 'protecting public health and safety'.

Anyway I just wanted to let you and Labour know that It was very uplifting to hear you speak and how concise and clear you spoke and also how you seem to have grasped the situation of our plight.

I want to thank you again for your positive input and thank you for your time looking into this and for voting against this bill. I know from the surface it seems like a pretty boring debate but there are many many more things at work here than Minister Williamson will ever admit to currently. I would like to see a full enquiry into "The Board", I would like to see "Board" members serve jail time for years of theft, lies, misleading statements and knowingly using the Act to persecute innocent trades people while shielding others. Clearly this puts the public's health and safety at risk. I would also like to see their empire of un called for, out of control spending cease, and their organisation broken down to what it use to be 15 or more years ago as a more modest operation. Our fees will sky rocket under this amendment bill if the "Board" is given power to set fees and levies at whatever level they see fit although I fear the worst is yet to come for this industry.

Fleeing the country with my tools and family will probably be our only option if we want to be given a fair chance in life, and treated with some respect and dignity.

I thank you for your time. Labour sure does have my vote in the next election and my families as well as my partners families. We feel suffocated by a government that does not care and who constantly lies. Jobs? Where John? I must have contracted "Job Blindness" as I can see but I can't see the jobs you speak of and everywhere I can see,there are  people who do not have a job. "I barely have a job, the pay is average at best and I have three trade qualifications, two of which are at the highest level attainable." 

Everybody I know, despises what National have done or what they haven't done in this country. It is safe to say Labour will win if they support common sense bills until the next election. A lot of us in the public aren't as stupid as people in office may perhaps think. We know when we've been had. 

Yours truthfully,

Rod Sharp

A very concerned tradesman