Sepuloni CarmelHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development): I just want to thank the National Party for finally coming around and supporting us on this very important issue. The Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill shows the level of commitment this Government has to families and children. This is one of our Government's top priorities which is why it is the first bill to be read in this 52nd Parliament. This Government wants to ensure that families and their children are well supported and given more opportunities and we know that this is widely supported by working New Zealanders. We know this because it has gone through the select committee process twice.I would like to say that it is very disappointing and a little bit embarrassing to watch the National Party members stand up and feign indignation over the fact that we're putting this through in urgency given I think most New Zealanders out there would think actually it has gone through the select committee twice; it doesn't need to go again. It is widely supported. It has had hundreds if not thousands of submissions put in on it. The public have seen the National Government put other much less important pieces of legislation through via urgency when they didn't need to so it's embarrassing that they're standing up and feigning the level of indignation that they are. We've had members on the other side of the House accuse us of being lazy for putting this through through an urgency process. That's not lazy; that's wanting to get decent legislation through that's going to benefit New Zealand families and their children as quickly as we possibly can so we can get on to the next quality piece of legislation that will again benefit New Zealand families and children.We had David Seymour saying earlier that we are only doing this to be popular. That was a very silly statement. This does happen to be widely supported by New Zealand families but is not about popularity; it is about making sure that families in New Zealand are better off. This is not a random number that we picked out in terms of 26 weeks. Anyone that has been part of the process to date in the House anyone that's read on this issue knows that the World Health Organization recommends that women breastfeed exclusively for that first six months and anyone that has breastfed and tried to work—and I know there are people in this House that are in this position—knows how difficult it is to express and try and get the level of milk required to be able to continue breastfeeding while you're absent from that child. So actually providing women—even though it doesn't just have to be the mother—with the opportunity to be able to have that six months to exclusively breastfeed and supporting them financially to be able to do that has to be seen as a good thing surely. So it is good that everyone—apart from David Seymour and the ACT Party—is supporting this in the House.Hon Tracey Martin: David Seymour is the whole of the ACT Party. Let's get fair.Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Yes David Seymour is the ACT Party; that's right. It would be nice if there was some genuine positivity from the Opposition when they stood up in support of this bill. I actually think there are a few members that are probably genuinely happy about this. I think there were members in the last Government who really struggled with having to vote against it and who really struggled with the fact that their Prime Minister made the decision to veto the bill. I think that was the first time that was ever used. So I think there are probably some relieved members in the Opposition but for those that are standing up to speak on the Bill just a reminder to the Opposition: you are supporting it. It is a good bill it's going to do good things and New Zealanders support it so please stand up and speak positively about this legislation. And it would be nice if the Opposition could stop feigning indignation over it. Thank you very much.