Slater begins an Instagram live, as he walks along the Mangaotaki Walk, Piopio.

Kia Ora.

It’s a pleasure to be walking here and for you all to join me, along the Mangaotaki Walk, about 8.5km outside of Piopio Village. Around me, the looming cliffs, unusual limestone rock formations and prehistoric forest at Mangaotaki Rocks in Piopio look as if they have been created especially to form the backdrop for Middle‑earth, from The Hobbit.

slater gestures around

It's lovely to finally get some exercise out in our beautiful landscape. This campaign has been lovely, but being out in nature just puts me at ease.

The Instagram live is growing and the comment section is "popping off"

I see a lot of comments asking why I've chosen this specific place to have a walk. Well, you see, it relates one of my proudest actions I've made in my short time as a Member of Parliament. The introduction of the repeal of the “Hobbit Law” as it’s commonly known.

The chat, with some positive reactions, is generally confused about what exactly the Hobbit Law is.

The Hobbit Law, officially known as the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Act 2010 was passed by the John Key National Government, as a response to actors and their fight for better conditions. The path to the creation of the law started back in 2005, when model-maker James Bryson took an employment case to the Supreme Court of New Zealand, after being bullied while working on the Lord of the Rings films for Three Foot Six. His lawyer's goal in court? Prove that he was a worker, an employee, not a contractor. They were successful. We fast forward to 2010, where the Warner Brothers, with director Peter Jackson were beginning to film the hobbit. The actors union, NZ Equity utilised the production of The Hobbit - a high-profile, multimillion-dollar multinational project - to campaign for the right to bargain collectively. The Warner Brothers, and Peter Jackson, were not happy, and approached the National Government to do something about it. So hand in hand, the corporations and the government worked and produced the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill 2010, rushed through the parliament under urgency.

A flurry of anger is directed toward the Warner Brothers and corporations in general, to which slater smiles

Busy reading the chat, Slater trips up a little on a rogue rock on the ground

He laughs

Sorry about that, let's get back on topic.

So what exactly does the Hobbit Law do?

The hobbit law blocks film workers, firstly classing nearly 90 percent of them as contractors, and then ensuring they cannot challenge their employment status. It stopped their right to be allowed to strike, depriving them of leverage often seen as essential to achieving gains in wages and working conditions. It leaves workers open to being denied rights like sick leave and annual leave.

Being classed as an independent contractor means that you are treated by the state as if you were your own little business, and all of the other workers are treated similarly. So, when a group of businesses joins together to obtain higher pricing, the Commerce Commission intervenes and warns you, and can take action. While this may make sense for petrol stations or chains of grocery stores, should it be applied to individual actors, workers, people who simply want to ask for their fair share? It opens up the door to bullying, and impacts on workplace culture.

It’s clear that Hobbit Law weakened workers' rights to appease giant Hollywood corporations, and had zero interest in the wellbeing of our own Kiwi workers. The National Party made a ruckus in the house, releasing a raging rant about corporate rights, and how the proposed repeal would affect the economy. It’s unfortunate to see that the National Party hasn’t taken anything from the past two years, and noted that as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s critical for workers to have the ability to take sick leave and time off.

Their Deputy Leader, Griffonomics went as far as to draw comparisons between this Alliance Government and the Nazi Regime in Germany.

The chat is shocked

He alleges that the repeal of this law would have undermined the work Taika Waititi has conducted in his film, Jojo Rabbit. I was in disbelief too, I know.

It's is horrific. Horrendous, and I’m disgusted to have such rhetoric used by the National Deputy Leader. The idea that providing the fundamental rights that workers should have is akin to supporting a party that undertook a genocide is atrocious behaviour. It’s an insult to the millions of victims of the Holocaust and it makes me sick that anyone could tolerate these statements. I demand a public apology be issued for this language, and I will be contacting the Deputy Leader of National to do so.

The chat fills with hearts for slater

Now, my phone is running out of battery, so I'm going to finish soon and then hopefully not get lost!!

I want you all to think. Why should film industry employees be denied sick leave and other benefits? Is a global corporation more essential than a worker's rights? Because film workers shouldn't, and a global corporation is not more essential than a worker's rights in the workplace.

This election, come together, and vote for someone who will show up for you. Vote for someone who will put the rights of the people, the workers, first. Vote two ticks Alliance, and elect model-slater for Te Puku O Te Whenua.

He Waka Eke Noa. Ka kite anō!

Slater disconnects and enjoys some peaceful walking before heading back to the campaign