Paid Parental Leave – Nice If You Can Get It

Wednesday, 10 March 2004, 8:43 am
Press Release: Federated Farmers

Paid parental leave is discriminatory, says Charlie Pedersen, Vice President, Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc).

Mr Pedersen was responding to the Government’s announcement regarding changes to paid parental leave. The Government has announced leave can be taken if staff have been in the same job for six months or more, down from the original 12, and the amount of paid leave is to be extended from 12 to14 weeks phased in over the next two years.

“The Federation has always been concerned about the inequity of paid parental leave, and the latest announcement does nothing to allay this.

“Thousands of young self-employed farming couples, who currently struggle to run their farms around the birth of their child, will miss out. Sharemilkers in the dairy industry are a case in point.

”If New Zealand taxpayers can afford the cost of paid parental leave, and the Government has clearly decided it can, then such leave must be provided equitably.

“The Government is confused about what they are hoping to achieve from this announcement. If they want to help parents of young children they should provide it through more appropriate means that will benefit all, not some,” Mr Pedersen concluded.

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