Douglas Roger: Holidays Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Douglas Roger: Holidays Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:15488] 
Hon Sir ROGER DOUGLAS (ACT) 
: 
 I could not help myself. The arrogance of it! That is what this is about—real downright arrogance. “We know best. Thou shall not do what you want to; we will make the decision for you. You are actually too dumb to understand—” 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson—[ 
Interruption 
] 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I am coming to the Chair’s defence. We all know that the Chair is not dumb and for the member who has more than slight experience in the House to accuse the Chair of that is inappropriate. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I thank that member. Before I call the member I say that when I stand it actually means something. [ 
Interruption 
] I am sure members can see me when I am standing. It means that we terminate the speech at that time and the member with the call sits down. Regarding the point that was made about bringing the Chair into the debate I am sure the member knows that that should not happen. 
Hon Sir ROGER DOUGLAS 
: I apologise. I say that the Labour members opposite believe that they know best. They are saying to workers that you shall not have the right to choose. You will not have the right to choose what you do. They are saying to a family that you shall not trade that fourth week’s leave. You cannot decide— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! 
Hon Sir ROGER DOUGLAS 
: Sorry Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: The member should not bring the Chair into the debate. 
Hon Sir ROGER DOUGLAS 
: I was not Mr Chairperson; I was saying to people—I was not referring to you— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: The member will not argue with me; I have ruled. The member brought the Chair into the debate and that is not allowed. 
Hon Sir ROGER DOUGLAS 
: I was saying that Labour members are saying to people that they should not have the right to choose. They are saying to workers who do not have the money to take their families away at Christmas that they will not trade off 1 week of their holiday. You will stay home for the 4 weeks of your holiday and you will not be able to— 
Lynne Pillay 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I think the Chair is being brought into the debate again. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I am prepared to allow some flexibility. If it is a direct reference to the Chair then that is completely out of order. We have had some points of order on that and the member is correct in that sense. I ask the member to speak in the third person as opposed to referring to the Chair directly. 
Hon Sir ROGER DOUGLAS 
: Labour is saying to workers who might want to trade 1 week of their 4 weeks’ holiday so that they can take their family to Paihia Russell or wherever they want and have 3 weeks’ holiday that they shall not be able to do that. Workers cannot trade off that week. The Labour Party wants to decide for workers. It is saying that people are better to stay at home for 4 weeks and not be able to take their kids out rather than be able to take them to Russell Paihia or Tauranga for 1 week and have only 3 weeks off. 
The Labour Party is saying to a family who may have a son who is an exceptional young soccer player that they are not allowed to trade off 1 of those 4 weeks of holiday in order to buy that child a decent pair of soccer boots and get special training because that is not a decision people are capable of. The Labour Party and the Green Party will make that decision for workers. 
I find it disgusting that members opposite are not prepared to allow workers to make that decision. If a family has a young talented singer who wants some special lessons the Labour Party is saying that it will not allow that family to trade off 1 week of its holidays in order to get their child some special lessons and expertise. 
The Labour Party and the Green Party think they know what is best for workers. Frankly it disgusts me.