11. SUE MORONEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Labour
What reports, if any, has she received on the uptake of paid parental leave?
Hon RUTH DYSON (Minister of Labour) Link to this
I have seen a report detailing that, in this March quarter, $22.6 million has been paid to 4,500 recipients. This brings the total paid parental leave payments to $263 million and the total number of recipients to 75,500, since the Labour-led Government introduced the scheme in July 2002.
Disappointingly, I have seen a report that suggests we abandon paid parental leave. That suggestion was made by Dr Brash. But I have to admit that, after long opposition to paid parental leave, Dr Brash has performed yet another flaky flip-flop and now fears he supports this great scheme. It may be, though, that it is just another thing on the long list of things that Dr Brash plans to axe in order to pay for the extravagant tax cuts that he advocates.