Shared parenting group ChildWatch are challenging the proposed Parental Responsibility Bill, saying the system would punish parents not allowed contact with their children.

ChildWatch Co-founder Edward Tavares said that the system should be changed to help heal families rather than punishing them if they fail.

Mr. Tavares said that the courts treated fathers as "throwaway parents," whose only contribution to the family is money

"According to our membership, fathers are normally given only 48 days per year to be with their child or children, providing that the mother does not hinder those," he said.

"With the divorce rate at approximately 65 percent, this crosses over most households in our community.

"How could they be made accountable for behavioural actions when, in most of cases, care and control has been limited by the courts at best, and access often unduly restricted."

If passed, the Parental Responsibility bill would make parents pay up to $10,000 for wilful damage caused by their children, and force parents of nuisance children to attend counselling sessions for up to three months.

On Monday, Attorney General Kim Wilson said the bill was aimed to target parents who don't care about their children's behaviour.

She said: "This is not intended to target parents whose children did something as a one-off.

"We have to recognise what the studies are showing about the relationships between parents and children — parents should be held accountable and responsible for their children's behaviour. If not them, than who?"

Mr. Tavares called for the system to be changed to encourage shared parenting and counselling to prevent problems from arising in the first place.

"Shared parenting, with the assistance of counselling, can deal with the root causes within the family, which allows both parents to produce a parenting plan unique for their family after a divorce or a separation."