Khom criticises Stocker over childcare remarks

Styrian Deputy Governor Manuela Khom has criticised Chancellor Christian Stocker over remarks about childcare, ORF reported. Stocker later publicly apologised after drawing criticism from opposition parties, the SPÖ and members of his own ÖVP party.

At an appearance in Salzburg on Thursday, Stocker was asked by an audience member what he intended to do for mothers. He replied: “Childcare is not unpaid work for me.” He added that he had not raised his children as a calculation of “what do I get for it?”

Khom said the remarks did not reflect the reality of families today. “Of course childcare is shaped by love, but reducing it to that goes far too little,” she said.

“Parenthood is not conventional paid employment. There is no entitlement to holidays, no free weekends and often no end to the working day. Instead, there is constant on-call responsibility,” Khom said, adding that she knew this from her own experience as a mother.

Raising children involved taking responsibility every day and making an indispensable contribution to society, Khom said. “Childcare is above all responsibility, time and work. This work is still carried out predominantly by women, often in addition to employment, household duties and caring for relatives. We must not romanticise this multiple burden, but recognise it more strongly.”

Stocker, who is also the ÖVP leader, apologised in a statement. “A sentence of mine is currently causing debate. Rightly so, because it is wrong,” he said.