Your say: 13 months paid-parental leave?

Stuff readers have their say on the Families Commission's call for paid parental leave payments to be extended to 13-months.

RE: Call for 13 months paid parental leave

I don't think that the parental leave should be increased to 13 months. The government has a number of packages available to people who are struggling. It's time we stood on our own two feet and stop expecting the government to bail out people. I have raised four boys myself without any handouts from the government including putting them through university. I worked two jobs and also managed to complete a degree as well. Come on, if you want to have children then pay for them yourself. I am against anymore handouts from the government because the money can be spent on health issues for more people than a few. Also people who have not contributed to the tax take should be given any handouts at all. There is only a certain amount of money to go round and it will mean that others will miss out. Any government handout should be tax assessed including the present family package for people who earn more than most of us.
Kate Bennett

Yes I think it should be made easier to have a parental leave and made to be 13 months. It is possible that a baby having his natural mother nurturing it full time in its first year might have great positive effects on its mental and physical health through out his/her life. It is well worth it.
Safaa

This is harsh but true: If you can't afford to have a baby should you be having one? There are so many couples who work hard to make sure they can cope financially when they decide to start a family - they deserve every help they can get. The 'others' who just think "oh well the tax payer will fork out for me" annoy the daylights out of me and then they are given incentives to have more and more children. Bringing up children is not easy nor is it cheap and some thought should be given to these two 'cons' beforehand - the pros are enormous but both should be considered.
Lucy Brown

If people can't afford to have children without putting their hand out to the government then they seriously need to consider not having them.
Shane Hill

I definitely think it is a good idea and the sooner the better! With all the light being shone on Child Abuse currently why don't we try to cultivate a culture that allows for parents to stay at home and care for their newborns without the added stress of having to worry about where the next meal is going to come from or how they will pay the power bill? They say that more divorces are caused by financial problems than any other factor, so imagine what the stress level's must be for new parents having financial problems and having to also deal with a newborn baby.
Penny Shatford

I think changing the parental leave is wrong. The younger generation is getting and is expecting everything on a plate. I think they would become far better citizens if they had to go through a little hardship when they buy a house or have a baby. They don't know how to do it hard anymore and I think this is the cause of a lot of our problems today.
Rochelle McDonald

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