新西兰英语 598 Paid Parental Leave

 　　Paid parental¹ leave means money paid to a parent – mother or father – when a woman has a baby. At the moment, the tax payer pays a woman to stay at home for 14 weeks to look after her baby. The father can receive the money instead of the mother if he chooses to look after the baby instead.

　　A Labour Party MP, Sue Moroney, wants to extend the 14 weeks to 26 weeks. Her member’s bill to extend paid parental leave was chosen by ballot². It is unusual for a bill from an Opposition³ MP to go to Parliament for discussion. Usually bills are from Government MPs.

　　The Labour Party thinks that a majority of MPs will support the bill. It will be discussed in Parliament then it goes to a committee which looks at the details including the cost. When it comes back to Parliament for the final vote, the Minister of Finance, Bill English, says that the National Party will veto the bill because there is not enough money. This means that discussion of the bill is a waste of time.

　　At the moment, 14 weeks paid parental leave costs $150m. Bill English says that extending the leave to 26 weeks would cost half a billion dollars over four years. Sue Moroney says her idea is for a gradual change over the next four years.

　　The Labour Party is likely to win support from voters for this bill which is popular. The government could lose support from voters if it vetoes the bill.

　　Vocabulary

　　to take leave – to take time off from your job

　　extend – make it longer

　　A Bill becomes an Act of Parliament after it is passed by a majority of MPs

　　ballot – luck, drawing names out of a hat

　　majority – more than half

　　veto – a person or organisation⁴ has the power to say ‘No’. It is a noun and a verb. The government can veto any members’ bill which will cost too much money.

　　gradual – slowly, e.g. an extra three weeks each year for four years.

　　popular – many people like it

　　Questions

　　1.Do you think the government should pay a woman to stay at home after she has her baby?

　　2.Is 14 weeks enough?

　　3.Is it a waste of time to discuss this bill in Parliament?

1 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。