Sepuloni Carmel: Holidays Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Sepuloni Carmel: Holidays Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:15514] 
CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour) 
: 
 I will continue on from that very inspiring speech given by one of my great mentors Lynne Pillay. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Standing shoulder to shoulder with her! 
CARMEL SEPULONI 
: We are definitely the long and the short of the Labour Party. Stand up Lynne. 
Lynne Pillay 
: I’m not allowed. 
CARMEL SEPULONI 
: OK then sorry Lynne. In all seriousness I will add to what Lynne Pillay was saying and provide the Government with a few other ideas for what might be more appropriate titles for the Holidays Amendment Bill. Lynne Pillay provided some very good suggestions which followed on from Trevor Mallard’s very very good suggestions. 
One of the suggestions I would like to put forward which I am sure the other side of the Chamber will take some time to consider seriously is that we title this legislation the “Holidays are for Slackers Bill”. I am sure Government members would appreciate that title given that that is their general attitude towards workers. Using that as the title of this bill would demonstrate and illustrate the National Government’s attitude towards workers. Alongside that I think all the members from the Government side of the Chamber should really consider whether they will need a holiday at the end of this year. Perhaps they want to give their holiday up given that they see no value in holidays and do not believe that workers— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: What about Pansy’s holiday? 
CARMEL SEPULONI 
: Well we do not know how long that holiday will be. As Mr Mallard said earlier Mr Key has deliberately asked her not to resign too early so he can have his holiday in Hawaii. Is that correct? Yes it is. 
Given the undervaluing of holidays from the other side of the Chamber it would be appropriate to call this legislation the “Holidays are for Slackers Bill” but it would also be appropriate for all the Government members to consider giving up their holidays at the end of this year. They could spend Christmas Day New Year’s Day and all of January not with their families because the members do not value families—in fact they are anti-family. They could instead spend all of their time away from their families as they would expect the ordinary Kiwi worker to do and they could spend all of their time working. That would set the example of what those members expect of every other worker. 
Another example of what might make a more appropriate title for this legislation would be the “Holidays (Stopping the Sickies) Amendment Bill”. From the other side of the Chamber an assumption a generalisation has been made that all ordinary Kiwi workers are lazy good-for-nothing slackers and because of that those members want to make sure that if workers take even 1 day off sick they will have to visit a doctor pay the money and get a medical certificate to prove they were sick. Unfortunately the Government members do not trust workers because they believe that workers are all lazy and slack. Their attitude toward other workers is a reflection of their own work ethics. They see in others what they themselves are like. It is quite sad because the vast majority of workers are nothing like National MPs. They work really hard and can be trusted. The reality is that the legislation before us does not reflect that type of attitude towards workers. Instead it shows complete distrust and a very patronising and condescending attitude towards workers. Again I say they really should consider calling it the “Holidays (Stopping the Sickies) Amendment Bill” as that fits with their attitude towards workers. 
Lynne Pillay 
: I like that. 
CARMEL SEPULONI 
: Does the member like that one? 
Another idea that has just been handed to me— 
Hon Maryan Street 
: No it’s your own. 
CARMEL SEPULONI 
: —I have been told it is my own—is the “Holidays (Wake up your Ideas) Bill” or the “Holidays are for Wusses Bill”. Those are great ideas that I just came up with! Let us consider them the “Holidays (Wake up your Ideas) Bill” and the “Holidays are for Wusses Bill”. They are both great because they illustrate the general sentiment behind the bill that we are now considering.