The Budget should include money for extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks, the Labour Party says.
A bill under the name of Labour MP Sue Moroney which would increase paid parental leave to 22 weeks in 2017 and to 26 weeks in 2018, has its second reading in Parliament today.
Ms Moroney said the bill had enough support to pass but the government needed to ensure the money to fund the plan was available in the budget.
"Budget 2016 must deliver 26 weeks paid parental leave by April 2018. Anything less will be short-changing families".
Finance Minister Bill English has said he would not speculate whether paid parental leave was in tomorrow's Budget, saying people would have to "wait and see."
