Today, the report of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee on the petition of Sue Moroney and 15808 others was published. The petition, tabled just a month ago, requested that the House of Representatives “call on the National Government to reverse its decision to scrap pay equity investigations for school support staff and social workers, implement the findings of previously completed pay and employment equity reviews, and develop a strategy to eliminate the gender pay gap in New Zealand.”
The majority of the committee (ie National members) say they “have no matters to bring to the attention of the House”.
How can the government possibly know this without bothering to hear from any of the petitioners?
Labour members on the Committee say in the report that the 15,808 petitioners should have been given the opportunity for the matters raised in the petition to be examined by the select committee in more detail. At the very least the select committee should have heard from Sue Moroney and the Government departments involved before deciding not to call for public submissions.
As a member of the Transport & Industrial Relations Committee, I was perturbed by the cavalier way in which National responded to this petition. They don’t agree with it – we know that – but I would have thought that such a large petition would be considered for more than a nano-second by this government.
The majority always has a choice whether or not to listen. If the issue has already been decided and listening would cause undue political distraction, they can always clamp down, as happened here.
Makes them look antidemocratic, but…
climb back on the raft…
What arrogance by those MPs and how rudely dismissive of those low paid women, and all of those who worked hard to get this petition together. Who are the Nat MPs on this committee?
What about the petition of 300,000 presented when the Labour Party was in office (Seciton 59) Did Labour take any notice at the time?
Evening Swampy
I think the government should have looked at the petition
@Swampy – the section 59 was a referendum. Different process to petitions.
@Hilary – National members are David Bennett (Chair) Tau Henare, Jackie Blue, Alan Peachey and Michael Woodhouse.
I think that other ACC Woodhouse will be turning in his grave over what Michael said in parliament.
I think that
david.bennett@parliament.govt.nz;
jackie.blue@parliament.govt.nz;
tau.henare@parliament.govt.nz;
allan.peachey@parliament.govt.nz;
and michael.woodhouse@parliament.govt.nz,
all deserve an email for their… effort.