Postcards to PM Over Paid Parental Leave Presented to Bill’s Sponsor This Afternoon

26 for Babies, a group campaigning in support of an extension to paid parental leave, will this afternoon present Sue Moroney MP with the first batch of postcards to the Prime Minister, calling on him not to veto her bill extending paid parental leave.

Sue Moroney is the sponsor of a bill to extend paid parental leave from 14 weeks to 26 weeks. 

Her bill passed its first vote in Parliament on 25 July 2012, with the support of Labour, the Greens, NZ First, the Maori Party, United Future and the Mana Party, and is currently before a select committee, where it has attracted significant support.

In April John Key said that that more paid parental leave would be better, and that he thought paid parental leave would increase some day.

His comments followed a One News poll showing nearly two thirds of respondents supported an extension of paid parental leave from 14 weeks to 26 weeks.

This afternoon, 26 for Babies representatives will present Sue Moroney with the first batch of postcards to John Key, calling on him not to use the financial veto of the bill at its third reading, and to allow this popular initiative to go through.

Where: Brentwood Hotel, 16 Kemp Street, Kilbirnie (during CTU Womens Conference)
When: 5.00pm, today (Friday 26 July).

ENDS

© Scoop Media

New Court Orders, Screening, Guardianship Changes...: Government Ignoring Poverty, Again

It remains to be seen if announcements today will better protect children, but the National Government is forgoing an opportunity to really help kids by ignoring the elephant in the room, which is poverty, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei says.

"All the experts have told the Government that very low income is associated with higher rates of child maltreatment and neglect -- something which was totally ignored in the Government's Children's Action Plan and the announcements today," Mrs Turei said. More>>