What about the current $398 fortnightly 6 months baby bonus that most families get. Isn't that enough paid leave? If Abbott goes ahead with this, how much more tax are we going to be giving people that are on $150K wages for there 6 months off? Most compaines now have 3 months paid leave, then everyone can use there annual leave. Children are a gift not a right.

Im sure we would all like 6 months off work paid, however Mr Abbotts plan is to make bussiness pay for it, im sure he has already told them behind closed doors that this is just a vote grab and will be revoked once in power. Do women realy think this would not cause a disincentive for business to employ women in the first place regardless of laws on sex discrimination.

It's a fact most employers want their workers to be flexible 24/7 at their disposal not the workers having their empoyers flexible 24/7 at the workers disposal meaning their workers taking time off when ever they feel like it. My advise to women looking for work now would be to tell the employer at the job interview I have been spaded and can't have kids.

I bet she likes the sound of it, i wonder if it would sound so sweet if her income tax had to pay for it? There are a great many ways to secure a financial cushion for long periods of leave, funny that the idea of using your own money seems so far from peoples minds. Try paying some of your income into a savings account before having children.

I work for a large multinational company. At this stage female employees are entitled to 18 weeks paid maternity leave and have the flexibility to return part time for the remaider of a 12 month period. As a male employee I am entitled to 1 day paternity leave to bond with my newborn and if I want to spend more time with my family I need to take it lout of annual leave. It is big business who will fund this scheme and as far as I can see, women working for larger companies already get a pretty good deal. I honestly believe we need to take the role of new fathers a bit more seriously before paying for 6 months maternity leave.

I am sick and tired of people who are working subsidising those who dont. Its not specific to this issue. I know second hand dealers who do the garage sales and op shops and they are on DISABILITY pensions and have been for over 20 years. This is the tip of the iceberg its just BS that we have to prop up system rip offs like these. If we didnt have these parasites we could easily afford the best paid parental scheme in the world.

why cant the government adopt a hecs style scheme for parental leave payments, it would solve the problem of buisness paying for it and people who dont need it, i would be more than happy to do this if it meant i could spend more time with my child, i believe the governement should adopt this hecs style scheme for IVF as they have slashed rebates for couples such as my husband and i to have a child, I am emailed Rudd, roxon and king on this to no reply,

Could someone please explain for me WHY employers are responsible for payments to mothers? What has it got to do with the employer. Sure, they may want to retain an employee in whom they have invested special training but holding their job open (while they take leave without pay) for say a year would achieve this. I just don't get it. In the end, it is the consumer who will pay and the extra cost will mean that Australian businesses will become even less competitive with China and India. What about self-employed women and stay-at-home mums. I'm afaid I don't understand the rationale behind paid materinty leave. Has it simply established itself as just another 'politicially correct' thing to do without questioning the underlying principle.

To fish1470, I am the women in the article and to reply to your post, I have been banking half my income in preparation for the birth of my baby. Obviously you did not think I looked intelligent enough to think of this.. And nowhere in the article did I state that I agreed with Tony Abbott taxing big business owners to support stay at home mums. I simply stated that being paid 6 months of my wage whilst home with my daughter would be wonderful. I agree with 'just a thought' about adopting a hecs style leave scheme so I am responsible for covering this payment in the future. So please don't judge someone you have never met based on a small, edited article. I am not a fan of Tony Abbott and I don't believe he'd keep his promise if elected, but I do believe that this country needs to catch up with the rest of the developed world and offer some system to mothers in order for them to stay at home with their child for those crucial first 6 months. If a government party can find a way of doing this without taxing others then that would be fantastic.

i am a stay at home mum myself and i dont agree with the proposed scheme what so ever. i didnt get any paid maternity leave with my son and my husband and i have made things work without going without anything. this will put working woman at a disadvantage rather than helping them i would think twice before hiring a woman now