Natasha Stott Despoja (SA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister representing the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues. In light of the positive visit and address today by the Canadian Prime Minister, I wonder if the minister is aware that working women in Canada have 15 weeks paid maternity leave at 55 per cent of the average wage, followed by 35 weeks parental leave at a percentage of the average wage. I ask the minister why Australia is one of only two OECD countries without a system of paid maternity leave. Clearly, it is not related to expense, given that the baby bonus costs more than $1 billion per annum and that a paid maternity leave scheme would be less than half of that. Why is this government dragging its feet on the issue of basic entitlements for Australia’s working women?