Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime has cradled her new-born baby on Parliament floor before, but it may never hold so much symbolic significance as with her joyful speech today.
The Labour-led Government passed its first piece of legislation in government - the highly publicised bill to increase paid parental leave from 18 to 22 weeks, and eventually 26 weeks in 2020.
"The way in which the sapling is nurtured determines how the tree will grow, and for how the children grow will be the shape of all Aotearoa," Ms Prime said, reciting a Maori proverb.
The bill will increase paid parental leave from the current 18 weeks to 22 weeks from July 1 next year and to 26 weeks from July 1, 2020.
It was the first government bill to be passed since the election.
"Let's get this job done," the minister in charge of the bill, Iain Lees-Galloway, told parliament.
"Pass this bill today, give parents the 26 weeks paid parental leave they have been demanding for so long."
He said the most important thing about the bill was that it would make "a real and tangible difference", especially for families on low and moderate incomes.
National supported the bill.
"It's entirely consistent without our approach, we campaigned on increasing paid parental leave to 22 weeks," Amy Adams said.
"But we continue to want to see full flexibility."
Ms Adams was referring to National's unsuccessful attempts to change the bill during its previous stages so that both parents could take paid parental leave at the same time.
The government didn't want that put into the bill but has said it will work with National to include it through another bill next year.
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