Logie Jan: Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLogie Jan: Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 17 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9477. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JAN LOGIE (Green): The Green Party is very pleased to support the Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill on its third reading tonight and we look forward to it passing into law. We are supporting this bill for lots of reasons but primarily because we support a good work-life balance for New Zealanders and we believe that the economy is a tool to serve our planet and our people and a good work-life balance is something that looks after us.I would like to acknowledge Dr David Clark and Grant Robertson my old boss who was never able to give me that Monday off. I know he would have really loved to because his party has produced this wonderful bill. The Greens would like to do a lot more to support a balanced society—one where every New Zealander could have a great life. Just imagine if we planned for our economy to help us all have balanced and fulfilling lives. Would that not be a beautiful thing?This bill is actually just a really tiny thing and to be opposing it just seems curmudgeonly to me I have to say. We believe that this bill will enable workers and their families to enjoy the full entitlement of the Holidays Act—11 public holidays peryear every year. Under the existing Holidays Act in every 2 out of 7 years those 11 public holidays reduce to 9 days a year because Waitangi Day and Anzac Day are celebrated on specific days.We have other days on which the holidays happen on the same day every year they are marked and people get a holiday on a different day: Christmas Day Boxing Day New Year’s Day and the day after New Year’s Day. When those days fall on weekends the law allows for them to be transferred so that workers get the full entitlement from those days. We recognise the importance of doing that. The Greens maintain that the difference in treatment between Waitangi Day and Anzac Day and Christmas Day Boxing Day New Year’s Day and the days after those 2 days is an anomaly.We reject the notion put by some submitters and members across the House that it will undermine either of those important days to have a holiday on a separate day. We have not seen any evidence of this happening with Christmas Day and I do not think it has any less meaning to us as a people because we have a holiday on another day. Australia already transfers Anzac Day to a Monday when it occurs on a weekend and the day’s commemorations are still held on 25 April. Even with Mondayisation Anzac Day events in Australia are really well attended and I do not think that would change here.The majority of small businesses—I think all of us on this side of the House really strongly support the interests of small businesses—are supporting this initiative. The tourism industry as has been noted has said that it sees this as an opportunity to increase domestic tourism and that the economic benefits outweigh the costs to small employers. That is I think a good thing. The costs of this are not at all outrageous. Employers already bear the costs of public holidays for their staff most years. Another 2 years is not going to break the bank.I just want to talk a little bit about the fact that I think New Zealanders work really hard—too hard actually. I am not saying this as a slacker. I am the product of a Protestant work ethic and a workaholic father. I have never achieved work-life balance in my life without feeling I was letting myself or my employer down to be honest but I recognise that to be disordered. I saw the really significant health costs on my father who needed to be resuscitated by my mother after he had a heart attack in his 40s due to not being able to achieve work-life balance from being a workaholic. We have an ever-increasing pressure on workers in this country and they need to be looked after a little better. This bill is a tiny step towards that.