Young Jonathan: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeYoung Jonathan: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 23 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19448. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth):I am pleased to stand and speak on the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill. I want to just say that I endorse Mike Sabin’s comments—and I am sure many members of this Committee also endorse them—regarding the responsibility of parenthood.Although one member across the other side talked about the responsibility of the Government the Government cannot be the parent of every child. Every child comes on to this earth because of two parents. What we need to do is continue to encourage adults and teenagers in this country who end up being parents to take on the responsibility of that parenthood with great seriousness. Although the Government might be there to assist and prop up sometimes we go too far. When we go too far we dilute the responsibility that people need to take for their individual lives and for their children. It does not mean that this Government does not care. It does not mean—[Interruption]The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): Order! [Interruption] Order! Just two things. First of all I would like to advise members that barracking is not acceptable in the people’s House. This is a place for debate. Members will conduct themselves with the respect for the traditions of the House as enshrined in the Standing Orders. That is the first thing I want to say. The second thing I want to say is that this is a debate on clause 2; we are not on clause 3.JONATHAN YOUNG: The commencement clause—well I believe that this bill should not commence because it goes too far. We believe that there needs to be some support for parents. We do believe that but we need to have support for parents that goes far enough but not too far and that does not dilute the responsibility that parents have.Tracey Martin: No no no—not too far!JONATHAN YOUNG: I do not know about you but I was raised—The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): Order!JONATHAN YOUNG: I do not know about that member across there but I was raised in South Taranaki one child out of seven by farming parents who worked incredibly hard and who managed. And I believe that when people are faced with those challenges of how to manage—yes with the appropriate support but not so much support that they abdicate their responsibility—then they develop resources they develop strength of character and they develop ways in which they can care not just for their own family but for their community as well.So many of the families in our community when I was a young boy helped each other and I think it is a sad day when that stops and all the help comes from the Government—that faceless group of people in Wellington who have this incredible sense of obligation placed upon them by people who think that they do not have the resources. I think it is important to find those resources amongst families extended family amongst community and amongst grandparents. I mean how many grandparents actually fulfil a great role of assisting their families and their grandchildren? Many many many do and I think that that is a great thing. It brings the great sense of connection and purpose and fulfilment that they all have.We believe that supporting parents is a very important thing. Supporting children is a very important thing. The Vulnerable Children Act is one of the most significant pieces of legislation to go through this Parliament and that is all about supporting children. The Government Administration Committee that reported on Sue Moroney’s Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill could not come to agreement. That is because there are differences of opinion. This is what—Jacinda Ardern: No it’s because we didn’t have the numbers.JONATHAN YOUNG: No there are differences of opinion Ms Ardern. There are differences of opinion and that is what this place is all about. It is about differences of opinion. We can come into this debating chamber and we can debate our viewpoints and I think that is what New Zealand likes to see. There will be myriads of people out there who will support Sue Moroney and myriads who will not. We are the representatives of viewpoints not only our own but the viewpoints of others in our communities. I know that yes there are people who are very concerned when they see deprivation and when they see hardship but the solutions to that are not always the same. So that is why sometimes we come to this place and we find that there are differences of opinion.