Paid maternity leave not on the Coalition's agenda

The Federal Coalition is out of touch with what Australian families have said they need to help them to raise their children, women and children advocates said today in response to the Coalition release of its industrial relations policy, which confirms existing entitlements that provides up to 52 weeks of unpaid parental leave.

“In a July 07 Newspoll survey, an overwhelming 76% of Australians supported paid maternity leave, with 78% wanting financial responsibility to be shared jointly by employers, workers and the Federal Government,” said Marie Coleman, spokesperson for the National Foundation for Australian Women, which commissioned the poll with the NSW Commission for Children and Young People and the National Investment for the Early Years.

International research shows that paid maternity leave contributes to reducing overall infant mortality, improved child cognitive, social and emotional development, longer breast feeding, improved maternal and child health (including increased immunisation rates), and savings in child care costs. By contrast, unpaid leave has no significant effects on infant health. These outcomes are consistent in a range of countries, years, economic circumstances and independent of other positive family-friendly measures.

Australia is one of only two OECD countries with no national system of paid maternity leave available to working women. Labour market participation rates of women, work and family arrangements in various OECD countries show that Australian women's employment participation rates are much lower, at a time of rising concern about the challenges of an aging workforce. More than a thousand Australian organisations and individuals have also indicated through an on-line petition (www.nfaw.org) that paid maternity leave is a key issue for the next election. All major political parties have recently been asked to commit to an inquiry into funding a national paid maternity leave scheme.

“The early years of life and a child's relationship with its primary caregiver during this time, are critical to children's development and have vital implications for wellbeing right through adulthood, and paid maternity leave helps underpin a good start in a child's life” said Ms Gillian Calvert, the NSW Commissioner for Children and Young People.

“Australians have given a clear indication that they want the introduction of a national paid maternity leave scheme but the coalition is choosing to ignore Australian families at their own peril, ” Ms Coleman said.

Media inquiries

Michelle Neathercote, NSW CCYP on 0413 456 080 or
Marie Coleman, NFAW on 0414 483 067