7. SUE MORONEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Labour
What reports has she received regarding paid parental leave?
Hon RUTH DYSON (Minister of Labour) Link to this
I have received a report from the Families Commission that sets out its recommendations for extensions to the paid parental leave scheme that the Labour-led Government introduced in 2002. Our Government has progressively improved the scheme by extending its leave provisions from 12 to 14 weeks, reducing the length of time that a parent has to be in paid work before he or she is eligible, extending eligibility to the self-employed, and raising the rate of payment every year.
As a matter of fact, I have. The first is a quote that states: “…I would have much rather had a tax cut than paid parental leave.”, and another states: “As a working woman myself, I could seriously have done with paid parental leave when I had a little child.” Those conflicting statements are both from Judith Collins. I have seen another report that states, in relation to the paid parental leave scheme, that the State should butt out, and another from the same person, who welcomed the Families Commission report I mentioned in my answer to the primary question. Both those conflicting reports are from Kate Wilkinson. A third report states that the paid parental leave scheme was driven by 1970s feminist union ideology rather than by the real needs of women in the 21st century. Anne Tolley, who made that comment, also supported future extensions to this scheme.
Hon Dr Michael Cullen Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Did I just hear Mr Ryall laughing at the fact that members on this side of the House took seriously something that Kate Wilkinson said? I am sure he did not mean to do that.
Madam SPEAKER
Peter BrownDoes the Minister have any intention to amend the paid parental leave legislation to make it obligatory for an employee to return to work with the same employer after a period of paid parental leave, or does she believe that such a practice is operating under good faith?
If that became a problem, then of course it would be worthy of consideration. But evaluation shows that both employees and employers are very satisfied with the scheme. There are four areas worthy of future consideration: the fact that 10 percent of women in the paid workforce who are new mothers are still not eligible; the length of time that women are eligible for payment; the amount; and, of course, the fact that we still have a very low take-up from new fathers. Those are areas for future consideration.
Sue KedgleyWill the Government be acting on the recommendations of the Families Commission and on those of the Inquiry into Obesity and Type II Diabetes in New Zealand, which were supported by all parties on the Health Committee except the National Party, that paid parental leave be extended to 6 months to support exclusive breastfeeding; if so, by what date will the Government be extending paid parental leave to 6 months?
We certainly will be giving consideration in future to extensions to the scheme, which is consistent with the way we have operated since its introduction. In respect of the select committee’s report, my understanding is that the Government response to that is due later in the year.
Can the Minister confirm that it is the Government’s intention to maintain the paid parental leave scheme, and what reports has she received on future extensions of the scheme?
Yes, I am delighted to be able to confirm that the Labour-led Government is committed to paid parental leave, unlike the National Party, whose spokesperson on women’s affairs, Jackie Blue, last month rejected the extension of the scheme and the report of the Health Committee mentioned by Sue Kedgley. National was the only party on the select committee to oppose that recommendation. I call on National’s leader, John Key, who said, definitively: “Yeah, I think we support paid parental leave.”, to clarify the conflicting statements of his hollow women on the question of whether National is committed to the scheme.
Hon Tony RyallI seek leave to table a transcript of a radio interview that states that the Green Party wanted to ban tea and coffee in workplaces—