Next steps
Now that the report is out, the next steps towards getting paid maternity leave in Australia could be up to the women and men who want to see it happen. Wayne Swan is now saying that he isn't sure if paid maternity leave "will be affordable in terms of the next budget" (see The Age). My reading of this sort of statement is that the politicians will wait and see how the electorate responds to the report before taking any action. The Federal Parliament lacks the enthusiasm for PML demonstrated by Natasha Stott Despoja, so if you think getting it up is important, you just might have to make your views heard. There isn't a lot of time left to do this. The closing date for comments by email is November 14, 2008, and the consultations start next week in Brisbane, on 16 October (email for details). Information about the consultations in other states is available on this website. The Commission's hearings start on November 10, 2008. You can find information about this on the Commission's website. Go for it.
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