Warren-Clark Angie; Dean JacquiANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's a real pleasure to stand and speak on this bill the Holidays (Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage) Amendment Bill (No 2). I want to acknowledge my friend and colleague—I was going to say the honourable but that'll be soon—Ginny Andersen the mighty MP for the Hutt who has progressed this bill right through. It's been since 2019 that this bill has been working its way through the House and it's a real pleasure to see a colleague a friend of the class of '17 be here doing this so congratulations Ginny and thank you for such an important piece of work for the women and the fathers of our country.I'd also like to acknowledge Clare Curran for the work that—she brought this bill originally and to Kathryn van Beek: the strange secret at birth that is also a death." That really resonates with me that statement. It really resonates with me: "the strange secret at birth that is also a death." It's a taboo in this country. We know it's a taboo in this country to talk about miscarriage. It's a taboo for us to talk about that we're trying for pregnancy. It's a taboo to talk about abortion. It's a taboo to even talk about menstruation or menopause. It is a taboo for us as women to talk about the things that are natural to us and happen to us so I'm really delighted to be standing up here talking about something that happens to 20000 women per year.The bill does a number of things and we've heard this from a lot of the members today but I'm just going to go back through it. It amends the Holidays Act to remove the ambiguity in the Act around bereavement leave entitlements. Employees are eligible for bereavement leave following the unplanned end of a pregnancy by miscarriage or stillbirth. Unplanned has been talked about earlier. Unplanned specifically excludes the planned ending of a pregnancy. The mother and their partner would be entitled to three days' bereavement leave each. And that's important—it's really important that we recognise biological parents in this situation; it's really important. Many of us know of people who have had stillbirths or miscarriages and mum gets some leave gets some time off—her workplace has enabled her to have time off—but the father has to go back to work and misses the opportunity to grieve alongside their partner and give their partner the time to grieve together. That to me talks to us about the role of fathers in our country and I'm so delighted that in fact the biological parent is recognised and that there can be a time of healing in a time of grief.So the bill clarifies that knowledge of pregnancy is not needed. And I think that this is something I'll just talk a little bit about. I know that there are many women who don't know that they are pregnant when they miscarry but the grief—and this is the experience I've had from friends and family—and the loss that they experience regardless of whether they recognised that they were pregnant is a visceral and real thing. And so I'm really delighted that not knowing that you're pregnant is still counted here.Proof of pregnancy: nobody needs to prove that they are indeed pregnant. No one needs to have told the world that they are pregnant but gosh wouldn't it be great if when we were celebrating the fact that we had fallen pregnant we felt confident and comfortable enough to tell everyone that we were in fact carrying a pregnancy and happy about it. Often we are silent because we do not want to have to explain and have that awkward time when someone says "How's the pregnancy going?" And you have to say "I've lost my baby." The awkwardness and the uncomfortableness the compassion that we all feel at that point it's one of those taboos in society—it's one of those taboos—and I'm really delighted that we are so progressive in this country that we're recognising that this is a real and genuine issue.I guess the other thing is the definition of miscarriage: no matter how far along the pregnancy you are. I think my colleague Angela Roberts who just resumed her seat spoke about the value and the worth of pregnancy. God these are things that are immeasurable. So miscarriage is now defined as the end of pregnancy within the first 20 weeks and then after that the pregnancy is a stillbirth.So I'd just like to take a couple more minutes to thank the Education and Workforce Committee for the work that they did. It had a closing date of 14 February 2020—how poignant is Valentine's Day to close submissions. There were 37 submissions and reading the Hansard my colleague the Hon—squeal!—Jan Tinetti talked about the fact that all 37 submissions were in support of this bill. And there were 10 oral submitters. And I also have to thank I understand the officials from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment for their sound work. I understand it would have been quite harrowing work and very difficult to hear from some of the submissions.I want to close my contribution with three quotes—I just have to find them. So there are three quotes that spoke to me particularly and the first is from New Zealand Family Planning: "We hope this legislation not only provides relief to individuals who experience miscarriage but helps to eliminate stigma shame and silence surrounding miscarriage so that people can more easily reach out for the support they need from friends family colleagues and their wider community where that is helpful." That is my wish too and I think this legislation helps and supports that.The National Council of Women of New Zealand talked about a matter which I think they've come to the nub of this and I think it's important to acknowledge this because the experience of a miscarriage for all walks of women are different. So they talk about "Currently as workers are unsure of their rights they are less likely to want to enter into a dispute with their employer particularly at such a sensitive time. In particular Māori and Pacific women and women from migrant cultures may currently avoid raising this sensitive issue." There may in fact be cultural prohibition for that. This bill would help people stay in employment and provide opportunity and guidance on how employers can provide appropriate support.And finally I am a member of Zonta International and so I need to make a quote in regards to Zonta: "[This] bill recognises the need for bereavement leave for mothers spouses and partners suffering loss trauma and grief after a miscarriage or stillbirth. The bill in turn reflects the importance of supporting women and their families in these circumstances not only as an act of compassion but also as a much needed and very sensible measure for their health and wellbeing." I am delighted to support this bill. I'm delighted to take a call on this bill and I believe that this bill goes towards a more compassionate New Zealand. Thank you.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): This is a split call—five minutes honourable—"