Former New Zealand cricketer Mark Richardson has come under fire for suggesting motherhood is not a job.
His co-hosts Duncan Garner and Amanda Gillies were weighing in on a new study, which found the average working mother puts in 98 hours per week when combining paid work and unpaid family duties.
Speaking on Monday morning’s The AM Show, the 46-year-old caused shock on the airwaves when he insisted family duties was not work.
Former New Zealand cricketer Mark Richardson (left with his unimpressed co-host Amanda Gillies) caused shock on the airwaves when he insisted family duties was not a job
‘I was lucky enough to spend time with some kids at the weekend, which was a lot of fun but it is full on. There is no break and it is demanding in a lovely way,’ Gillies said.
Richardson chimed in with a different take on family duties.
‘Hear me quickly, I’ll make a quick point here, don’t crucify me and the frilly undie crowd – put your note pad and pens down,’ he said.
‘It is hard work being a mum… but you can’t call it a job, it is a fact of life. We raise children on this planet. It is not a job. Don’t call it a job.’
Far from impressed with his controversial views, the co-hosts insisted motherhood was a job.
Richardson (left) was speaking on Monday morning’s The AM Show alongside his co-hosts Duncan Garner (centre) and Amanda Gillies (right)
Richardson fired back: ‘I’m not selling you short here, will you shut up and listen to what I’m saying?
‘It is hard work, it’s a necessity of life, but don’t call it a job. It is what we have to do, I respect that it is so goddamn difficult, but I’m sorry I can’t call it another job.’
Garner quickly pointed out the findings in the study, saying a working mother was spending twice as more time than an average 40-hour a week job in the world.
‘I want to get this clear, you say “it’s not a job”, are you?’ Garner pressed Richardson, to which he responds ‘I was saying careful when you call it a job.
‘Alright? Because if you’re going to call it a job because it is damn hard work… it’s important work so therefore it’s important and hard work.
‘If you call it a job, it has to be remunerated properly… All I was saying let’s be diligent when it comes to the definition.’
Speaking on Monday morning’s The AM Show, the 46-year-old caused shock on the airwaves when he insisted family duties was not work
Gillies also argued, saying: ‘If your wife or husband, depending on who’s the stay-at-home person, doesn’t do that job, you then pay someone else to do it’
Refusing to accept his views, Garner said the government defines motherhood as a job because it pays single mothers to look after their children.
Gillies also argued, saying: ‘If your wife or husband, depending on who’s the stay-at-home person, doesn’t do that job, you then pay someone else to do it.’
Grinning at the response, Richardson added: ‘Yes being a nanny has a job, okay, but being a parent is just God damn hard work.’
The co-hosts pressed Richardson on whether he looks after the children at home, to which he responded: ‘Sometimes I get pulled up on maybe not doing enough.’