http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/09/2840118.htm

Abbott hits back at parental plan criticism

The Federal Opposition has hit back at the business community's criticism of its paid parental leave policy.

The Coalition's plan to tax Australia's biggest companies and pay for a 26-week parental leave scheme has been roundly condemned by the business lobby.

Heather Ridout from the Australian Industry Group says the extra cost would force businesses to employ less people.

"It fails muster in terms of a paid parental leave scheme and in terms of tax policy so we are quite concerned about it," she said.

"It's going to pose a very big increase in the costs of bigger companies."

Opposition spokeswoman Sharman Stone says big business should be showing more concern for women.

"Business has been dragging the chain on offering people paid parental leave voluntarily forever," she said.

She says the plan is better for families than Labor's 18-week offering, which she calls "a mickey mouse sham of a paid parental leave scheme".

Meanwhile, the Government is using one of Tony Abbott's favourite catchcries to rubbish the plan.

For months Mr Abbott has derided Labor's emissions trading scheme as a "massive new tax on everything".

Families Minister Jenny Macklin is hitting back with her attack on the scheme.

"[It's] a massive new tax raising around $3 billion from business," she said.

She also says she doubts Mr Abbott will ever fully commit to a paid parental leave scheme.

"There is no evidence whatsoever that that is going to happen, no detail, no costing, no time line," she said.

"Mr Abbott hasn't even promised to commit."

Mr Abbott has admitted his plan will also not be well received by some of his Coalition colleagues.

But he says he will continue developing a policy for the next election despite the criticism.

"I have no doubt that there will be some of my colleagues who will be a bit anxious about this," he said.

"I have no doubt whatsoever about this but I think that this is pro-family, it's pro-child, it's pro-mother and in the end it's going to produce a much stronger economy."

He says the Opposition will consult business groups before finalising its policy and that more details will be revealed ahead of the next election


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How do they work this out in other countries? Still, politicians get paid until they die, even if its 30 yrs after they left a job....

I bet no dunny cleaners get that advantage......