From the Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10763273

Some responses from community support groups: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10763293

The government is making specific moves regarding people who are in receipt of the Domestic Purposes Benefit in that they are ramping up the requirement to find work.  Their policy at present consists entirely of 'stick' and there appears to be no 'carrot' whatsoever.  I would argue that it is not the DPB recipients who need the carrot, but the employers.  The simple fact is, that there are very few jobs in the workforce that are compatible with raising children and this is one of the main arguments put forward in response to John Key about this policy, not far behind the overall problem of availability of work during a recession.  In order for the government's policy to work there has to be a major culture change in the business world whereby employers open up to the idea of providing jobs specifically for people who are primary caregivers of school age children.  If the government, with all it's taxpayer money, bureaucratic departments, committee meetings and millions of employee tea breaks cannot do it, then somebody has to.  This is the purpose of POSACs: to bring about a sea change in attitudes towards parents in employment.

Parents make good employees because:

• They are more likely to stay longer
• They are more likely to do work that is menial and boring because they have other things that stimulate their lives.