Gallagher Martin: Holidays (Four Weeks Annual Leave) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Gallagher Martin: Holidays (Four Weeks Annual Leave) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:617;Page:12664] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I am sure that if we look at the history books we will see that in the 19th century conservative parties here and in Britain would have consistently opposed any improvement in conditions for working people. The speeches we have heard today from the conservative parties in this Parliament point in my view to their moral bankruptcy in this area. I have a lot of time for my good mate and colleague Lindsay Tisch whom we have just heard but on this issue we are obviously very clearly diametrically opposed. I cannot believe that we have just heard a speech that talked about small business upping sticks and moving to Australia. Can someone on this side of the House who knows about this tell me how many weeks annual leave employees have in Australia? 
Dianne Yates 
: Four! 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: What was that? I could not hear Dianne Yates the good member for Hamilton East? 
Dianne Yates 
: 4 weeks! 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: Four weeks! Is the Australian economy going down the gurgler? Can Dianne Yates help me on this? 
Dianne Yates 
: No it is not! 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: It is not. In fact over the last 15 to 20 years the Australian economy has had a very reasonable record. The Australian economy is extolled by the current Leader of the Opposition as a kind of a role model—a test case. Is that not a selective reference—taking only the bits we like and not talking about the Australian economy in terms of its very tight and some would say somewhat rigid labour legislation. I would not necessarily say that. We do not talk about the Australian economy and the fact that it has 4 weeks guaranteed annual leave. Do we hear members opposite attack the economies of the European Union or the economy of the United Kingdom which now has a higher per capita income than this country? How many weeks annual leave do people have in the United Kingdom? Can someone help me? I can tell the House. Since April 1999 the United Kingdom has had 4 weeks annual leave. The European Union has 4 weeks leave as well. 
I suspect and I would wager that back in 1944 when we got 2 weeks annual leave—I have not done the library research I have to admit—the conservative forces in politics that formed into the National Party opposed it. I am sure that in the 1970s when the third Labour Government under the leadership of Norman Kirk and Bill Rowling proudly introduced 3 weeks annual leave those forces opposed it as well. Did the economy fall over? Did the world collapse? No it did not. 
I am not allowed to use the “h” word in this Chamber—that is hypocrisy. I am sorry; I withdraw it as I am not allowed to use it. It is the height of the “h” word for members of Parliament on their pay and salary conditions—and they work hard I accept that—to oppose that provision and to be so measly and miserly that out of 365 days of the year they would deny working families 20 days annual leave and would keep them at 15. I accept that there will be compliance costs for small business and I respect that. That is one of the reasons that this legislation in terms of the Government’s intention is to phase in the 4 weeks minimum entitlement in 2007. 
The other thing that we need to recognise in this Parliament is that a number of enterprises already have 4 weeks annual leave. Have their companies gone belly up? No they have not. Has this country’s economy gone down the gurgler? No it has not. In fact a number of working people actually enjoy more than 4 weeks annual leave per year. 
I want to compliment Matt Robson. He is an example of a good hard-working MP. I also compliment his leader Jim Anderton. This bill gives a minimum entitlement to working families. This is legislation for the battlers in this country—the mums and dads who work hard throughout the year and then want to help the netball and rugby teams and all of that and whose lives are being compromised by the conditions that they face. 
What is 4 weeks annual leave? Let us get real. What is so radical about 4 weeks annual leave? What is so ground shattering and so terribly economically destabilising about 4 weeks annual leave? Let us get this in perspective—20 days out of 365 days. Quite frankly those parties that oppose it should be ashamed. 
I have got a lot of time for United Future and I listened with respect to some of the issues that the United Future member raised in his speech. A party that espouses being for the family—and I certainly respect a number of its policies that are very good for families in my view—should have a deep think on this issue. I cannot quite work out—and I ask United Future members to tell me—how 4 weeks annual leave is anti-family. 
The campaign that Matt Robson waged for 4 weeks annual leave is a very good example of what an individual crusading member of Parliament can do—how a crusading member of Parliament can make a difference in people’s lives. It is a really good example of the cooperation between the Progressive party and Labour in terms of how we have come together on this. I respect that Matt Robson is on record as wanting this Government to go somewhat faster on this issue. We have tried to get a middle way—a balanced course—and we have obviously come down for bringing in 4 weeks annual leave in 2007. The National Party’s opposition to 4 weeks annual leave covers—not very well—another agenda. I look forward to being on the campaign trail because we will remind people up and down this country that the second part of the National Party’s agenda is to bring back the Employment Contracts Act. 
John Carter 
: Really? 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: Yes really. Now now. Has the member opposite not found that out? I am sure he knows that his party is going to bring back the Mark II version of the Employment Contracts Act which will consistently and systematically roll back the conditions for working people in this country. Watch this space folks! That is obviously the National Party’s real agenda. 
Finally in my closing moments let me pay tribute to Matt Robson for his work in this area and to my own Prime Minister and Government for being part of a reforming Government that will make life better for working New Zealanders. I am absolutely proud to be part of a Government that will bring in 4 weeks annual leave in 2007.