Conflict between Labour and the Alliance over paid-parental leave is sending damaging signals of uncertainty to businesses and employers, National's Economic Development spokesperson Max Bradford said today.

"The Government is all over the place with paid-parental leave.

"The Prime Minister says one thing, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Women's Affairs Minister say something completely different.

"The Alliance's Laila Harre re-assertion of a commitment to employer funded paid parental leave during Parliamentary Question Time today has made a messy situation even messier.

"Businesses face enough uncertainty and concern about the future without having to cope with funding paid parental leave.

"The Alliance's continual harping on about it is sending unnerving signals to employers and business.

"Labour and the Alliance must get their stories straight on paid parental leave now and tell New Zealanders once and for all what is planned.

"A clear position on when paid parental leave will come in, and who will pay for it must be made before the business forum next week.

"Business and employers need a clear statement of what the Government plans if it is to remove the uncertainty it has created in the past few days over paid parental leave.

"Government policies to date can take the blame for the low business confidence. The antics over the last few days over paid parental leave illustrate the lack of direction and uncertainty offered by this Government, and it's all adding to low business confidence."

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