Self-employed deserve paid parental leave too

National Party Social Services spokeswoman Katherine Rich is again questioning why the Government has so far failed to extend paid parental leave to the self-employed.

"It's difficult to understand why the paid parental leave programme discriminates against women who are self-employed. We think that's a logical extension of the programme.

"National supports working women."

In saying that, the National Party maintains its reservations about how the extension of the programme will impact on employment rates for women.

"It is of real concern that with the best of intentions this Government may be erecting new barriers for women trying to get into the workforce.

"There is the potential now for an employer to pass over a woman applicant, fearing she will take extended leave only six months after taking up the job.

"We want to wait and see how this policy develops, whether it has been properly thought through and how it affects women's employment rates.

"As part of that analysis, we'd like to see the Treasury reports on the economic impact of this on the employment of women.

"Questions also need to be asked about the timing of the announcement. The cynical might argue that this policy shift is a symptom of a Government that's in trouble, trying to arrest a slide in the polls," says Mrs Rich.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>