NSW: Democrats welcome ALP's belated support on maternity leave
SYDNEY, April 27 AAP - The Labor Party's announcement of its intention to legislatefor paid maternity leave if it wins government was today welcomed by the Australian Democrats.
But Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja said the allowance needed to be brought in sooner.
"We need to see action in this year's Budget," she said in a statement.
"If the government does not include paid maternity leave in the May budget, I willintroduce a Private Member's Bill and now I expect Labor's full support," she said.
Opposition leader Simon Crean today told the ALP women's conference in Canberra therewas solid evidence that paid maternity leave led to increased productivity, improved employeeloyalty, reduced attrition and improved retention of skilled employees.
He said that was supported by a recent report of the government's own sex discriminationcommissioner which said it could be done for $300 million.
"Australia's birth rates are falling and paid maternity leave as part of a packageof policies that give families more choice can help us arrest the decline and ensure thatwe have a viable workforce in the future," he said.
The Democrats said they had a fully costed maternity leave policy at the last election.
"The $300 million figure to which Mr Crean refers is actually a Democrats costing -one that was repeated by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner - and a figure that demonstratespaid maternity leave could be implemented at a much cheaper rate than the government'sBaby Bonus," Senator Stott Despoja said.
Prime Minister John Howard has rejected universal imposition of such a scheme on groundsthat it could harm small business, cost jobs and force employers to discriminate againstfemale employees.
AAP rcg/cdh
KEYWORD: MATERNITY DEMOCRATS
No comments:
Post a Comment