Sky News host Chris Kenny says a new treasury document on the gender pay gap and children has been called the “motherhood penalty”.
Mr Kenny said “mothers love being mothers” and being a parent is not a negative thing.
“It is not a penalty, it is a gift, a joy, a challenge, a sacrifice, sure, it is lots of things, and it’s not easy, but it’s not a penalty,” he said.
“But this paper talks about the ‘motherhood penalty’ being reflected in the ‘significant impact of children on the long-run labour market outcomes for women’.”
Mr Kenny said the opportunity to choose is “paramount” as some women may want to return to work while others do not.
“These are decisions for families, we don’t need governments or bureaucrats telling us what we should be doing,” he said.
“Families sacrificing income to care for kids is not a penalty, that’s an investment – that’s not a loss in our national productivity but a boost to our society.”
