Labour has unveiled a new Paid Partner's Leave policy promising four weeks' paid parental leave (PPL) for partners, if it is re-elected.

Partners are currently entitled to two weeks' unpaid leave, but Labour's staggered plan would give them four weeks' paid leave by mid-2026.

The new scheme would be phased in from 1 July 2024, with leave taken either concurrently or consecutively with the primary carer and on top of the current entitlement.

It comes just a few weeks after Labour voted down a bill in the name of National deputy leader Nicola Willis, allowing parents to share their leave entitlement.

National accused the government of "shameful, mean and spiteful" politics, while Labour leader Chris Hipkins says officials had advised that National's bill would be "unimplementable".

Hipkins says Labour's new scheme would remove some of the financial barriers new parents faced when taking parental leave, supporting all parents to be a part of their babies' youngest days.

"This is absolutely the right thing to do - we know that when it comes to a baby's first few weeks, you can't overdo support, whether that's an extra pair of hands, sleep or cooked meals."

He says the policy, entirely government-funded, would be healthy for everyone, including the businesses new parents worked at.

"Taking time off is expensive, but most partners take leave to support their partners regardless," he says. The policy would help support the entire family unit in the crucial early days and in the longer term support a return to the workforce, the statement says.

Hipkins told Morning Report parents could still continue to swap parental leave entitlement that currently exists. "This is an additional entitlement."

Hipkins says it was better than National's parental leave policy because it still maintained 26 weeks of leave, whereas National's policy of sharing the 26 weeks between parents and allowing for overlapping could mean fewer weeks at a stretch.

"We will review all parental leave entitlements properly with the goal of providing some more flexibility."

- RNZ.