British Expats - Paid time off to give Birth Humbug

Just a few letters from aussies giving views about paid maternity leave, which is not given as yet.These are very enlightened people after all Australia believes in the Fair Go.

She must be joking

PRU GOWARD thinks that 14 weeks paid maternity leave, courtesy of the taxpayer, will solve Australia's declining birth-rate problem.

Try as she will, she will never convince me or any rational, sane person in this country that she has overwhelming evidence that couples are unwilling or unable to have children because they can't forgo the salary of one half of the family unit for 14 weeks.

If there does exist such an overwhelmingly impoverished class in our society, whether single or double income, does she seriously think that these people (anybody for that matter), if they are sane and rational, will do a 360-degree change of heart when they learn that the taxpayer will give them $6000 before tax over 14 weeks in lieu of normal earnings to have a child, particularly when recent reports indicate that the cost of raising a child is in the order of $300,000?

To the other extreme, does Ms Goward seriously believe that a professional couple on equal salaries with a combined income of $150,000 would be driven by the lure of $6000 before tax and forgo $20,192 in salary over 14 weeks to have children?

Wake up Alice, err, Pru, come to the real world. Ms Goward is either delusional, an outright socialist or devoid of sensible ideas if this is her best effort in the job.

The fact is, our society has generally become more affluent, more selfish and more materialistic and I suggest the declining birth rate is more as a result of individual lifestyle choices than not being able to draw wages or salary for 14 weeks.
ALAN JENAWAY, Hillarys.

More benefits

PRU GOWARD, in her latest ABC incubated, intellectually socialist endeavour at social engineering, may have just the opposite effect to that intended. It is probable that employers will further avoid employing women of child-bearing age. If these women don't have work, they will not receive the proposed maternity allowance and we, the taxpayers, will be better off.

The other unintended benefit will be the diminution of the cult of youth. We older, wiser, experienced and more tolerant workers may now get the recognition and employment opportunities that have been increasingly denied us over the years.

After all, Bronwyn Bishop sees the necessity to encourage the older workers to remain in the workforce. Our acknowledged work ethic should now be productively encouraged and tax advantages for postponed retirement introduced.
MAL ROSHER, Bentley.

Why should I pay?

WHAT we need, Alan Benn (Letters, 13/12), is more people with more brains. We might then have more of everything.

And while I am busy frothing at the mouth, why should I, an ancient citizen of 87 who has brought up and educated a family with my own resources and whose days of bonking are over, have to pay in taxes for others who do? As a self-funded retiree, with interest rates as they are and GST as it is, I have enough problems providing myself with skilly and beans without subsidising the baby boomers.
RUTHVEN POMFRET, Albany.