Labour must accept some blame for father's demise

National Party Family spokeswoman Judith Collins says the Labour Government must accept some responsibility for the demise of the New Zealand father as underlined in the new 'Good Man Project'.

"Labour has done nothing but set about destroying the traditional family unit with an ideological agenda that makes fathers feel increasingly irrelevant.

Ms Collins is welcoming the 14-month study by former prison boss Celia Lashlie and says it confirms what many people already suspected.

"Boys do better when they have a father playing a positive role in their lives - it's not rocket science," says Ms Collins.

"Labour has been actively eroding the rights of parents with definitions of a family that include 'any group with a psychological attachment' and controversial clauses in the Care of Children Bill that allow women to become 'fathers'.

"This Government has allowed too many fathers to escape their financial and moral obligations to their children, by failing to collect and pursue family support payments," Ms Collins says.

"Labour has made it easier for people, particularly young women, to take up and remain on the DPB.

"Labour's soft approach to the DPB allows too many young mums to treat their children like commodities. Some of those women see the benefit as the path to a state-subsidised life-style - minus the father," says Ms Collins.

"National wants to restore parental responsibility.

"It's no secret that boys do better when they have a dad that cares and that's why we have to end this Government's social engineering.

"National believes both parents play an important role in making sure our kids enjoy a happy childhood. We must resist Labour's ideology and protect that fundamental right," Ms Collins says.

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