Good for Parents but BAD for business. This is my final conclusion, I hope the labour government will not be TOO short-sighted and bow to union pressure. Running the economy takes some finesse and wisdom.
As a would-be parent, i would certainly welcome such move, both for my wife and myself, but the question is to what cost the economy ?? Off hand i can already think of the consequence of such action.
If i am the employer, i would most likely prefer to employ men rather than women. even though we speak of equal right and opportunity. When it comes to business, it just makes more economical sense. Forget the GREENS, forget the LABOUR, the key fact is that every action has consequence to the economy. Great might the paid maternity be, it has to be drafted carefully and reviewed in more details. And big companies, might not want to invest in Australia for the alrady burdensome labour cost. Also it will blow the governement budget, unless a better scheme results.
I do think several ideas must be enforces to make this scheme work.
No 1. Pro-rata the paid maternity leave - trust me, i can think of many people who might work there for only 3 months and get 6 months paid maternity. Pro-rata means people cannot make use of the system, i pity the company that have to pay maternity leave 1 week after employing someone, and paying for 6 months maternity and then realizing that the mum-to-be have no intention to come back to work. Just as we need to protect and give mums a fair go, i think its important to protect tht businesses as well. Union don't realise that business drives the economy, unless you remain competitive, Australia as a country will never compete in the world market. Thank God for commodities that help boost our economy.
No 2. Bring in maids that will certainly help. The biggest problem with Australia is their non-existant family unit. There are a few laws which i do think the australia govenment should take a leaf out of singapore's book. I do think the smartest form of government is one that can adapt and pick up good policies that are tried and tested in other countries. Currently the reason mums stay at home because there is no strong family unit in Australia. The western culture often does not promote family unity unlike the asian culture which stress on strong family unit across all generations, with no strong family support, then the next best thing is to open up the market to allow employment of maids to help in domestic chores.
No 3. Change the social of Australia. We should not punish people for having children, but we cannot punish the company as well. The social and culture environment will certainly take time. Focus on education children on good family values, create better access to child carer. In singapore, the government actually provide incentive if the sons or daughter stay close to their dad and mum after marriage to help foster closer relationship.
Running the economy is a find art of balance. Going to either extremes will kill the robust Australia economy created by the Liberal govt. Anyway i have attached the article for a good read.
Business won't back paid maternity leave plan
Posted
The Productivity Commission has recommended the Government pay 18 weeks' maternity leave. (abc)
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) does not support the Productivity Commission's recommendation of 20 weeks' paid parental leave, claiming it would put excessive burdens on businesses.
The Productivity Commission today recommended that the Government fund 18 weeks' leave to be paid to mothers and two weeks to fathers at the minimum wage rate of $544 a week.
Businesses will be required to pay the entitlement before being reimbursed by the Government and employers must also pay a worker's superannuation.
ACCI chief executive Peter Anderson says administering the scheme will place higher administrative costs on businesses.
"All of these costs flow from the recommendation that employers become the paymaster of the scheme," he said.
"Employers are already concerned at being the tax collector for Government on issues like the GST and they will not respond well to being the paymaster of government social payments.
"ACCI and business support a government-funded scheme of 14 weeks provided that it is affordable to the Budget and does not increase employer costs."
ACTU president Sharan Burrow has welcomed the plan but says it is only the first step.
"Working women right across Australia will be smiling today," she said.
"Eighteen weeks of paid maternity leave and indeed two weeks of paternity leave, allowing fathers or partners to be part of the birth process, this is terrific news."
The ACTU was pushing for 14 weeks of paid leave to be jointly funded by government and business.
The Federal Government will not be releasing a policy until the Commission's final report is released next February, but Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says it is inevitable that there will be a Government-funded scheme.
"The important thing here is that we have moved from a question of if this nation will ever have a paid parental leave scheme to how we're going to do this scheme," she said.
"We are moving forward on paid parental leave and receiving this draft report today is part of that process of moving forward."
However, the Government has not committed to the inclusion of a scheme in next year's Federal Budget.
The Greens say they will keep pushing for a six-month minimum Government-funded paid maternity leave scheme.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the Government should ensure there is a paid maternity leave scheme in the next Budget.
She says with a $22 billion surplus, it can afford it.
The scheme would cost taxpayers around $450 million a year and employees around $70 million a year.
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