Mike Yardley: Children have the right to know their parents

Stuff co.nz 6 June 2017
Family First Comment: Excellent commentary from Mike Yardley
“Logie believes that when solo-mothers don’t name the father, “I think we should trust there are good reasons.” …. Labour’s Social Development spokeswoman Carmel Sepuloni thinks this disclosure rule is “discriminatory against sole parents”, while dressing it up in the cynical cloak of identity politics. “97.7 per cent of people sanctioned are women, and 52.8 per cent Maori.” You can usually count on Labour and the Greens to dote on any United Nations Convention. Isn’t it interesting that they chose to ignore the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which unequivocally states that children have the right to know his or her parents.”
Yardley was obviously reading our Media Release ?
OPINION: If you’re a sole parent and you’re claiming a benefit, should you have to reveal the identity of the other biological parent?
Work and Income bungled badly by docking the benefit of the young rape victim who refused to disclose the identity of her son’s father. Finally, Work and Income has apologised for getting it wrong.
The parental disclosure requirement has been government policy for more than 20 years, requiring sole parents to reveal the name of the other biological parent, with a few choice exemptions. Specifically, if the child was conceived as a result of sexual assault or incest.
Work and Income’s widely telegraphed botch-up has been lustily milked by the Green Party, as they double-down on their desire to abort the parental disclosure requirement for beneficiaries. Green MP Jan Logie is gunning to abolish the financial sanctions, which can knock up to $28 a week off a sole parent’s benefit.
Logie believes that when solo-mothers don’t name the father, “I think we should trust there are good reasons.”
Administrating the welfare state in such a gullible and munificent manner is what you’d expect from the Greens. But despite upholding this disclosure requirement throughout their nine years in power, it’s particularly galling that Labour now seem fit to tack left and parrot the Green Party’s position.
READ MORE: http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/93354597/mike-yardley-children-have-the-right-to-know-their-parents