Both the incumbent govt and its predecessor are responsible for this mess. It is typical of the reactive populist approach that passes for policy development these days.
Until Australia develops insurance based social policy rather than a band-aid welfare approachand actually recognises people as assetts rather than liabilities we will remain at the bottom of the humanitarian heap.

Well here we go again hey.

Our government departments couldn't get anything right if they tried.

Anyway, I don't think we will have to worry because fewer women will be employed now because of these rules.

So once again, lets populate the country and have someone else foot the bill hey!

With the impending recession and job losses if the governmental wallies decide to follow through with this paid leave arrangement, the employment prospects for fertile women will diminish but the opportunities for post menopausal ones will improve.

Given the choice what sensible employer would employ someone who carries a serious leave liability versus someone who does not?

and regarding "The only real issue is whether the Rudd Government will have the political bottle (or is it ticker?) to unwind the disastrous mess the Howard government created with the personal tax and family tax benefit systems, in the face of high decibel screeching from the traditional housewife lobby, various Christian evangelical family groups, talk-back radio shock jocks, and the usual right-wing ranters in think-tanks and the press. Wayne Swan says he wants to have a go. We shall see."

I prefer the sound of right wing ranters to that the dull thud of retarded lefties banging their heads against the wall.

I guess retired bank executives should do what they do best and considering the present mess of international banking, I am at a loss to know what that might actually be.

Well I couldn't agree more with you col.

The whole family tax system is a joke. How can it be that one first does the math to see if they are better off at work, or at home, or, do I work one day or three. The old 'I will see how this will effect my hand outs and get back to you about the job'.

It's all about to come crashing down. We have a society of young ones who pick and choose when to work, earn a grand a week at times and piss the lot up against the wall. Maternity leave should be the last thing on their minds, their world is about to crash.

The whole thing is typical of government decision making. For every action there is a re-action. It's just that the decision makers don't see the re-action until it's all to late.

As for banks I think they should be graded on past performance and the under performing ones should be re-regulated and told what they can do and when they can do it. Why should the tax payer prop them up. All they have done is taken investors money and tried to be greedy on the OS markets. All for the best interest of the share holders they say.

Heads will fall from this latest stuff up from our bank executives yet they ones who go will do so with a huge payout. I wonder what they would receive if they did a good job!