Fe:Coalition may be an unlikely champion of paid maternity leave

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2009
Fe:Coalition may be an unlikely champion of paid maternity leave

PERTH, Dec 21 AAP - The coalition could lead the way on paid maternity leave and wants
women's input on what would make a good policy, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

Describing the federal government's plans for an 18-week taxpayer-funded paid parental
leave scheme as "Mickey Mouse", Mr Abbott on Monday admitted the Howard government "could
have done better in this area".

Addressing a group of businesswomen in Perth, he said there was no reason the conservative
parties could not lead the way on the issue of paid maternity leave.

Mr Abbott said he wanted women's feedback to help the coalition go to an election with
"a much more fair dinkum scheme to really help women who want to have careers and families".

"I was part of the government that could have done better in this area," Mr Abbott said.

"The current government, I think, has put a Mickey Mouse scheme on the table.

"As we go forward as a country, surely we can do better in this area than we have in the past.

"There's no reason why the conservative side of politics can't make itself a champion
of an issue like this.

"This should be seen as a conservative issue, not an issue for the other side."

The federal government wants to introduce an 18-week taxpayer-funded paid parental
leave scheme from 2011, set at the minimum wage of $544 a week.

An estimated 150,000 new mums and dads will be eligible.

Speaking to reporters after his brief address, Mr Abbott said the issue had been on
his mind "for some time" but he refused to outline any proposals to be put to the party
room.

"I'm seeking advice and not going to go into detail," he said.

Mr Abbott said the government's scheme was "Mickey Mouse" because some women would
be worse off than they would be under the current system.

AAP was/cdh/ldj

KEYWORD: WOMEN ABBOTT

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