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Australia is one of only two developed countries without paid maternity leave. The Rudd Government says that they will change this status and will legislate some form of compulsory paid parental leave. We received our first inkling as to what this might look when the Productivity Commission released its draft report on Monday.
The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government’s independent research and advisory body on a range of economic, social and environmental issues affecting the welfare of Australians. Its role, expressed simply, is to help governments make better policies in the long term interest of the Australian community. (Source: Productivity Commission Website.)
The Productivity Commission’s draft report recommends 18 weeks’ government-funded leave in addition to any existing employer-funded scheme. Employers would be expected to contribute a further $75 million a year in superannuation payments. You can read the complete draft report here and they will receive written submissions on the report until COB Friday 14 November 2008.
The release of the report has started a public debate in Australia on paid maternity leave. The ABC reports that the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI):
“does not support the Productivity Commission’s recommendation of 20 weeks’ paid parental leave, claiming it would put excessive burdens on businesses.”
The Age noted that:
“Unions NSW and the Australian Greens are urging Labor to pay 26 weeks’ leave, saying that is the minimum needed to allow adequate support for parents and their babies.”
And I have to say that I agree with the latter. A submission by the National Investment for the Early Years articulates the many reasons why 18 weeks is not long enough and takes into consideration the economic rationale as to why longer paid leave is also beneficial in economic terms as well.
GetUp is running a campaign to support the call for paid leave to be for a minimum of 6 months. If you feel strongly about this too, please sign their petition and help them achieve their goal to attain 30,000 signatures to send to the Federal Government, to show that the community supports at least 6 months paid maternity leave.
{ 7 comments }
Interestingly enough when I returned home from the UK, I was completely shocked that Australia was so behind on this issue! Quite a lot of the bigger employers in the UK have also stepped up and paid more than the statutory maternity pay. Paternity leave was also well supported.
Great post … I will definitely be signing up to the petition.
ickle Kidss last blog post..Travel Tip Tuesday – Calling all Mums …
I am definitely a supporter of paid maternity leave…. 6 months would be ideal but I am not confident that will ever happen. I do wonder about the current plans with the discrepancy between working and non working mothers. I find it pretty said that it seems our government and our society still values mothers at work more that they do mothers at home with their very young children….
I’ll be watching this with interest
katefs last blog post..Want! Want! Want!
I am fully in support of paid maternity leave for women (or men, if parents were doing the SAHD thing), but I feel that in this debate stay at home mums are being left out of the equation.
Sure it’s all well and good for the government to put aside millions of dollars to fund the scheme, but what about women working casual jobs? Or mothers who are already staying home with children? Or women who haven’t worked the 12 months mandatory prior to having a baby?
It seems that in the end, mothers who don’t qualify for the paid scheme are going to be left out in the cold.
(sorry, this is something I have been ranting about at home for weeks)
Oh and I tried to reply to your comment on my site via email, but it kept bouncing? Not sure what that is about. I kept getting an invalid recipient error.
Veronicas last blog post..24 weeks.
ickle kids – We have been behind here in Australia for some time now!
Kate and Veronica – Such great points about how stay at home mums are being left out of this argument. I am not sure of what the solution is here and would love to hear ideas from others on how all mums (dads) can benefit.
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My wife is expecting in Dec this year (2009) as a husband, I worked full time in Australia. I want to have time off during her labour. Do you think my company will approve and do I entitle to get leave with pay? There is a word, maternity leave for woman and for man? anyone? appreciate your feedback
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Stephen – Some companies in Australia do offer paternity leave for father’s. My husband had 5 days paid paternity leave after our last baby. I don’t believe that we have an ideal system in Australia for Maternity / Paternity Leave
Sweden is one country which provides generous parental leave: all working parents are entitled to 16 months paid leave per child, the cost being shared between employer and State. (Source: Wikipedia). I think that a system like this offers both parents more flexibility.
I think it will however be a long time coming, if at all that we have anything like this in Australia.
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