In Australia, the primary carer is entitled to 18 weeks of tax-payer funded leave, capped at the minimum wage. There's also a supplementary partner's leave of two weeks. Employers can offer extra leave, but not all do.
Australia's paid parental leave scheme falls below the average in other OECD countries. One of the more generous schemes is in Iceland, where both parents get three months each and there's an additional three months which can be divided as parents choose. Researcher from the University of Iceland, Asdis Arnalds, says since the scheme's introduction in 2000, the change has been groundbreaking.
