1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: A group of former female MPs have set up an 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: official and unofficial Sorry Select Committee Group to interrogate the 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: government's changes to pay equity law. The group includes Nanaimahosa 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: from Labour, Sue Bradford from the Greens, Rear Bond from 5 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: New Zealand First, Joe Hayes from National, et cetera, et cetera, 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: and it's being led by Dame Marilyn Wearing. Marilyn, Hello, 7 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: lovely to talk to you. It's great to have you. 8 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: Thank you. 9 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 1: What's the point of this? Are you guys trying to 10 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: exert pressure here to force a U tune? 11 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 2: We're trying to collect the evidence that should have been 12 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 2: before Parliament before the legislation was considered. So I'm a 13 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 2: researcher of old and I like riga and I like evidence, 14 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 2: and when it affects that vast number of women, I 15 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 2: was very concerned that it wasn't there, and I thought 16 00:00:56,040 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 2: what might be a device effectively to gather all of 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 2: that evidence that should have been in front of parliament. 18 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 2: So I approached a group of other former women members 19 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 2: of Parliament who frankly jumped at the opportunity to work 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 2: in this way. We know that the government has said 21 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 2: they're going to continue some pay equity claims. We know 22 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 2: that the opposition is saying they're going to overturn things. 23 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 2: I think it will be in both their interests to 24 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 2: have the information that we can now gather. 25 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: Are you expecting anybody from the government to talk to 26 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: you guys. 27 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 2: Not in particular, but I'm not sure that that worries 28 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 2: me very much. I mean, from now on, because of 29 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: the nature of the budget, we'll be able to access 30 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 2: the examination of estimates both in the House and in 31 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 2: select committees. We can use official information requests to get 32 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 2: material where there's some obstinacy. We can definitely use members 33 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 2: of Parliament to lodge written questions where we can't uncover material. 34 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,399 Speaker 2: So we're not you know, we're we're feeling very confident. 35 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 2: We also expect that both from the public and private sector, 36 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 2: material will fall off the back of a truck, so 37 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 2: I don't think that will lack for. 38 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: I'm so sure that have you had the old wink wink, 39 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 1: nudge nudge from people were. 40 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 2: The the site went live this morning and it's already 41 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 2: being the set with emails and office of donations to you. Well, 42 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 2: I don't know that's one of the wonderful things you see. 43 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 2: I don't have to, I don't monitor that, I don't 44 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 2: see that so but but I've been told that there's 45 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 2: a flood coming in and people who know me and 46 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 2: who have my email addresses and things there also, you know, 47 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: coming in quite solidly. And one of the things I 48 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 2: noticed before you know this was even announced was and 49 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: following media commentary, I was amazed at how many men 50 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: were really upset about this. And I just got on 51 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 2: the planes from Wellington to Auckland and it was men 52 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 2: who were grabbing me and saying, well done. I'm very 53 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 2: excited with what you've done. And I think that the 54 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: public feel like they need a space for this information 55 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 2: to be made available. So that's what we're trying to do. 56 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: Marilyn, thank you as always, lovely to talk to you, 57 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: Dave Marilyn Wearing, former National Party MP. 58 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplassy Allen Drive, listen live to 59 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 2: news talks. They'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 60 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.