Australian Democrats Laud Long Pushed Paid Parental Leave
Statement by the Australian Democrats:
"Seven years after the Australian Democrats introduced the first Paid Maternity Leave legislation, there is finally hope for millions of women and couples wanting children, but unable to afford to leave work those first months. This legislation, once it goes into effect, will mitigate the economic hit so many families face.
First introduced by former Australian Democrat Senator and Leader Natasha Stott Despoja, paid parental leave will remain a part of the Australian Democrats platform - as we will continue to push to make sure funding for it is never cut back or threatened.
However, while we applaud its inclusion in the budget, the delay of its implementation until 2011 is both unnecessary and unfortunate. We encourage all parties to move quickly to provide relief to those who will have children in the next year and a half."
