Law of common sense to be applied

Following on in the vein of Full Moon King and her cohorts in constructing shoddy legislature of late, today's editorial from the region she loves to hate examines what could be the common sense outcome a newly proposed piece of legislation.

Seems that while most Kiwis were attending church celebrating things religious and some enjoyed a well deserved break, those charged with absolute power were busy little secular beavers, releasing all sorts of propaganda on Easter Sunday of all days.

In a move to stave off any cause celebre mothers having to feed wee Johnny in scruffy loos, there is yet another Liarbour tax to be foisted upon businesses in providing rooms of a suitable nature via uncosted legislation.

Forgive me, I always thought a workplace was for work and core parenting was always done at home? Parents get already paid heaps with parenting leave.

But the editor examines the topic more closely and sums up well.

How does the prescriptive obligation affect small businesses which may have to provide crèche facilities for perhaps just a single staff member? Will the law of unintended consequences mean such an attempt to legislate for compassion will make ``potentially pregnant' job applicants liabilities for employers?

This is a time when a Government on the ebb might more usefully have shown it had a better grasp of the practical issues that face those in the small business community. Instead, the gesture shows that it is much easier to capitalise on the proven benefits of breastfeeding than to acknowledge (and to promote the view) that raising a baby ought to be a fulltime job.

Now there is an unintended consequence, if you can get pregnant you are a liability. Same thing I have been trying to drill into the better half for years, which side of a balance sheet she resides on. What a future our workplaces will enjoy, a workplace without the distraction of females.