Upston LouiseHon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō): I do feel as if I need to put on record the fact that this is a members' day this is a member's bill and one of the key opportunities to improve legislation is to have it go to a select committee. So to have a coalition Government that purports to be supportive of women's equality who won't even allow a piece of legislation that will reduce if not eliminate discrimination for women in the workplace in terms of both their terms and conditions and their pay is outrageous. It is absolutely outrageous that they won't even allow a piece of legislation to go forward to a select committee for the ability for the New Zealand public—and as my colleague the Hon Michael Woodhouse said before we recognise that the new Government has a slightly different take on some aspects of the solution to pay equity.Well why not use the legislation? The first opportunity was the bill that was previously before the House that the Labour Government discharged with immediacy—I think one of only two that were discharged—but no they didn't want to talk about it then. This is the second opportunity brought by my fantastic colleague Denise Lee for the Parliament to discuss and debate the issue for the Government of the day to provide input in terms of what improvements they would see but no. What does the current Government say? More women up and down this country will be forced because of their delays to go through the agonising process of going to court when we want to make a simple practical solution.The other thing I do want to do and put on record is that I'm really offended on behalf of the joint working group previously led by Dame Patsy Reddy. I'm offended on their behalf that the previous speaker or the one before that from the Green Party was so scathing and dismissive of the months of work put in by business by unions and by the Government to come up with a solution: a set of principles that was workable practical and fair. I do want to just put on the record of the House my utter disgust that a member of this House would disregard the months of work that was entered into in good faith—Hon Julie Anne Genter: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I wonder if you'd consider two things. Firstly I take offence at what that member is saying about my speech. It's completely misrepresenting what I said. Secondly the previous member Michael Woodhouse—most of his speech was about his experience in drafting the original legislation which then I was unable to speak to during my speech.DEPUTY SPEAKER: I'm sorry I didn't hear the comment that you took offence to.Hon Julie Anne Genter: She implied that I was putting in to disrepute the previous joint working group which is ridiculous. I did no such thing.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well I don't think that you can take offence on behalf of someone else particularly if they're not even parliamentarians.Hon Julie Anne Genter: What I take offence at is that member's characterisation or mischaracterisation of my entire speech and what I was saying.DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think that is a debatable point and I think the member herself said she found it very hard to make a polite speech. So I'll ask Louise Upston to continue.Hon LOUISE UPSTON: Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. So the issue here—and I don't think there would be any member of Parliament in this House that wants to see further delays in real solutions and real pay increases for real New Zealand women. Unfortunately by members opposite not supporting this legislation to go forward to the select committee that's exactly what's happening. We've heard lots of talk from them—we've heard lots of talk about their intentions and what they want to do. Where's the legislation? Where's the time frame? What is that side doing about it?So in terms of results absolutely we know that pay equity is a significant part of reducing the gender pay gap. We've seen significant reductions in that since 1998 so over the last 20 years we've seen significant reductions. Part of that is resolving issues of pay equity so it is really frustrating to stand in this Chamber and to know that members opposite are willing for women to wait for women to have to go to court like Kristine Bartlett did and struggle for years when this is a piece of legislation—they have the ability to influence it and change it so that we do get outcomes for women. It's just unfortunate that that side of the House is unwilling to advance this.It is somewhat frustrating to hear the comments and the empty language and statements about their intentions when how you deliver for working women in New Zealand is through legislation making it easy for them to engage not making them go to court to fight for it. This is a simple solution with the joint working group recommendations that business and unions and the Government agreed. So it's a sad day in this House when women aren't supported by the members opposite.