SpeechMARK PATTERSON (NZ First): It is a privilege to rise on behalf of New Zealand First to once again offer our support to this Holidays (Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage) Amendment Bill (No 2). In doing so I too would like to join in the congratulations for the member Ginny Andersen for the way she has shepherded this bill through so proactively and for her engagement with the select committee process of which I was part. Members' bills as Barbara Kuriger pointed out are often quite technical or are for wee gaps in legislation but in regard to this one it is a substantive one. We've got an estimated 20000 stillbirths or miscarriages every year. This is a huge cross-section of New Zealanders that are affected by these circumstances and I think this bill will make a real difference to people's lives so congratulations to Ginny Andersen for bringing this forward. Of course this looks to amend the Holidays Act of 2003 recognising stillbirth and miscarriage in regard to bereavement leave and it does clarify the ambiguities that sit within that Act now. During the select committee process—it was a good process—there were 37 submissions. The ones—I think it was 10—that submitted in person were very emotional and they certainly left us in no doubt of how much a need that this piece of legislation will be. During that we made a number of amendments. We removed the need in the amendment to section 69 in clause 4(2) to have had a confirmed" pregnancy because it was pointed out by a number of submitters that women don't always know that they are pregnant when a miscarriage occurs and we did not want to be in any way punitive or to draw a line there where it was making it more difficult for one mother over another to get access to this entitlement. So I think that was a good part of the process that we brought through the Education and Workforce Committee. Of course as has been pointed out there's still the duty of good faith within this with section 4 of the Employment Relations Act and that still applies. As has been traversed this bill applies only to unplanned terminations miscarriages and stillbirths. It does not apply to planned terminations or abortions. The other thing that we did—and I think New Zealand First absolutely supports—is recognise the breadth of people that are affected within this as well. I too was moved by Jan Tinetti's heartfelt speech before and I do not wish in any way to minimise the effect on the female within this process but for fathers too—while we may not be physically carrying the child we're certainly emotionally involved. It is something of great anticipation to become a parent. So it is great that through the select committee process we did clarify who would be eligible for such leave which of course includes the partner of a biological parent who may not actually be still in the relationship with the woman concerned and also caregivers who may have been the parents who were undertaking to be the primary caregiver post-birth and of course surrogates as well. So I think that was something that Clayton Mitchell in his first reading speech had indicated that we would be looking to see some indication of for the fathers and how they would be treated through this and I'm not trying to draw equivalence but there's certainly is an effect there. More broadly I'm pleased to see this has got support across the House because it does reflect the renewed or the much-increased focus on mental health. You know across the House I think we've recognised that we need to do much more in this space. There's a lot of resource going in but I think this is a practical way that we can deal with this traumatic situation. It allows some time to grieve for a miscarriage or a stillbirth process and it allows some healing to go back on. We heard through the submission process just how horrific this can be and to then actually have to get up and have a shower and get dressed and go to work—you know that's pretty horrendous stuff. I know that for the vast majority of cases employers would be empathetic and would make provision but this just ensures that there is an entitlement there for the people involved: the woman involved and the tight circle that are eligible within this legislation to take leave. It's actually an entitlement and they don't have to put themselves through the trauma that Jan Tinetti outlined to us before—and many of the submitters too. So without further ado New Zealand First absolutely supports this. Once again I commend you Ginny Andersen on the way you've brought this through and for the important impact that it will have on the lives of many New Zealanders. Thank you."