Goodhew Jo: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Goodhew Jo: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 25 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:3946. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon JO GOODHEW (Minister of Women’s Affairs) 
: 
 Tena koutou katoa. Nga mihi nui o Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori. Let me begin in speaking to this Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill by asserting that the Government supports parents being able to look after their children. What is more we spent $157 million on providing the current 14 weeks’ paid parental leave in the 2011-12 year. 
I understand completely why community groups will express tomorrow—and have already expressed—their support for paid parental leave but equally at the same time as they will say that they support it those same groups have a sense of understanding of the tight fiscal constraints that this Government is in at the moment. That is why we are still seeing such strong support in the polls for the options that this National Government is taking not the continual string of “Let’s spend on this let’s spend on that let’s spend on something else.” Just because it is a good idea does not mean that the money is magicked up out of fresh air to deliver it. We are concerned at the financial implications of nearly doubling the amount of paid parental leave which has been proposed in this bill. 
This National Government is completely focused on responsibly managing the Government’s finances. It is a pity that the previous Labour Government did not do the same for the 9 years that it was in Government. We want to get back to surplus. We want to get debt under control. And what seems anathema to the other side is that you just cannot spend what you have not got without going into more debt and placing the responsibility for getting rid of that debt on to the generations to come. It is a choice we have made a choice we can live with and a choice that we believe our grandchildren will live with as well. 
 We have been dealing with the biggest deficit New Zealand has ever had. It is too soon for the determinations to be made about what new entitlements will be offered when we get back to surplus. I am going to focus on our priorities which will demonstrate that this Government has a strong commitment to children and families as well. So that side should never accuse us of anything less. Go on get on your hind legs. My apologies Mr Deputy Speaker—not you of course. 
We have worked hard during the last 3½ years through a large recession to preserve income and support to families. We have— 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Order! I am having extreme difficulty hearing the member. I would just ask members to contain themselves somewhat. 
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: It is great to see the others on the other side are alive and well. We have increased the maximum paid parental leave payment by $67 a week since taking office. On 1 July this year the maximum parental leave payment available to eligible employees and the self-employed increased from $458.22 to $475.16 a week. The minimum parental leave payment for the self-employed also increased. Employees with at least 12 months’ continuous service with their employer are also entitled to up to 52 weeks of employment-protected unpaid parental leave less any paid parental leave taken. This can be shared between eligible spouses and partners. Up to 2 weeks of unpaid partner’s paternity leave is also available. 
I believe it is very important that I describe this because this is about what the scheme currently offers. I would also like to reflect on some work that is currently being undertaken—some conversations I have had with members of the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust. They tell us that it is all very well to have paid parental leave but the important thing about paid parental leave is that it has to be managed in a way that supports the reintegration of that person back into the workforce. It is not just about the money actually. It is about feeling valued in the workforce. So when the employer goes out of their way to make that person feel supported there is much more chance—irrespective of how much paid parental leave there is—that they will return to the workforce. That is about flexibility and staging re-entry to the workforce. That is about encouragement support and again I say flexibility. That in fact will gain more than just chucking more money at it but then chucking more money at it is certainly something the other side of the House is familiar with. And boy are their promises mounting up. 
We are continually improving the Working for Families scheme which offers tax credits to help families get ahead. We are committed to providing better health-care for families including free after-hours general practitioner visits for under-sixes and delivering record rates of immunisations for under-twos. Again what might that look like? Children at the heart of policy is what that looks like. We have provided $54 million to boost maternity services to support new parents. What might that look like? Children at the heart of policy—children and families. PlunketLine is fully funded 24 hours a day 7 days a week to support new parents. Did that happen under the previous Government? No that happened under this National Government. Labour cut PlunketLine. There has been a 34 percent increase in early childhood education funding since 2008. The Government spent $1.4 billion on early childhood education. 
One of the things that I learnt when I was overseas last week is the unenviable the absolute—[ 
Interruption 
] Last week when I was away I was made aware of what an incredible record this country has for the provision of early childhood education—95 percent of New Zealand’s children have been engaged in early childhood education prior to going to school. And we the National Government have set a target of 98 percent. The UN committee could not believe that a Government would show such commitment to early childhood education. [ 
Interruption 
] The other side of the House are hating that a lot; they certainly are. We have set aside an extra $19.1 million over 4 years to support Maori-medium early childhood education services. 
The money that this Government has prioritised is prioritised into those who need it the most. The best bang for buck in terms of early childhood education spend is on the children who do not currently get any—that is nil; no early childhood education. The best bang for buck will be there. That is why we have allocated $18.9 million for 1039 new places in high-need areas. New Zealand has a proud record in regard to early childhood education. 
I want to move on to the Labour Party’s costings. The phased policy in this bill would cost $450 million extra over its first 4 years. Labour’s own costings: an extra $50 million in the first year $100 million on top of that in the second year and $150 million more in each of the third and fourth years. We do not have that money. New Zealanders know we do not have that money. The dangers of running up high deficits through unaffordable government are simply not worth it. 
The leader of the Labour Party David Shearer promised to run a thrifty Government if elected. Actually this is not a good way to get started Mr Shearer. In 2007 the Families Commission gave Ruth Dyson then Minister of Labour a report that recommended paid parental leave provisions be increased to 13 months by 2015 including a month for fathers. Labour did not do anything with that. But now those members sit on the other side of the House and berate us. I believe that I have demonstrated and I know other members on this side will continue to demonstrate that children are at the centre of our policy and we have put our money where our mouth is. We cannot afford this policy at the moment and therefore we are putting money into other things that we believe will benefit children and the families of New Zealand.