It takes more than money to raise a child

  • Sarah Kanowski

16 March 2010We are still very far from resolving the complex relationship between children, parents and work, writes Sarah Kanowski in Eureka Street

TONY ABBOTT surprised almost everybody on International Women's Day by announcing a parental leave policy of six months at full pay, up to a cap of $150,000 a year. The scheme would be funded by a 1.7 per cent tax on the 3200 Australian businesses that have a taxable income above $5 million.

According to Marian Baird, Professor of Work and Organisational Studies at Sydney University, Abbott's plan would 'catapult Australia from having no scheme at all to probably being the best scheme in the world'. So why am I, a passionate believer in the necessity of paid parental leave, not rejoicing?...

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Photo: Andrew Jeffrey

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