NEW ZEALAND
leave from 14 to 18 weeks and to extend other support measures. Ms Moroney’s Bill nevertheless proceeded to be considered by the Committee of the whole House on 25 June. The committee agreed to the
first three clauses of the Bill by 60 votes to 59 on 23 July 2014, the last Member’s day before Parliament was dissolved. The Committee of the whole
House resumed its consideration in November and December following the September general election when National party increased its majority by one seat. The committee voted against
the remaining clauses, including the purpose clause, by 61 votes to 60. On 25 February 2015, after a failed motion to recommit the Bill to further consideration by the Committee of the whole House, the Bill proceeded to its third reading lacking the
provisions necessary to effect the intent of the legislation. Moving the third reading, Ms Moroney commented: “What a wild ride this has been.” Referring to the Committee stage of the Bill she said “[National] filibustered a Bill that would give 26 weeks’ paid parental leave to families […] in order to try to stop it from going ahead […]
So after all of this, what have we achieved? […] we have pushed the government into extending paid parental leave to 18 weeks over the course of the next 2 years.”
Ms Sarah Dowie MP (National) countered by saying: “We do support the spirit of the Bill […] but we disagree as to the fiscal constraints and how we are going to implement it.” Hon. Michael Woodhouse
MP said: “The government does intend to increase paid parental
leave [and] it has already locked in […] the fiscal appropriation to do just that.”
By-election win for Winston Peters On 28 March 2015 Rt Hon. Winston Peters, the Leader of New Zealand First, won the seat of Northland in a by-election following the resignation of former Northland MP, Mr Mike Sabin (National). Mr Peters won the seat with a majority of 4,441 over National’s candidate. In the September 2014 general election National, the governing party, held the seat with a majority of 9,300 votes. Under New Zealand’s Mixed Member Proportional electoral system voters have two votes: one for their preferred electorate MP and the other for their preferred party. The number of electorate MPs is topped up by Members
drawn from party lists, with the overall number of MPs being determined by a party’s proportional share of the party vote. Prior to his election as Northland MP, Mr Peters had served as a list MP for New Zealand First, having first entered Parliament in 1978 as a National MP. He has been an MP for all but two terms since then. In his first speech in the House following his win, Mr Peters remarked: “It is a privilege to be back, as the Member of Parliament for Northland.” Mr Peters’ election as an electorate Member reduces the number of National Members from 60 to 59 in the current 121 member Parliament and creates a list vacancy within New Zealand First.
123 | The Parliamentarian | 2015: Issue One
The Parliamentarian | 2015: Issue Two | 123
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