A confused editorial

The Herald editorial on paid parental leave:

The Government has the right to apply a veto at the third reading if it deems any piece of legislation would have more than a minor impact on its finances. This power springs, quite validly, from the necessity for the Government to be separate from Parliament because only it spends money. …

National should be prepared to allow the legislation to go through a select committee. It could then gauge public sentiment. It might also find that trade-offs and compromises produced a bill that was affordable. And it would be spared the embarrassment that would come from exercising its powers in a dubious manner to ignore the will of Parliament.

Ummm the select committee stage is before the third reading. National can not stop the legislation from going to a select committee if Parliaments votes for it at its first reading.