te Heuheu Georgina: Parental Leave and Employment Protection mendment Bill — Second Reading 
te Heuheu Georgina: Parental Leave and Employment Protection mendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:621;Page:16295] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 I am pleased to rise and make a contribution on the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill. To start with I will make some comments on some of the things that other members have said. 
We support the exact same sentiments of the ACT member who suggested that the Government give tax breaks and return taxes to families. But it is like whistling in the wind because we are talking about a socialist Government that wants to hoard the money of taxpayers as it does not trust ordinary New Zealanders to make proper choices. That is part of Labour’s philosophy. We can stand over here and wish that the Government would do the right thing—and it is proper to raise the question—but in the end we know that it will not. It does not fit with its philosophy. 
I really am baffled by the United Future member’s contribution. United Future is supporting this bill but most of the member’s contribution tonight was about how we need to value parenthood value fatherhood and value motherhood. I do not think there is any member in this House who would not agree with that; I certainly agree with it. But if those are proper principles if those are underlying philosophies that we should all adhere to this bill does not do that. I do not understand why United Future would support it. 
 My colleague Simon Power raised the issue of what the Families Commission is doing about these things. 
Paul Adams 
: They’ve got to report it. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: It will report. Report what? Gosh that will be great because what has the Families Commission done so far? I suppose it has done research—who knows? Millions of dollars have gone into it and so many months on those member can only stand and whittle on about our supporting motherhood etc. and say we should vote for this bill. Voting for this bill is not a vote for motherhood or parenthood or fatherhood—it is not. If it was the bill would be fair. It would not be discriminatory. It would not make some in the community pay for the benefit of others. I suggest to that member that rather than support the bill he should get on and get the Families Commission into gear—whoever those people are and whatever they are doing. If there are issues around parenthood motherhood fatherhood and apple pie the commission should get cracking on them. That commission is United Future’s baby. United Future is responsible for that Families Commission. We have not seen any results yet. It might have been that party’s pay-off but taxpayers are entitled to see why their money was spent in that direction. 
I say to Lianne Dalziel that it is all very well her bringing my colleague and associate Katherine Rich into the debate but really that is no excuse for what is going on in this bill—no excuse whatsoever. If paid parental leave is a proper thing to do then we should do it for everybody. It is all very well to stand there and read what the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF) Ruth Dyson has said and to state that she will do this that and every other thing—but when? When will that be done? 
Lianne Dalziel 
: Will the member support it? 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: Never mind whether we will support it. The ex-Minister is standing there saying that Labour will do this stuff and we are still waiting. Until it is done our assertions of discriminatory and unfair legislation absolutely stand to be counted and are correct. The Federated Farmers submission says it all I think. 
Brian Connell 
: They are outstanding people. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: They are outstanding people. My colleague Brian Connell should know. A number of my colleagues on this side of the House know that to be true including David Carter who was here earlier. Farmers and farmers’ wives are paying for this legislation. 
Paul Adams 
: I thought the taxpayers were paying. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: Well who are farmers? Who the hang does the member think they are? Are they taxpayers or not? Farmers are huge taxpayers. The rural sector is a big contributor to taxes. But does it get anything out of this? No it does not. There are basically three glaring anomalies here: self-employed women whose taxes are paying for this; the rural sector whose taxes are paying for this—farmers and farming families the backbone of the country—and those in casual labour who are paying for this too. There is a punishment here. The Government likes to laud itself for what it is doing for some in the community but in fact by doing something for some it is punishing others. What sort of legislation is that? The people who are paying for this are entitled to have the support that those others are getting because they are family-oriented too. They are looking after their families as much as anybody else is. Why should some in the population be disadvantaged? As I say this legislation does not have any integrity—none whatsoever. Some in the community are disadvantaged. [ 
Interruption 
] Who is “she”? I have a name thank you very much. This bill is typical of Labour: it loves to be generous with other people’s money including my taxes. [ 
Interruption 
] 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: Order Miss Dalziel please. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: Thank you Mr Speaker. It is OK; if it makes the member Lianne Dalziel happy to be shouting across the House then that is fine. But she has given her contribution and I am happy to have a little peace and quiet to make mine because I think my contribution is very valuable. 
We on this side of the House oppose this legislation for those very reasons. I just do not see how this Government can justify something that it places a lot of store in—the principle of paid parental leave—yet leave out a large part of the population. There is nothing equitable about that. There is nothing fair about that. It is totally discriminatory. If the Minister has intentions of doing something about the rest of the working population—mothers fathers—I ask her when she will do it. We are waiting for it. The Government has been dealing with this paid parental leave stuff since it got into power—5 long years. If it is worth doing then it is worth doing fairly and it is worth doing it for everybody. 
United Future members the Government’s lapdog helpers see a lot of faults in this legislation. They have got their Families Commission which costs all of us money—my taxes as well. I do not know what the Families Commission has done. Those members talk about motherhood fatherhood and parenthood; well the commission should get on and do something about that. 
Most of all though I think it is absolutely scandalous that this Government hoards taxpayers’ money just so that coming towards the election next year—maybe at the end of this year if there is an early election or sometime next year—it can dish more of it out and make more New Zealanders dependent on the Government. The Government is buying votes for the election; that is how it gets its voters. It chooses the sections of the community that are more minded to vote for it and gives out money to them. That is why self-employed women are missing out. They are too individual and they think for themselves—well no one is going to help them. But their taxes are paying for this provision. 
The National Party opposes this legislation. It is unfair and it is discriminatory. If there was any principle in it the Government would make sure that it went right across the board and would not pick just those whom it wants to vote for it next year.