Seymour gets it right

The Herald reports:

National MP Mark Mitchell said the Government was showing fiscal responsibility by vetoing the legislation.

He highlighted the measures National had implemented for children, including a lift in benefit payments for the first time in 30 years and raising paid parental leave from 14 weeks to 18 weeks.

“I could never buy into the argument that just because a parent had got 18 weeks instead of 26 weeks… they are not able to bond with their child,” he said.

The bill was also opposed by the Act Party.

Leader David Seymour said he was proud to oppose the bill, which he described as political grandstanding by Labour.

Bringing up children was a “20-year enterprise”, he said.

“The idea that the only thing between children growing up healthy and well-adjusted in New Zealand is simply the problem that they don’t have funding for an extra six weeks is simply not true.”

Absolutely. It’s welcome extra income for parents but a child probably costs you the best part of $250,000 so an extra $4,000 is not a huge proportion – even though of course welcome to those who are parents.