This sounds a lot like a Sharron Burrows, of ACTU, type argument that Australia is a terrible place even though it allows people access to services, it doesn't allow access to enough of other people's money i.e. taxes, to do what they want. (mind you it was only evil under PM Howard, now it is nirvana)

The culture in Australia being developed by the rich/poor (working families/ evil CEOs) ethos of the ALP government is developing into a massive battle of various lobby groups to try to grab everyone else's money.

Yesterday it was self funded retirees, today it's potential mothers and everyone is trying to justify why their group should get more money or a leg up from the "government", my taxes.

Personally I'd prefer to be taxed less so I can decide what needs funding. I note charities are suffering as a result of all this, generous people who used to give to them are now subsidizing, without their consent, the ALPs choice of recipients.

I think this is a bad idea, but see it being used as an exercise in power management by lawyers and lobbyists.

(Do people really need to be funded to have children, what do they do when that money, the subsidy, runs out?)

I hope it isn't in the budget.

We can ill afford it at this time and this allocation of revenue would be better utilised to offset the very real need of those who are not in paid work (pensioners, disabled, retraining the unemployed and those who find themselves suddenly without work as currentretrenchment patters are showing) and what about apprenticeships, surgery waiting lists etc.

Having children is not a right but a responsibility and we would be better off encouraging people to be able to stay at home if they choose.

It seems ironic that we pay child care benefits and paid maternity leave so that others can care for our children and yet those who might wish to care for their children themselves are largely ignored. Not to mention the extremely low wages and conditions for those who work in child care.

I sincerely hope that these sorts of middle class welfare programs don't overshadow the very many more social and infrastructure needs that we are faced with today.

It puzzles me why women who don't want to look after their children want children. Paid maternity leave results in child abuse with babies being put into day care and often neglected. Selfish mothers often drag kids out of bed at all sorts of hours so they can pursue their selfish pursuits. All this signing international agreements that fly in the face of decency is crap. Thank God we still have enough woman with the maternal instincts not being brainwashed out of them by this feminist crap.

Well let me predict the future here.

The next thing that may happen is that we, the employers, will be forced into employing a certain % of women in our workforce becasue, these paid maternity leave laws are about to drive a wedge between employers and child bearing age women.

Enjoy your job while you have it girls!

You would have thought that anyone with the slightest bit of common sence would have waited until the UFD laws were tightened before they introduced this baby hey!

It is naive to think that some legal grounds in international law will push maternity leave to the fore as a domestic issue. Since when has the Australian government (or any government for that manner) kowtowed on an issue because of some international protocol?

I think for paid parental leave to be a viable option we would need to restructure the whole family support system. Paid Maternity leave seems to have become a symbol to some taken out of context with the rest of the payments designed to help families (by taxing them, using up a portion of the money in overheads and giving the remnants back).

I also tend to suspect that "maternity" leave as opposed to parental leave works against younger women in the job market. It's awkward for employers and fellow workers to keep positions open for a sustained period, far better to keep the gender aspect of any legislative aspect to just the period where gender matters and leave the rest to the family to decide.

The author seems to have taken care to tick off most of the list to annoy a lot of people
- an appeal to international bodies because Australia signed a convention
- mentioning the pay gap without discussing why
- making out that staying home to raise kids is all self sacrifice rather than an aspirational goal for many
- generised reference to DV

I do get frustrated by those who advocate for "maternity" leave and at the same time bemoan the fate of women left with the responsibility of raising children.

Paid maternity leave would further reinforce the economic pressures on families for the mother to be the stay at home carer.

R0bert