Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) - New Zealand Parliament

16 May 2009 Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill 3689
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch): I am sure the member will be able to
rectify that and have his say in future speeches.
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE: I withdraw the epithet. The Opposition and the
Government are actually in direct agreement on this point of paid parental leave. The
Labour Opposition and the National Government, led by the esteemed Leader of the
House, agree on two things: firstly, that the principle of paid parental leave is too
important to be left in doubt, and that there is no harm in having a provision for the
avoidance of doubt; and, secondly, that the matter should be sent to a select committee
if there is any doubt on it at all.
I say to Gerry Brownlee that if the Government agrees to those two things, then he
can go home; otherwise, it will be a long day and a long night. I will tell members why.
Paid parental leave is really important because when people need it, they have no choice
but to need it. It is not possible to be half-pregnant. If a woman is pregnant and
expecting a child, she is well down the track. It is therefore essential that women can
rely on the terms and conditions of their employment when they most need to rely on
them.
There is a delicious irony here. The women and men of Labour are standing up for
the rights of women and families, but the men of National are prepared to ignore those
rights. Are the women of National leaping to their feet in defence of family rights? I ask
why the Minister of Corrections does not rise to say “Harden up, ladies!”. Where is the
Minister of Corrections and Minister of Police at this time? What about the Associate
Minister of Immigration? What about any one of the innumerable blonde members from
the South Island? What are they doing at this time? Amy Adams is a wise and capable
member—she is even a lawyer, I believe—so why does she not rise to her feet in
defence of the women of Auckland’s regional government and tell them that their paid
parental leave will be guaranteed because this good, great, new, caring, conservative,
and centrist John Key Government will protect them? No, I guess she will not.
Why is the Government rushing this bill through the House when it does not come
into force until November? Why does the bill have more holes in it than a Swiss
cheese? Why does the bill have more air between its ears than the Leader of the House?
Why does the bill need the Labour Opposition to comb through it to find all the little
things that a select committee would find? The answer is that there is a hidden agenda.
That is why we are here, unusually—in fact, historically—on a Saturday. We are here
because we are the last line of defence for the democratic rights of Aucklanders. The
Minister the Hon Rodney Hide, who is giggling, knows he has the sole authority under
this bill to appoint a coterie of three henchmen to gut Auckland.
Hon JOHN CARTER (Associate Minister of Local Government): I move, That
the question be now put.
SUE KEDGLEY (Green): I certainly want to speak on this important amendment,
new Part 12. But before I do, I say how thrilled I am that people in Wellington have
taken the time to come to Parliament to listen to this debate. That means that we in
Wellington are well-prepared for when our turn comes, as it most certainly will once the
Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill has been foisted on the people of
Auckland. The Government will then turn its attention to other parts of New Zealand,
and Wellington will be one of those parts. So it is great to see everyone here. We will be
up with the play and aware of what is happening. Already there are calls from the
Mayor of Wellington and others for a similar sort of forced amalgamation here in
Wellington. So I thank those people very much for coming out today.
The other thing I want to do is table ACT’s policy on local government. The
National Party has asked us to give it proof that a privatisation agenda is lurking
beneath this bill. Here is the proof positive. Everyone can read it for themselves: “Local