Robertson Grant: Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Robertson Grant: Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 25 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:3916. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
: 
 What an extraordinary speech from Colin King! I think somewhere in the middle of that speech he decided he did not like Christmas he did not seem to particularly like children very much either and he does not want people to have holidays. But the National Party unfortunately has a history— 
Hon Nathan Guy 
: He’s got children. 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: Yes he has. That is right Mr Guy—he has. And the point of that interjection is? The National Party has never liked the idea of workers getting holidays. It has never liked it. When legislation on 4 weeks’ annual leave came to this House the National Party members got up and they opposed it. Judith Collins said this during the debate on 4 weeks’ leave: “I do not have a lot of sympathy with anyone who wishes to be generous”. That is what Judith Collins said when she got up in this House to debate 4 weeks’ annual leave. The sky did not fall in when the Labour-led Government introduced 4 weeks’ annual leave. In fact people got to spend more time with their families and they got to enjoy more time in their communities. 
Holidays for workers are actually very important for productivity and that is why businesses actually support this legislation the Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill. Businesses know that in 5 out of 7 years they will have to plan to give people time off for Waitangi Day and Anzac Day. It is not that difficult to turn that into 7 out of 7 years. That is what businesses are saying. Today in the House we have already heard that Martin Snedden from the Tourism Industry Association is saying that this is great— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: A great New Zealander. 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: He is a great New Zealander who supports a great bill because what he said is that this is going to be good for the economy. This is actually going to lead to more business on those days that people have a holiday. 
But ultimately this bill is about a fair deal for families in New Zealand. The Holidays Act has 11 public holidays in it and in every year New Zealanders deserve a fair go to have those 11 public holidays. It is an anomaly that when Anzac Day and Waitangi Day fall on a weekend we do not create a holiday on a Monday. It happens for Christmas Day. We hear from people on the other side of the House that somehow or other this very good bill is diminishing the importance of Anzac Day and Waitangi Day. Far far from it: Christmas Day when it falls on a weekend generates a holiday on a Monday. Has Christmas suddenly lost its importance in New Zealand? Absolutely not. 
Anzac Day and Waitangi Day are important days in New Zealand’s history. They are an important part of our identity. This bill will enable New Zealanders to commemorate those days on the days they fall on 6 February and 25 April and it will give New Zealanders the days off every year—not just for 5 years in 7. That is a good thing. In Australia where in most states this applies attendance at Anzac Day services has been going up. People value the day they value the importance of the day to our national identity and they also enjoy the fact that they can have a day off with their families. 
This bill has been a long time coming and as someone in whose name it formerly was I can tell you that it is enormously popular with New Zealanders. New Zealanders understand that they deserve a fair deal. New Zealanders work hard. New Zealanders work harder than most people around the world and that is a good thing. But New Zealanders deserve the 11 public holidays in the Holidays Act every year. This bill is a bill that the Labour Party is incredibly proud to bring to this House because it is about fairness for families. It is about a fair deal so that people can actually spend more time with their families. Why would National oppose a fair deal for families? Why would National say that workers do not deserve the 11 public holidays that they are guaranteed every year in the Holidays Act? 
I believe that Waitangi Day and Anzac Day will continue to grow in importance for New Zealanders. They will continue to be part of what shapes our national identity. What this bill does is recognise the importance of those days and says to New Zealanders that they will get a fair deal. That is the fair deal that a Labour Government will provide. In Opposition we are at least able to put this bill forward. I am very grateful for the support from other parties which I am sure will see this bill pass and it will be a great day for New Zealand families.