Democrats' Work & Family Spokesperson Senator Natasha Stott Despoja has provided a written submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry examining paid parental leave arrangements.

Senator Stott Despoja – a long term advocate for paid maternity leave – took a fully-costed proposal to the 2001 election and subsequently introduced Australia's first and only legislation for a national paid maternity leave scheme in 2002. Her bill was examined by a Senate inquiry in 2003, and emulated by HREOC in December 2002. It was reintroduced to the Senate in September last year.

"My paid maternity leave model is unashamedly minimalist. For six and half years, I have advocated a minimum standard of 14 weeks Government-funded leave at the minimum wage – as recommended by International Labour Organisation Maternity Protection Convention 183," Senator Stott Despoja said.

"Of course, I support moves towards income replacement and a longer period of paid maternity leave – as well as paid paternity leave – but getting some paid maternity leave urgently must be the priority. Without it, many women are denied leave or cannot take leave for financial reasons, to the detriment of their health and their newborn babies.

"My bill allows for employer top ups but does not make these compulsory, as I am well aware that many small businesses are not in a position to pay these top ups, and we do not want to see a position where women of child-bearing age are discriminated against by business."

"We've been tinkering around the edges of policy for so long. Baby Bonuses and other makeshift policies are simply no substitute for paid parental leave and specifically paid maternity leave," Senator Stott Despoja said in her submission.

Copies of the submission are available.