R0bert,
1. overpopulated world. What do you say R0bert, last year with Howard government we had about 200.000 new migrants. Do you think Howard love migrants or we need them?
2. your priority lies with your son. No one asked you to change your priority but we asked you to support the paid maternity leave for the benefits of mathers and children for the benefit from our society and Country.
3. Tax is guaranteed to be wastage, Generally you have right but if we add the paid maternity leave, then they will have less changes for tax wastage.
4.it was not available when my son was born. R0bert WHAT DO YOU SAY R0PERT? IF EVERY ONE THINK LIKE YOU THEN WE HAD TO STUCK ON THE STONE AGE! It is seemed that you are ungry because you did not take maternity leave and you want to punish the other mothers! We love and care for the people, for our society, for the next generations and try try to improve the general conditions. Do you think is right if I tell that I do not care for schools because I have not children? Do you think is right I do not care for police because I never problem with any one?
5. There are a lot of complications around this. Are you joking R0bert? Today we can solve really complex problems, this is very simple problem.
6. On principle I'd rather have the government... Do you believe few dollars more for maternity leave would limit your freedom of choice? Are you so weak? Do you feel so weak and you think few hundreds dollars per year will limit your choice?
R0bert You are not so bad as you try to seem! Let's support the paid maternity leave as any other country in the world! (As UK!)

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Antonios I've taken the effort to outline some of the reasons why I'm not convinced that paid maternity leave is a good idea. They are not issues for you. That happens.

I paid around $100 the week before last for some new school clothes for my son. Can you supply your bank details so I can withdraw the money to reduce the impact of that purchase on my financial situation?

No! Why not, maybe the expense of raising my son is not your problem. Would you be upset if I found a way to get access to your money and started to use it for my child related expenses?

That's what these schemes do, take money from others for expenses which are not primarily their responsibility.

If you feel so strongly start a trust fund which provides paid maternity leave and ask those who are completly convinced of it's worth to contribute.

I see some benefits and some disadvantages to the proposal. I'm undecided about it but your dismissal of my concerns because they are not yours does not help your case.

R0bert

It's long overdue.

Dear Antonios,

I spent yesterday morning walking with more than 28,000 other women and their families at the Melbourne Mothers' Day Classic, a breast cancer fundraising fun run.

When I had my kids I had access to paid maternity leave. You'd think, more than thirty years on, that most women would have that entitlement. But we don't. Only a third of women have access to paid maternity leave.

Paid maternity leave is long overdue. Make your submission to the Government's Productivity Commission inquiry now. There's a real chance we could win this thing and we need your help.
www.rightsatwork.com.au/campaigns/itslongoverdue

Australia and the United States are the only two OECD countries that do not offer paid maternity leave.

Without a government-funded scheme, paid maternity leave in Australia has been left to us to bargain with individual employers with varying results. Often employer schemes exclude workers with less than 12 months service (and that's 24% of women of child bearing age). And the significant number of women working as casual employees also miss out.

Without a statutory paid maternity leave scheme, two thirds of women workers, with little bargaining power, receive no financial support to take leave to have a baby.

You can help change this by making a submission to the Inquiry, telling your story, and urging them to recommend a paid maternity leave scheme. Make a submission now at our website.
www.rightsatwork.com.au/campaigns/itslongoverdue

Continue

'Often employer schemes exclude workers with less than 12 months service '

So do you really think employers should have to put up with hiring a woman, who 6 months later goes on paid maternity leave? Do you really want employers to employ women? I've never been an employer, but I cant imagine wanting to employ women, if I know in 6 months time they could be asking for 3 months paid leave, while I pay someone else to do their job. This will actually hurt all women of child bearing age.

The government already pays $5000 per baby, which the www.rightsatwork.com.au admits is pretty close to a taxed 14 weeks on minimum wage.

The Productivity Commission is accepting submissions up until 2 June. Everyone who supports paid maternity should make a submission to make sure their voices are heard.

The ACTU proposes a national system of 14 weeks paid maternity leave at full income replacement. In our model, the Federal Government would fund a maternity leave scheme of at least 14 weeks, paid at federal minimum wage rates plus 9% superannuation for all women including those who don't work. Employers would contribute a top-up payment to fully replace the income of working women who earn more than the minimum wage.
part two
If the Government or employers want to do better than that, I will be the first to applaud. The campaign has a real shot this time - and you can help finally deliver paid maternity leave to Australian women. It will be a momentous historical achievement. Please make a submission now.

The next time I walk in the Mothers' Day Classic I want all the women to enjoy the same right I had 30 years ago.

Sharan Burrow

ACTU President

ASymeonakis

Hope I'm not too late for this thread.

I'll certainly be putting in a submission to the Productivity Commission. I have tried to find out more specifics on the proposed legislation, but there is not a lot publicly available.

As you seem to be the most informed here on the issue, are you able to clarify a few concerns of mine ...

1. How would self-employed women be catered for?

2. In the case of women who are having a second or third child without having returned to work between pregnancies, how would they be catered for?

3. Is there any chance of the legislation being for 'parental', as opposed to 'maternity', leave, so that either parent could apply for paid leave within that 14-week period?

4. Is it double for twins? (Just kidding!)