There are 2 great bills coming before parliament today. Both the Government is opposing, but Labour have the numbers – barring a last minute tangi.
The first I have a familial bias towards – it’s my brother’s Mondayising Holiday Bill.
Quite why the government oppose such a popular measure I’m not sure. John Key’s not sure either – he doesn’t know his party’s position on it. But then he doesn’t know the cost of the major policy he announced at the weekend, so I guess why would he know such trivial things as whether he supports Bills that are coming before the House?
Judith Collins is less shy about defying public opinion, and indeed logic:
“Frankly to reduce it into a three day weekend is, I think, very disrespectful to the people whose lives have been lost.
“If people need to have a holiday to go and actually turn up at Dawn parade then there’s something wrong.”
All those disrespectful Australians with their Mondayised Anzac Day…
The other Bill is Sue Moroney’s Paid Parental Leave Bill.
Paid Parental Leave is excellent for parent-child attachment and bonding. It provides space at a time of financial stress and when parents need to be focussing on a baby, learning all the new skills of parenting. In general it will improve that child’s chances in life having that parental attention, bonding and support for 6 months.
National and Act oppose it.
But, once again, it should have the numbers. Bill English intends to make history on its third reading, when he gets to use the Governmental veto – for the first time ever on a full bill rather than an amendment or minor section.
But lets hope public support, the select committee process and some political pressure can change his mind in the meantime.
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