Archived Media Releases: 7 November 2008

Paid maternity leave good for the economy

The ANF today urged the Federal Government not to abandon plans to introduce a paid maternity leave scheme for Australian parents. ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney said she was appealing to the government to proceed with the implementation of the recent Productivity Commission recommendation for an 18 week paid maternity leave scheme.

“On behalf of working women around Australia I would urge the government not to sacrifice a scheme which will finally bring us into the 21st century and will produce long term economic and productivity gains for Australia.”

Ms Kearney said women in Australia had waited far too long already for a maternity leave scheme that recognises the valuable contribution they make in having children and raising them. She said the introduction of such a scheme should not be compromised by cyclical changes in the world economy.

“We are among only two nations in the OECD (the other being the United States) who fail to provide a paid maternity leave scheme. The cost to the community by failing to provide women with some modest support following the birth of a child is much higher in both social and economic terms,” she said.

“Women make up over 90% of the nursing workforce which is experiencing a workforce shortage. It has been demonstrated that good maternity leave schemes encourage women to actually return to work after they have taken a reasonable amount of time of to care for their newborns.”

Media Contacts
Lynne Geri, NENA President, 0434 608 947
Ged Kearney, Federal Secretary, 0417 053 322

The ANF, representing nearly 170,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in Australia.