National puts foot in mouth again

[Lilith7]

Although to be fair, the media are also gleefully making the most of remarks which can be taken to mean different things - but that said, politicians really should be more careful in what they say.

This does smack of the ' those stupid women can't bring up kids & need a man's help to do it' which is so beloved of the far right. And coming on top of remarks that National will require women to pay the prescription fee  for contraception, is somewhat unfortunate.


https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/...5310&ei=10

"During the debate, O'Connor said it was his personal view that it was the responsibility of parents to "look after their own children" and the State should "by and large" stay out of it. He said there are some "pragmatic and right reasons" for the State to assist.

"It is the responsibility of the mother and the father - and I'm being very deliberate with my language there: the mother and the father - to raise the child," O'Connor said.

It was this comment that caused dismay online.

Labour MP Marja Lubeck tweeted the statement on Tuesday night, leading to some to suggest the comments were homophobic for stressing "mother and father". Labour minister Kiri Allan on Wednesday shared a video of O'Connor making his remarks with the hashtag "#NoHomo". 

But O'Connor told Newshub he wasn't saying same-sex parents shouldn't raise children and acknowledged there is a range of family structures.

He said an overwhelming number of people paying child support are fathers, so was focusing his words towards them.

"Simply that the fathers need to continue their obligations and be part of raising their children."