Ruth Dyson on Fathers
I am pleased the Families Commission report into paid parental leave has
sparked a nationwide debate. Research has shown New Zealand parents have
benefited from our Labour-led government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme and
are eager to contribute ideas to improve and extend the scheme.“Our government will look at four different areas where the scheme could
be improved – the 10 per cent of women in paid work who currently miss out
on any payment at all, the level of money that people get, the length of
time, and the fact that few fathers access the scheme at the moment.”
I hesitate to ask what the word “Father” might mean in Dykson’s Dictionary, but you can tell Labour is short of a vote when “Father” enters her vocabulary.
Research by who?.
Statistics can be screwed around to show anything.
Who the hell is this bitch trying to kid ?.
Well Mizzz Dyson, have you thought about the Dole Queue that you’ll be standing in after the next election?
Comment by MikeT — Thu 30th August 2007 @ 11:18 pm
I don’t doubt that paid parental leave benefits some women. Where are the thinking journalists asking the question why are fathers treated as inferoir by the families commission? Why does Ruth Dyson support less paid parental leave for fathers than mothers?
Is their a thinking journalist in this country?
Kids have two parents and surely it is only just and fair that
both mum and dad receive equal paid parental leave provisions.
If it was proposed that kiwi dads got 12 moths paid parental leave and mums got one month would the outcry be deafening?
Comment by Scrap_The_CSA — Fri 31st August 2007 @ 7:30 am
Here is the research into parental leave.
http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/research/parental-leave/index.asp
Comment by Blk — Fri 31st August 2007 @ 9:46 am
I’m sure this point has been raised before, but isn’t Ms Dyson admitting to failure when the state feels obliged to assist parents to have and raise their own children?
People used to raise larger families off the income of a single earner. Not that long ago either.
We’ve let the state have an increasing role in our lives on the promise that it would alleviate those unpleasant aspects of life, such as poverty, crime and hopelessness, and it has done no such thing. All these blights are still with us. Crime is worse, neighbourhoods in poverty are expanding and hopelessness, if suicide is any indicator, hasn’t gone anywhere.
Yet the prescription is for more of these government ‘solutions’.
Who believes all this stuff?
Comment by Rob Case — Fri 31st August 2007 @ 12:31 pm
What would dyke dyson know about fathers . Her days living in a hippy town with her girlfriends in the backblocks of Buller is a better yarn , eh Ruth , Ruth can’t tell the truth .
Comment by dad4justice — Fri 31st August 2007 @ 1:54 pm
Rob,
my time in access on the net is now pretty limited, yet of all these comments BLK apart, you fashion an argument that can be modelled into some form of direct challenge. That is to say your interest is less on reply but more comparing principle to object.
This is to say that your point deals directly with social policy, patterns and effect. Bevan is still slow off the mark – aiming somewhere in the area he recognises to be discrimination and giving it a bit of an age old rark up: Scrap blames journalists, and even though he is right; if the journalists aren’t backed up by public opinion they will be the last (presently) to take any risk, and Pete, as ever is right on the mark of personal reality and a sexual surrender that by dysfunction directly discriminates against childhood (as if) reasonably disinheriting them (sons and daughters) of their association with fatherhood.
Surely if we put it all together, after reading BLK, I haven’t – and we agree there is still a problem – then the collective energy building about present practices and the inability effectively to address the primary issues; will motivate everyone into one PROACTIVE direction? Surely?
Comment by Benjamin Easton — Fri 31st August 2007 @ 7:36 pm
Ben, read what I write. I have not blamed journalists. I have asked where the thinking ones are and if there is a thinking journalist in the country.
Questions do not equal blame Ben.
Sorry Blk, I don’t buy into this tiny sample of dads as being representative of New Zealand dads.Recommending a parental leave policy on 13 months for women and 1 month for men based on the findings of this report is bananas.
I say again why should a mother be entitled to 13 months of paid maternity leave and a father is only entitled to one months paid paternal leave. Correct me if i have misread the proposal.
This is wrong. It devalues the role of fathers in the care of children and deprives them of financial support to enable them to equally care for their children instead all is given the mother.
Dont get me wrong, IF this is going to happen I dont begrudge mums 13 months paid parental leave all I am say is that if mum gets 13 Months why not dad?
Regards
Scrap
Comment by Scrap_The_CSA — Fri 31st August 2007 @ 9:58 pm
Simon Collins
Comment by Benjamin Easton — Sat 1st September 2007 @ 10:38 am
Some things take time.
This post started 14 years ago.
So finally someone in the media ‘woke’ up.
If this was done to women.
Politicians would be endlessly, asked about it.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300348034/the-dad-trap-the-parental-leave-system-that-shuts-out-men
My first child, I had to work.
As my partner, never wanted to work.
So I had no choice, but to be a provider.
My second child, I had to work.
Because the system, provided no leave.
And expectations, society’s expectations, of men.
My third child, due to me getting sick.
I was the stay at home dad, living off savings.
And I have no regrets, slowly going broke.
………………
The article points out the issue.
Money.
Newborns, breastfeeding, mothers.
An easy sell, with political supporters.
Men, not out working, being good slaves.
Not a dollar, from anybody, to help them.
…………….
The 15% fathering rate.
Is the mother abandoned children rate.
And has not changed, in 30 years.
Only about 1/6 of them, are from the courts.
Comment by DJ Ward — Sun 4th July 2021 @ 8:48 am
Sorry there is an error.
The article points out some companies.
That are generous towards fathers.
Healthy fathers, are better providers.
The company benefits with greater loyalty, by workers.
My criticism is towards government.
What is the solution?
The extremes.
There is no time, for anybody.
But the child does benefit greatly from breastfeeding.
And the first month essential, in regard to positive outcomes.
So to be safe, you cannot give women less than 2 months.
For recovery, and bonding.
Men don’t count, in that argument, in my opinion.
So after that, nobody actually deserves anything.
Any other leave, is social policy.
Government has a policy.
Of only wanting women.
To not be mothers, or fathers.
But the only parent.
The other extreme.
Is like a year off work.
Compulsory, after each birth.
For both parents.
An argument about freedom, results.
The mother or father, who’s not interested, in parenting.
Or other pressure, like mortgages.
Or sole trading, companies, farms, that have to be run.
Since men get a few weeks.
And women get lots of weeks.
Birth bonus time, plus extra maternity leave.
Versus.
A few weeks.
Is generous obviously, but clearly bigoted.
Solutions exist, for the problem, of parenting in the 21st century.
Like mortgage holiday, schemes, proportionate to income loss.
Starting free, optional childhood schooling, at 2 years.
Employer based, supported, daycare providers.
More, days, hours, flexibility in workplaces.
Workplace ideas, like sleepyhead.
Are 21st century thinking.
Opposition to it, is perplexing.
It builds homes, for the workforce.
Right next to the place of work.
Workers walking to work, not driving.
And more time with family, not driving.
Being parents.
Comment by DJ Ward — Sun 4th July 2021 @ 11:26 am
It seems progress, causes problems.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300547959/man-on-the-doorstep-of-billion-dollar-sleepyhead-development-to-move-out
I can’t see how this would devalue land, if anything it should be worth more.
Maybe the higher income worker, will want it.
A slice of country living, with a walk to work.
Eventually the town may grow, land banked for sections.
They are certainly moving a mountain of rocks, to build on.
It could even work out well for myself, as a job option.
While I like my work, the travelling wares me out.
My work being good to me, has created loyalty towards it.
As recently discussed, sleepyhead would offer more parenting time.
Being so close, I would have two or three extra hours a day with the kids.
It seems my loyalty, may get tested as to my work.
Change more importantly may test, what I am loyal to.
Comment by DJ Ward — Sun 27th March 2022 @ 7:54 pm