Gosche Mark: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Gosche Mark: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:617;Page:12768] 
12.  
Hon MARK GOSCHE (Labour—Maungakiekie) 
 to the  
Minister of Labour 
: What reports has he received on proposed changes to the Holidays Act 2003? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 I have seen conflicting reports. In a recent television interview a promise was made to repeal the fourth week’s holiday for all workers. Last weekend the same person referred to the Holidays Act without repeating the promise. Perhaps Don Brash has told a US senator what his real position is. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: Could the Minister inform the House— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Some time ago you had Dr Cullen pull out the Standing Orders 
and recite for you the requirements of members asking questions. In the process he had quite a shot across the bows at Ron Mark who was legitimately pursuing an issue on which the Government had been neglectful. Now we have a Minister standing up and totally abusing the Standing Orders that Dr Cullen is so keen to preserve. I note that members on our side of the House have had to preface every question with a question word as a result of a similar point of order. From now on Ministers might be constrained absolutely to the requirements of the Standing Orders when they are answering their questions. Mr Swain was well outside the Standing Orders with that rather childish answer. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The first point I want to make is that it was the member himself who insisted we have a question word to start each question and I thanked him for it. It is a big improvement to question asking in this House. The Minister I thought addressed the question but the last comment he made was ironic I presume and should not have been part of his answer. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: Could the Minister inform the House when the 4 weeks’ annual leave comes into force? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: It comes into force on 1 April 2007. It will bring us into line with Australia which has had 4 weeks’ leave for 30 years—a point that should not be forgotten. The message is Don Brash wants to take a holiday—yours. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I warned the Minister once. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. National has already asked two. It is my turn now. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Labour is the only party that has had a supplementary question. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: Has the Minister of Labour had any communications from his colleague the Minister of Police on excluding the police from the Holidays Act 2003 given the fact that the Minister has advised in answer to written questions that 300 fewer sworn police were on duty on Good Friday this year compared with the previous year and given that the Act is likely to cost between $4 million and $5 million if police staffing levels are to be maintained over public holidays? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes I have had some discussions with the Minister of Police. This is part of sorting out the collective agreements in discussions between the union and the employer. 
Peter Brown 
: Will the Minister give the House an assurance that when this 4 weeks’ holiday provision comes into being the Government will reimburse organisations such as IHC for it because it will cost quite a lot? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes. As I have said before the potential cost-increases as a result of this legislation will be negotiated with organisations that have contracts with the Government. I am sure that will be one of the issues taken into account when those negotiations are under way. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: Why did the Minister’s department fail to consult with the Ministry of Health at all on the Holidays Act given that urgent work is now under way in the ministry to work out the total cost to district health boards and given that the Waikato District Health Board has already claimed that it will cost it at least $4.5 million extra and the Government has given it nothing? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I understand that a great deal of consultation led up to the introduction of that legislation. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There was a lot of consultation—the Government was in and out of the unions’ offices all the time. The question asked why his department failed to consult with the Ministry of Health; we have had an answer from the Minister of Health that says the ministry was not consulted and I asked the Minister why it was not. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I wonder whether the Minister might care to add a little. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: It is my understanding that all agencies and departments had input into this legislation—that is what I currently understand. But I will check back further and report back. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Is the annual leave provision in the employment contract of the Reserve Bank governor the same as that proposed in the Holidays Bill; if so is there a word to describe that that rhymes with democracy? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister has no responsibility for that. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I seek leave to table a document from the Reserve Bank website that outlines the minimum 4 weeks’ leave provision for the Reserve Bank. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is.