The Wire

Australian women may finally have the right to statutory paid maternity leave. That’s if the federal government adopt the recommendations of the interim Productivity Commission report on parental leave. According to the proposal, a taxpayer funded scheme of 18 weeks at the adult minimum wage would benefit around 140,000 mothers and their newborn children each year. The proposed scheme will cost the government around $450 million annually. Business will put in a $74 million a year through superannuation contributions, while benefiting from greater retention rates of women employees.