Pillay Lynne: General Debate 
Pillay Lynne: General Debate 
[Volume:625;Page:20250] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour—Waitakere) 
: 
 Was not that typical of the ACT party? ACT is now polling less than half of the margin of error. How low can one go? Well one can go pretty low if one is a member of the ACT party but one can go very very low when one is Rodney Hide. I am not here to talk about negative stuff. I am here to talk about positive stuff today because that is what this Government is about. Let us look at our industrial relations now. Over the last 6 years we have had six increases to the minimum wage. We now have improved health and safety we have fairer labour laws we have 4 weeks’ holiday on promise for all New Zealand workers and we have paid parental leave. 
What would Dr Brash do? He was going to scrap the Employment Relations Act. He was definitely going to scrap 4 weeks’ holiday. Now who knows? Who knows what Dr Brash is going to do now? What do we know? We know that Dr Brash and the National Party think that workers should have no rights—nothing like a minimum wage. Who needs that in New Zealand? Dr Brash was opposed to the—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is becoming a habit but I am sure you did not hear the interjection from Gerry Brownlee which was grossly unparliamentary and out of order. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: In fact I did hear it and I was about to do something about it. The member should withdraw. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: Dr Brash is opposed to the minimum wage. He does not like fair holidays for this country and he does not like safe workplaces. That is not what National is about. 
Let us look at industry training and apprenticeships. There are more opportunities for young people and more skills for business in New Zealand. That did not happen in the 1990s but it is happening now. Again National members grizzle and whine but offer no alternative. National is the party that absolutely wallows in negativity. We can see those members wallowing now. Let us look at Gerry Brownlee wallowing. According to National members and their mates—whoops their former mates; the “Hover Around 2 Percent Party”—there is nothing good in this country. What happens in the National Party if one of its members excels in negativity and dumping on people? That member gets promoted. I say congratulations to Judith Collins—she is a star. What happens finally? If a National member finds all the negativity is just too much he or she is gone by lunchtime. This Government stands by its record for women and for families. Paid parental leave will be for 14 weeks and will cover all women including self-employed women by 2006. Is that not great? No say Opposition members. New Zealand families think it is great. New Zealand women including self-employed women think it is great. 
Dr Brash now wants to cut public spending. Minor changes on the margins simply will not do the trick so what will go? Will it be the 2700 extra teachers we have employed? Will it be the 3300 extra nurses we have employed? Will it be the 950 extra medical staff we have employed? Will it be the 1250 extra non-clinical support staff we have employed? Will it be the 398 extra social workers the 138 extra probation officers the 820 extra prison officers or the 1080 extra police we have employed? I can see Gerry Brownlee over there on the Opposition benches looking really miserable. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Stop telling lies. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: That is the truth. I have never seen anybody look as miserable as that. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I can intervene; I do not need the point of order. Please do not make that reference in the House. I know the vein in which it was being used but I ask the member to please withdraw. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. For goodness’ sake! Nobody could know better than me whether I am feeling miserable. If I am asserting that I am not miserable and the member is asserting that I am where does that leave the member? It is a bit like Helen Clark over the Peter Doone issue when we start to think about it. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: That was an unnecessary reflection on Mr Brownlee but let us move on. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: I am sorry but if that is someone who is looking happy I would hate to see— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am reluctantly in the House because I was going to take a point of order before as you are aware but you ruled it out of order. There has been a repeat of a very similar assertion from that man down there—Mr Hide I think his name is. 
Rodney Hide 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: All I can say is that if Mr Brownlee is looking happy I would hate to see him looking miserable. 
Moving on I want to talk in closing about a great event. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sure that if the member who has just sat down sought an extra 2 minutes to tell us about the greatest event in her life the House would grant leave for that in a heartbeat. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: Is the member seeking leave for that? 
Rodney Hide 
: She has to do it. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: The time for this debate had ended. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.