Paid Maternity Leave a Right?

One of the reasons I’m not so keen on this new push for a bill of rights:

Paid maternity leave is a basic human right, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick says.

A national scheme was long overdue and a pressing issue for the two-thirds of working women not able to access paid leave, she said.

Life, Liberty and Property… and paid maternity leave… and cheap childcare… free healthcare and education, obviously… and I reckon everyone should get one free movie pass with their tax return.

It’s funny that the “baby bonus” will now be means tested, at the same time as people are talking up paid maternity leave.  They’re so confident that they’re already haggling over how much they should get:

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry has proposed a scheme which provides 14 weeks paid leave for mothers and two weeks for the other parent.

The other parent?  Do you think they mean the father, or am I being non-PC?

The commission is also proposing that after two years’ operation, the scheme be independently reviewed and a second stage introduced, entitling mothers to a total of up to 48 weeks paid leave.

Only 48 weeks?  Surely they need a couple years – or at least until their child reaches a reasonable childcare age.