Hayes JoanneJO HAYES (National): Thank you Mr Speaker. I'm privileged to stand and take a call on the Holidays (Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage) Amendment Bill (No 2). This is a momentous time in this House for women and for women's sexual health. I cannot even hazard a guess as to the emotion and as to the loss from a miscarriage because I have never had one but I have family members that have had one. For some they have had multiple miscarriages. What we have done as a whānau is we have rallied around them but it has also been one of those things that many people decide they don't want to talk about. This whole area of secrecy around miscarriage should never happen and I think that this bill will actually bring it to light. It will bring it to light. There is no shame in a miscarriage and I think that this is what this bill is about. For most women pregnancy is one of the most highlighted experiences that a woman can have and a family can experience. It's where a mother and a father and all the family rally around. Unfortunately as Ginny Andersen pointed out in her contribution one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage and that is very sad. It's a very sad indictment that women who experience miscarriage also have to experience the humiliation of seeking leave—bereavement leave—so they can go and grieve their loss along with their husband and their family. I want to acknowledge everybody who's been involved in developing this bill. I don't know Kathryn van Beek from Dunedin but I just want to say congratulations to you Kathryn. As Ginny Andersen pointed out in her contribution this is your bill. This is your bill for standing up for all women who have suffered miscarriage. So in this House this bill is dedicated to the hard work and for you making the approach to the Hon Clare Curran so that she can bring this to the House. I also want to acknowledge Clare for the hard work that she has done over the three or four years in bringing this bill here and also Ginny Andersen for picking up the mantle and shepherding this bill in for its first reading. On this side of the House we are very proud to be able to support this bill to the select committee. I think more and more stories will emerge around some of the issues that women who have faced miscarriage have faced in their employment. But in saying that I also want to acknowledge most employers who are sympathetic and who are empathetic to women who have had miscarriages and who have given them in some cases more than three days to grieve their loss along with their family members. I want to acknowledge also Louise Upston and Agnes Loheni on this side of the House for sharing with the House their losses. It's very difficult. Along with other bills that we've had in this House around abortion and all of those other issues that women face throughout their lives we can actually stand in this House and support these women so they need not hide in secrecy or hide away in shame that they have suffered a loss of miscarriage. I want to close my contribution by once again acknowledging all of those brave women who will come to the select committee and share their stories along with agencies and along with employers around how they can actually support their stories around how employers give women leave to go and grieve. I want to acknowledge all the fathers as well and the children of the families because in those miscarriages for some of those women—as Agnes has outlined—they were either second or third babies that were miscarried. So ka aroha to all of those women. It is with pleasure that I commend this bill to the House. Thank you Mr Speaker.