ON the surface, it seems patently unfair to deny the parents of newborn twins, triplets and other multiple-birth children increased parental benefits. The Federal Court of Appeal … however … ruled Thursday that parents caring for multiple newborns aren’t being discriminated against … when they are denied additional parental leave. The case may now be headed to the Supreme Court but … Ottawa should take matters into its own hands and amend the rules …

At the same time, the three-judge panel agreed that “the care of … multiples, necessarily involves more work than caring for a single child”. And therein lies the unfairness of the current system. Canada needs children, and it needs policies that encourage parents to have them. The couple that produces … multiple births is fulfilling this vital role … Under the current rules, they are producing two children, in terms of cost to the government and lost working hours, for the price of one. …

We are not saying that Ottawa should allow the parents of twins and triplets to proportionately increase their parental leave, but it could certainly consider raising it from 35 weeks to acknowledge the peculiar difficulties and societal benefits of multiple births. — (Jan 25)