Call for part of man's pay to support his children

Press, 8 September 1982, Page 5

Call for part of man's pay to support his children

Parliamentary report Support for legislation to give a percentage of a man's wage to the mother of his children has come from Mrs Mary Batchelor (Lab., Avon). Speaking in the Budget debate in Parliament, she said that such a scheme would put the financial responsibility where it belonged. Parenting needed to be given the importance it deserved. Mrs Batchelor said. This did not mean that there should be minute increases in the family benefit, which had been intended to help mothers at a time when parents found it difficult to provide for their families. It should be done by ac-

cepting that the work done by women in caring for children was worth recognition, and that the time spent in nurturing and caring for their children was worthy of more than the tax handout in the Budget to the principal wage-earner, she said. New Zealand was a society with a passion for possessions: one that equated higher incomes with superiority. If New Zealand’s mothers were to survive within that type of society, it would be necessary to move away from the present system of benefits, and to replace it with a wage that recognised the importance of childrearing and caring. Mrs Batchelor said.

This wage should be paid regardless of the number of children in a family group. It should emphasise the quality of the care the children receive. Some members of Parliament might not be able to accept the idea of the State's providing financial support in that manner, and gave lip service to the principle that a man is responsible for his own children, she said. That could be arranged. It should not be too difficult to legislate for a percentage of a man s wage to be given to the mother of his children. It would place financial responsibility where it belonged.