DAVID GARRETT (ACT): Listening to this debate has been very interesting, but also not surprising. As soon as I saw the Shop Trading House Act 1990 Repeal (Easter Sunday Local Choice) Amendment Bill on the Order Paper with the word “choice” in the title, I thought: “Here we go. The politburo over there will all be voting in accordance with the whips’ directions.”

I will be very interested to see whether any Labour members exercise their own brains, do their own thinking, and vote on this side of the Chamber, but I very much doubt it. I will be disappointed, though, if all the National members, without exception, troop through the Ayes lobby. I suspect that some National members will exercise a conscience vote. They will make up their own minds and vote No. And, surprise, surprise, the “watermelons” on my right are all voting collectively, as Mr Clendon said. They are all following the herd as well, because we cannot have choice—no, no, no. We must have the politburo laying down the rules on how it is done, headed by the former unionists over there.

Some of those members should get back into the workplace. I have a lesson for them. I practised employment law—

Dr Rajen Prasad: Not very well.

DAVID GARRETT: —and it is not 1950, I say to Mr Prasad. Not every worker—and the only people who use that term now are in the Labour Party—is a family man with three kids.

H V Ross Robertson: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I hesitate to do this, but there is a convention in this House that members refer to other members by their correct names. My colleague sitting next to me was not referred to by his correct title of Dr Prasad; it was something else. The member has been here long enough to know that he should refer to the honourable member by his correct name or title.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member is correct. The member David Garrett referred to is Dr Prasad, and in future he should refer to him by his correct title. That would be helpful.

DAVID GARRETT: Dr Prasad.

Dr Rajen Prasad: Mr Garrett.

DAVID GARRETT: Astounding! The workforce is no longer made up of dads who support three kids and go home on the 5 o’clock tram; it is made up of single people and young couples who are childless and wish to make as much money as they can for a house deposit. It is made up of students who want to work for their education. This legislation gives people choice, not just to consumers—

Darien Fenton: Rubbish!

DAVID GARRETT: Not all union members are clones who follow the leader. Some of them are, but there are many union members who will be quite happy to work an extra day. In my experience in bottle stores and in other working environments, there is often a queue to work on public holidays. If no one wants to work, employers have to pay extra. That is called the market. That is how it works. [Interruption ] Those members are absolutely terrified of the market. The Opposition says: “We can’t have any choice. We must impose it from the top. We must have one rule for all.” That is how it goes at the politburo level, I say to Dr Prasad.

It just so happens that I will reveal ACT’s hand in advance. I have proxies for the other members of the ACT Party, all of whom have decided individually to support the bill, as I will. It is no surprise that over there in the politburo they are all against it. ACT is in favour of the bill. It is a measure that allows choice to both workers and consumers, and ACT is in favour of anything that does just that. Thank you.