Parmar ParmjeetDr PARMJEET PARMAR (National): Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker for the opportunity to speak on the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill. I'm taking this call to support this bill but before I get on to this bill I want to congratulate you and I want to congratulate your co - Assistant Speaker. I also congratulate the Rt Hon Trevor Mallard and the Deputy Speaker the Hon Anne Tolley.I am supporting this bill because this bill is aligned with a policy that the National Party took into the election. I am talking about this recent general election—election 2017. Also if you look at our record as I was listening to a member from New Zealand First she said that we can go and look at the Hansard for our record. Yes definitely we can do that and our record will show that we have always supported increasing paid parental leave but—but—in steps that are affordable. In 2014 we committed to changing paid parental leave provisions and we—Hon Iain Lees-Galloway: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I appreciate that we are allowed to make debating points in the House but when a member so egregiously misleads the House what remedy is there available to us?The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): I'm sorry the honourable Minister I thought that was fine. Thank you.Dr PARMJEET PARMAR: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. If you look at the National Party's record when we were in Government we committed to increasing paid parental leave in 2014 and we did increase paid parental leave from 14 to 16 weeks in 2015 and then we increased it from 16 weeks to 18 weeks in 2016. Moreover that was not just about increasing the length of paid parental leave; it was more than that. So many workers—like seasonal workers casual workers workers with more than one employer and those who had changed their job recently—could not enjoy the benefits of paid parental leave before so we made some changes in that space as well. Also more people are now able to avail themselves of the entitlement like primary carers. It's about flexibility and it's about having a policy that is effective so with that approach as I said I am supporting this bill. We can see our record. We have always supported increasing paid parental leave.I am also proud of my member's bill that was drawn from the ballot in the last term which focused on providing a good start to newborns. Unfortunately because the time was up in the previous term we could not finish the first reading but I'm really looking forward to seeing that bill coming back on the Order Paper and it going through the remaining stages. Just to remind the House my bill is to see that all newborns are enrolled with the general practice of their families' choice before they are six weeks of age so that they can be provided all the care that is needed.So yes we want to see that all newborns get a really good and healthy start in their life and mums get a really good restart after going through that process of giving birth. The concern that I have which has been raised by some of my colleagues is about the process. I do not see any emergency for this bill to go through urgency because as far as I understand this Government wants to bring this legislation in from 1 July 2018 and there are a few months remaining so definitely there is enough time for this bill to go through the select committee process. Even if it is the same subject matter people should have the opportunity to have their say. Why is this Government denying New Zealanders the opportunity to have their say? Media should not be the way for people to express their views concerns or even support for the legislation. As we saw Kirk Hope from Business New Zealand—through media; I learnt through media—welcomes this change but on the other hand he did say that it will pose some challenges for small businesses. These are the kinds of things we want to hear in the select committee process because it is Government's responsibility to listen to those concerns to listen to those stakeholders and to provide mitigation for that concern or challenge that is raised during the select committee process. This morning I heard Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying that We will take New Zealanders with us." and that "This new Government is going to be about people." But here people are out—New Zealanders are out. This is their first piece of legislation and people are not having the opportunity to have their say in this legislation.I am supporting this legislation but I also want assurance from this new Government that there is enough money in the kitty to support this legislation as we haven't seen that. So overall yes I have concerns that this bill should go through the proper select committee process. I support this bill. Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): This is a split call. I call Michael Wood—five minutes."