Pillay Lynne: Holidays Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Pillay Lynne: Holidays Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:15506] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 I am standing again along with my colleagues to take a call. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Oh you’re not standing again! 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: Well it is a pity that that member is—[ 
Interruption 
] I will start again. I am not getting into any of that nonsense. Members should settle down. I want to talk about schedule 2 which relates to employment relations education leave and average daily pay which will be calculated let us be honest on the lesser amount. What does that mean for workers in New Zealand? I know that the Government would argue about the value of paid education leave and I acknowledge that it has not applied its usual slash-and-burn approach this time. It has been more a case of burning a bit off the corners but essentially it takes some money out of it. As my colleague said paying at the rate of employment relations education leave for the day means effectively less pay—just as there are fewer holidays and fewer rights etc. It is a case of same old same old from National. 
Members on the Government side of the Chamber—certainly not those on this side of the Chamber—may say: “Well so what? What’s a few bucks less on paid education leave? What’s a few dollars less?”. Again it is one of those dreadful choices that workers have to make. They want to take education leave because they know the value of it but they know that if they will be a few bucks down it will make a real difference to their household incomes. Why? Because this Government does not care about ordinary people and their ability to earn a good living. And I could go right through all the cuts and all the things that have happened under this Government. But I want to talk about the importance of a few dollars when workers take paid education leave. Workers will weigh up the increased cost of GST and the increased cost of early childhood education which may be up to $50 a week for some parents. So when it comes to paid education leave which is a necessity for good workplace relations it will be another one of those dreadful choices. National says it is the party of choice. Yes—and the choice people are given is absolutely reprehensible. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: And the choice New Zealand made was not you. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: I am not even listening; I cannot hear what the member is saying. I am really pleased about that because he has been talking nonsense all night. I will not even acknowledge him although it is irritating. [ 
Interruption 
] I ask whether David Bennett has taken a call. No it has been Tau Henare every step of the way. We are over that man! Let the Minister in the chair the Minister of Defence take a call. Come on bring it on! 
I want to finish by acknowledging the value of paid education leave. I have been to paid education leave days that enlightened employers have attended in order to learn about health and safety. They see the value of it. 
Once again this Government is trying to disincentivise workers using and having the right to use paid education leave. It is being done as are other things in this House—and I can see Chairman Roy looking sympathetic—by stealth. That is what is most offensive. At least we know where the ACT Party—shocking as it is—and Roger Douglas are coming from.