Prime Minister John Howard would do well to follow the lead of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and adopt his country's paid maternity leave policy, writes Natasha Stott Despoja from the Australian Democrats.
Working women in Canada are entitled to at least 15 weeks paid leave on the birth of a child (payable at 55 per cent of their average wage up to a set amount) followed by 35 weeks of parental leave at 55 per cent of the parents' regular income. These entitlements are even greater in Quebec, which broke away from the federal scheme last year.
Canada is not alone in providing this support to working women. More than 100 countries have a paid maternity leave scheme; in fact, among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development nations, only Australia and the US do not have a comprehensive paid maternity leave scheme.
Since I announced my paid maternity leave legislation (introduced to the Senate last Thursday), I have been asked repeatedly, "Don't we already have that here?" Many people do not realise all working women cannot access paid maternity leave.
Momentum has been building rapidly in recent years in support of paid maternity leave. In the last few months, we have seen rallies; women's magazines joining the campaign; a Newspoll survey showing more than three-quarters of Australians support paid maternity leave; and business and other groups calling for a government-funded scheme.
The Government has the opportunity to act on this issue, and the Labor Party to show its commitment now I have introduced my Private Senator's Bill for 14 weeks of government-funded paid leave on the birth or adoption of a child. The Bill based on my 2002 Bill for paid maternity leave was later mirrored by then federal sex discrimination commissioner Pru Goward. It incorporates the recommendations of the Senate inquiry into my Bill and changes to the Workplace Relations Act.
A national scheme of paid maternity leave would ensure all women can take leave from the workforce when they have a child, not just those in the public service and companies that provide paid maternity leave and those who have successfully bargained for it.
While some companies have been making a great effort to make up for a lack of government action, only about a third of working women can access paid maternity leave in Australia, and it is predominantly those in low-paid and low-skilled positions who miss out.
Many of these women try to "make do" by combining their annual leave and sick leave. Someone I know, who worked at a university, planned to have her children during university holidays, to ensure she maximised her leave. Without paid maternity leave, women are often forced to return to work soon after having a baby for financial or employment reasons. In male-dominated areas such as law firms, some women are forced to choose between returning to work soon after giving birth, and jeopardising their careers by taking additional leave. For them, a national scheme of paid maternity leave would legitimise the crucial time taken after the birth or adoption of a child to establish family relationships, and help employers and colleagues acknowledge its importance.
The health benefits to mothers and newborns are well documented. These include giving women time off to allow for bonding between mother and child and the establishment of breastfeeding, and to allow the mother to recover physically. The World Health Organisation recommends no less.
Access to leave is not a given without paid maternity leave: a Senate inquiry into my 2002 Private Member's Bill heard numerous cases of women being forced to return to work shortly after having a baby, including one woman who was made to return to work by her employer just two weeks after having a caesarean. In Canada, by contrast, women are not allowed to work for two months after birth, for health reasons.
Australians want a fair go for working women who are today working harder than ever to balance professional and family commitments. It would be mean-spirited not to ensure all working women can access this entitlement 14 weeks is so little to ask given the investment in parenting that Australian families make.
Ironically, paid maternity leave could be the Government's ticket to a turnaround in the polls. I encourage them to show their support for working women and their families by supporting my Bill.
Senator Natasha Stott Despoja is an Australian Democrats senator for South Australia.
