1. CAROL BEAUMONT (Labour) Link to this
to the Member in charge of the Employment Relations (Statutory Minimum Redundancy Entitlements) ...
What is the current status of the Employment Relations (Statutory Minimum Redundancy Entitlements) Amendment Bill?
DARIEN FENTON (Member in charge of the Employment Relations (Statutory Minimum Redundancy Entitlements) ...) Link to this
My redundancy protection bill has been postponed until 20 October to give parties further time to consider their support for it.
Mr SPEAKER
Hon Darren Hughes Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. That would be correct in respect of select committee chairs. If the question was going to a select committee chair, it could be about only procedure and process, but the question is to a member in charge of a bill, so you should be considering a wider range of supplementary questions.
Labour, the Greens, and the Māori Party are all supporting the bill, and I understand that Mr Key is still mulling over National’s support. Meanwhile, unions and community organisations are getting behind the bill to ensure that there is a fair deal in hard times.
I seek leave to table a postcard addressed to the Prime Minister, seeking his support for the redundancy protection bill and a fair deal in hard times.
Leave is sought to table a postcard to the Prime Minister. Is there any objection? There is objection.
I seek leave to table a sticker supporting the national day of action that cleaners are taking throughout New Zealand, and our cleaners in Parliament, who are paid $12.55 an hour, while Ministerial Services pays—
If it was within my power not to seek leave to do that, I would do so, because it is so demeaning of this House to seek leave to table things like stickers. The provision for tabling documents is to provide serious information to members. Members show disrespect to this Parliament—
Hon Phil HeatleyLuckily I could not tell who interjected, although maybe I can now from the smile. There will be no further interjection from that quarter. Recently someone sought leave to table some chippies or something. I make it very clear to members that I will not do that in future, because it is so demeaning of this House. I do not see stickers as being documents. The Standing Orders provide for the tabling of documents. Therefore, I am not putting the leave to the House.
Hon Darren Hughes Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I have two points to make to you. First, does that extend to National members wanting to table badges, as we have seen before? You may well have supported that measure—
Hon Darren Hughes Link to this
The second thing is this whole area of getting members to clarify what they are tabling. Just before question time we had a problem in that not enough information had been put with regard to the tabling of a document by Dr Smith, and that led to disorder because we did not think the right thing had been done. Then members who try to provide as much information as possible so that the House is clear what the item is are criticised as well. I think we have to find some sort of middle road.
I think that earlier in question time the honourable member heard me seek clarification from a Minister as to exactly what was to be tabled; I did that to try to avoid the kind of confusion that was raised just before question time. However, I believe that it is demeaning to this House when the procedure for tabling is used in a trivial fashion. It is an important procedure for tabling documents that are meant to inform members, to provide information to them that may not otherwise be available to them. It is demeaning to the House when members use it in a trivial fashion. I make it clear to members that I do not intend to allow the seeking of leave to table such things. That is the end of that matter.