Dyson RuthHon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills): Mr Assistant Speaker can I begin my contribution this evening by congratulating you on your theft as my junior whip to your position as Assistant Speaker. I also want to congratulate my Christchurch colleague Poto Williams on achieving the same esteemed position as a presiding officer the Hon Anne Tolley and the Rt Hon Trevor Mallard. It's a really interesting mix of skills and I'm sure that you will work together well for the benefit of the debate and the contribution in this House. So I want to warmly congratulate you all.I want to acknowledge the new Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety the Hon Iain Lees-Galloway and say what a fantastic piece of work to have in—is it 12 days since you've been a Minister? To have the first piece of legislation before the House on such an important topic is really really worth commending.I also want to acknowledge Sue Moroney who has already had tribute paid to her. I had the privilege of chairing the Government Administration Committee which twice looked at Sue Moroney's bills. There were thousands of submissions. Two I can recall out of thousands were in opposition to this proposal which is replicated in this legislation and is overwhelmingly supported as being the right thing to do for families the right thing to do for better health outcomes and the right thing to do for better education outcomes and it was such an embarrassment that submitter after submitter told us how far behind the rest of the developed world New Zealand lagged. We like to compare ourselves with other countries and say We're ahead of this." In paid parental leave we are so far behind.So I just want to acknowledge the Minister and Sue Moroney and the submitters. That's the reason why I am comfortable with this bill not going back to a select committee for the third time. We've had it at select committee twice. Let me tell you about the two submitters who opposed it. One said women shouldn't have children and be in paid work. Anyone else agree with that—no? I can't see a lot of support for that line of thinking in this House. Mr Seymour you're not on that side are you? You think it's all right for mums to have a paid job as well? David Seymour: Why are you picking on me? Hon RUTH DYSON: I was just asking—I was just asking. Unlikely opportunity that you know—ha ha! The other submitter said that the longer women were away from their paid job caring for their children the less likely it was that they would be able to remember the work that they used to do. Hon Members: Oh!Hon RUTH DYSON: That's right. I'm not even going to ask because I know that Mr Seymour would think that was rubbish as well. I am really confident of that—really confident of that. So let's look at the fact that overwhelmingly thinking New Zealanders said through a select committee process that they supported this legislation on extending provisions to paid parental leave that were first introduced in 2002. That was first introduced by Labour; National opposed it. Then it was increased from 12 to 14 weeks by Labour; National opposed it. Then it was extended to cover self-employed people by Labour; National opposed it. Sue Moroney's first bill extending it—National opposed it. Then National increased paid parental leave from 14 to 18 weeks on the advice of their pollsters—a highly principled decision.The second time Sue Moroney attempted to get an incremental increase of paid parental leave to achieve 26 weeks for babies Labour got the support of a majority of members of Parliament in this House. We had a majority to pass that legislation so the Hon Bill English as the finance Minister put a financial veto over it. So I don't want to hear the Hon Amy Adams or the Hon Michael Woodhouse or any other of those members crying crocodile tears over constitutional outrage when a majority of members of Parliament supported a legislative procedure and a financial veto was issued over it. Then they come in here crying crocodile tears over constitutional outrage.Mr—Madam Speaker. I am so not used to saying "Madam Speaker" and it's such a pleasure to be able to again. Madam Deputy Speaker I just want to conclude by commending the 26 for Babies campaign. There have been huge numbers of people—individuals and organisations in our community—who have known this was the best next step that we could make in order to support newborn babies and their families. They've done an amazing amount of work. They helped us develop good policy. They challenged us and supported us. They made considered submissions to the select committee and that's why I remain confident that not only is this bill absolutely on the right track but I can support it going through under urgency. Thank you."