SENATE BILL: Medical Leave and Compensation Act of 2021 (Passed)

[Pericles]

This is based on several New Zealand ideas.
-The increase in sick leave really is a no-brainer. We want people to be able to stay home when they are sick, rather than spreading illness around the community.
-People not self isolating when they are supposed to has been a consistent problem in the Covid pandemic. Ultimately, this has cost lives and spread Covid deeper into the community. This is based on an idea by the NZ National Party actually, so that people can afford to self-isolate.
-2(3) just clarifies the legal situation, so that people are actually required to self-isolate. Hopefully we can all agree that freedom to infect others with Covid isn't a sacred right.
-The miscarriage bereavement leave is based on world-leading legislation passed in New Zealand, this is a compassionate measure.
-The organ donor part is designed to remove the financial disincentive to donate organs, so hopefully more organ donations will be available. This is based on a bill by a New Zealand National Party MP, and organ donations appear to have increased afterwards.

Taken together, these are compassionate measures that will produce better health outcomes and pay for themselves through the economic benefit of those better health outcomes.

[Pericles]

For 2(3), I realise I didn't add an actual penalty, so here is my amendment-

c) The maximum penalty per offence shall be a fine of $1,500 for a single period of required self isolation that is not followed, with the maximum penalty for repeat offenders (three or more breaches) being a fine of $15,000.

This is roughly equivalent to the UK's fines, though the payment to self-isolate is much more important because most people in the UK don't actually self-isolate when they are supposed to.

[Pericles]

I motion for a final vote.

[Pericles]

Aye