Sue Moroney
Spokesperson for Women

17 September 2015

Desperate Government threatens financial veto – again

National has resorted to its last desperate tactic to defeat Labour’s plan to help more families with new babies, Labour’s spokesperson for Women Sue Moroney says.

“The public will have the chance to voice their support for extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks after my Member’s Bill last night passed its first reading and will be considered by a select committee.

“My earlier attempt to do this was supported by 99.6 per cent of submissions before being finally defeated earlier this year. Up until then, the Government had pulled every trick in the book to defeat it including exaggerating costs, breaking promises with support partners and denying voting rights to a party co-leader whose proxy votes were recorded incorrectly.

“Soon after six months paid parental leave became another step closer last night, the Government again threatened to use its financial veto on my Bill at its final reading.

“National knows it’s on the wrong side of public opinion and Parliament. It can’t win by fair means so it is trying to win by foul.

“John Key has lost his moral compass on this and is once again showing how out of touch he is with the days to day pressures on working families. As we approach Suffrage Day on Saturday, the Prime Minister’s plans are an affront to the democracy Kate Sheppard fought for.

“Threatening a financial veto is an extreme measure that has never been used on an entire Bill in New Zealand before.

“This is a desperate measure from John Key at a time when he’s happy to spend millions on his frivolous flag fiasco and other distractions,” Sue Moroney says.

ENDS

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