Martin Tracey: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (6 Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill — In CommitteeText is subject to correctionMartin Tracey: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (6 Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 08 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11834. Text is subject to correction.]TRACEY MARTIN (NZ First): Kia ora. I was not going to take a call this evening but this will be the only opportunity I have to speak on this bill because it no longer falls inside my portfolio area; my colleague Clayton Mitchell will actually be taking the call in the third reading.I must speak in this Chamber because it will be a historic moment when this bill gets through this stage—which we hope is prior to 10 o’clock this evening—and when it finally goes through its third reading and when the Government fulfils its promise to veto what the majority of the elected members of New Zealand have voted for. That will be an amazing moment in the history of New Zealand because it will send such a striking message. I must stand as a woman as a mother as a New Zealander and as an elected member of this Parliament to speak to Part 2 of this bill.The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Chester Borrows): And the 26 weeks.TRACEY MARTIN: Exactly and how important 26 weeks are. I am going to speak personally about why I—not New Zealand First but why I—believe it is important that this goes to 26 weeks. It is because I believe that by extending it to 26 weeks we may just see for the first time in our history in some sort of mass movement men pick up the opportunity to take at least the last month—the last 4 weeks—of those 26 weeks and stay at home with their babies to be able to participate and to bond in the way I believe that the mass majority of young current New Zealand fathers wish to participate. They will value that time with those children and finally we will have a larger number of men who truly understand the unpaid work that is done by women over the period of time when they stay home and raise the next generation.When a young person gets in trouble in this country women and parents are the first people whom the media look for and ask: “Where are their parents? Where are those who raised them?”—The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Chester Borrows): Not in the first 26 weeks they do not—come on.TRACEY MARTIN: “Where are those who bonded with them?”. If those parents are there for the 26 weeks at the beginning of that life how that story might be different. If men have some opportunity in those 26 weeks which are in Part 2 then how different might our society be. If men are able to truly feel valued inside the home as much as they feel valued inside the workforce because of the 26 weeks that is here in Part 2 how different might our society be.So I take this opportunity to support the bill that is being put forward. “Tenacity” is a word that should be tattooed somewhere on Sue Moroney because of the way she has stuck with this issue. Do not give it up; we will not.I call on the Government to think hard before it declines 26 weeks in Part 2. The majority of New Zealand’s representatives support this bill. There is only a one seat difference between that side and this side. Think hard before you decide to cast your veto.