Moroney Sue: Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Moroney Sue: Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:638;Page:8766] 
SUE MORONEY (Labour) 
: 
 I rise to speak to this very important part Part 2 “Consequential amendments to Employment Relations Act 2000” in this very important bill the Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill. The amendments to the Employment Relations Act are very important ones but I want to clarify for people who are listening and who may not have the bill in front of them that they should not be worried we are amending the parts of the Employment Relations Act that ensure we have fair bargaining happening in our workplaces. And we are definitely not amending the parts of the Employment Relations Act that ensure we have access to multi-employer collective agreements for groups like nurses etc. No section 106(1)(j) of the Employment Relations Act is being repealed and section 106(2)(a) is being amended which will ensure there is no employment discrimination on the basis of gender in any part of our employment legislation here in New Zealand.  
While reflecting on this bill over the adjournment I think that some of the activities I was involved in really brought home to me just how important this amendment bill is. As other speakers have said it clarifies a situation that already exists but it is important that our legislation reflects current practice and that is what we are ensuring here.  
During the recent adjournment many of us will have attended Anzac Day ceremonies and I was certainly no different in that regard. I attended Anzac Day ceremonies in Cambridge where I was at the dawn ceremony and also in Morrinsville. I did not have any of the issues that some members have raised in speaking to this part of being crowded out by other members of Parliament wishing to lay wreaths. I was the only member of Parliament present at both of those ceremonies and I was very pleased to represent Parliament there. But when the veterans were lining up parading and being applauded by people at those ceremonies I did reflect on just how many women were involved in taking their part in the veterans’ parade. Partly we must make sure that we honour not only the combat role that women will now legally be able to partake in once this bill has gone through its stages but also the very important work that women have always been deployed in when it comes to the defence forces in New Zealand.  
During the adjournment I also spoke with and met many women’s groups throughout the country and I have to say that this is not the issue that has been on the agenda of many women’s groups. There have been many other issues that they have wanted to talk with the Labour women’s caucus about but this has not been one that has been at the forefront of their thinking. When we have raised it with these groups it has been the case that they have believed—probably quite wrongly—that the legislation was already in place that allowed women to take part and fully participate in the defence forces of New Zealand. It has been a matter of some surprise even to many women’s organisations that in fact the legislative course was not in place for that to happen.  
So as well as ensuring that we repeal section 33 of the Human Rights Act we must also attend to the issue that the select committee raised in its report back to the House. I thank the select committee members; they have done a very good job. This seems like a small piece of legislation in terms of the number of pages it involves but none the less committee members did the very detailed work they are required to do. They picked up on these two other amendments that needed to be made to the Employment Relations Act 2000 so that we can ensure that all legislation backs up the policy that the New Zealand Defence Force now has whereby the force allows women to serve in combat roles. That has been in place since 2000 and now the legislation is coming up to speed.