Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has defended his paid parental leave policy saying it would be good for mums and the economy.
The coalition wants to provide 26 weeks' parental leave, to be paid at the woman's wage, capped at $75,000.
While the scheme is more generous than Labor's scheme, the component that provides two weeks' leave for dads stipulates that if fathers want to take more leave, it must be paid at the mother's wage.
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"This is fundamentally designed to allow women time to bond with their newborns," Mr Abbott told reporters in Mackay, Queensland.
The coalition would pay for the scheme by an increase in company tax, prompting Labor to warn the measure would push up prices at supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths.
Mr Abbott, who has campaigned hard against Labor on the grounds it wants to bring in new taxes which would force up the cost of living, said there was a difference between the two parties' new taxes.
"My paid parental leave scheme is going to be good for the economy. Labor's great big new taxes on everything will be bad for the economy," he said.
"My scheme will put money into people's pockets. Their scheme will rip money out of people's pockets."
Modelling commissioned by Labor indicates taxes proposed by the coalition would push up prices by 0.5 per cent.
Mr Abbott said he could not comment, because he had not seen the modelling. He would not be drawn on the inflationary impact of the paid parental leave scheme.
