Stanford EricaERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays): Thank you Madam Speaker. I'm pleased to take a call on the Holidays (Increasing Sick Leave) Amendment Bill second reading. I was a member of the committee that heard submissions on this bill.I just want to start by delving just very briefly into this whole element of trust" malarkey that's coming from the other side of the House. It's all very interesting that when it comes to workers there is a huge element of trust and they can be trusted not to take advantage of the extra days that they're given but every single possible opportunity this Government has to tie up employers in regulations and costs and more red tape they will take that opportunity every single chance they get because they don't trust employers—but of course we can trust employees; they won't take advantage of the situation!For goodness' sake we're passing a bill at the moment from the other side of the House that's going to give parents an hour off every term to go to a parent-teacher interview because we can't trust employers and employees to work it out amongst themselves to go to a 10-minute interview. So this whole element of trust and "It's all going to be wonderful." is all very well and good but when it actually comes down to it this Government doesn't trust employers. But here we are trusting employees not to take advantage.Can I just say that actually when it comes down to it this isn't a free lunch. This will be paid for somewhere. This billion dollars of cost on the economy isn't going to be made up for in some magical increase in productivity. And by the way the regulatory impact statement and many of the submitters said "Actually there's no evidence to back up this claim of increased productivity." It's anecdotal it's from some stories it's from some thoughts and feelings from the other side of the House but the reality is there's actually no evidence to back this up. From a Government who loves to base everything they do on evidence and facts and science well in this case that was never presented because it doesn't exist. It's just an anecdotal sort of thought and warm fuzzy feeling that productivity will be increased so much that the billion dollars will magically disappear. Well anyone with any brains knows that that's not actually the case. Those costs will be passed on somewhere down the chain.We heard from many many employers who talked about the fact that they will have to pass this cost on through their goods and services increasing the cost of living for the people who can least afford it. They will cut hours they will cut shifts they will hire fewer staff they will rearrange things so that they're not employing so many people on a part-time basis which often goes to those people who need that the most; they will delay wage increases. There will be potential discrimination against the types of people who may be using more sick leave.Now the other side scoffed at that in select committee and again today because "That can't possibly happen." But in reality we know that it does. There is that unconscious bias when it comes to companies who are facing huge costs. And let's remember that not that long ago last year we were begging businesses—this Government this Prime Minister was begging businesses "Please keep hold of your employees. Take on some extra debt. Pivot. Do everything that you can to try and stay afloat. We're not going to give you any support other than the wage subsidy"—but that went straight to the employees not to the employer. So the employers got very very little apart from huge debts massive stress a whole lot of loans that they didn't have before and now on top of that they've got two lots of minimum wage increases—Anna Lorck: Businesses were thrilled with the wage subsidy.ERICA STANFORD: —have another Berocca!—they've got a Matariki holiday they've got increased cost of their migrant workforce as well because those hourly rates have all gone up. On top of that debts and loans. These guys are under extreme pressure.Anna Lorck: Kept our businesses going workers in employment.ERICA STANFORD: Keep yelling love. Listen the point of the matter is that these costs aren't going to disappear somewhere into some magically increased productivity. They are going to be borne by the businesses who will pass this on—Hon Dr Nick Smith: To the consumer.ERICA STANFORD: —and then to the consumer who can least afford it. And they're going to be passed on in the form of people who will not be employed or who will have their hours reduced and that is the unintended consequences of something like this. These things don't just magically disappear; they have to go somewhere. Anna Lorck: Healthier workplace better productivity businesses and workers working together. ERICA STANFORD: I'm going to take a stake in the Berocca business because clearly business is booming for them! Good Lord.I just want to finish by saying that the people who came to our select committee who are the people who are employing the people of New Zealand told us that the reality of this bill is that their costs will increase and that will have to go somewhere. The productivity gains which by the way can't be measured and there's no evidence to show they will actually materialise will be borne by those who can least afford it and the other side of the House just refuses to understand that. Thank you Madam Speaker."