Opposition frontbencher Tony Smith has denied his leader, Tony Abbott, leaked details of a paid parental leave policy in a bid to win over female voters.
Mr Abbott is said to have approved development of a six-month paid parental leave scheme which would give also nannies similar pay and conditions to childcare workers, Fairfax reported today.
The news comes a day after Mr Abbott made a remark about "housewives of Australia" doing the ironing - a sentiment criticised by female politicians as outdated and out of touch.
Mr Smith refused to go into the detail of his party's policy but said its costings would be revealed before the next federal election.
It was "high cynicism" to suggest it was damage control for the ironing comments, he said.
His frontbench colleague Stuart Robert said the release of the plan was just an ordinary part of politics.
"Tony Abbott has been slowly putting out a range of policy options and having a conversation with the Australian people, as he should," he said.
Mr Robert wouldn't be drawn on the policy's details either but said it was "absolutely" realistic.
Treasurer Wayne Swan said that unlike the coalition, the government was delivering its 18-week parental leave plan in an economically responsible way through the budget.
Mr Abbott's proposal was just another unfunded commitment, he said.
"Mr Abbott and his other economic ministers ... are not doing the hard work that's needed to make these objectives a practical reality and an affordable reality," he told reporters in Canberra.
Labor backbencher Amanda Rishworth said the coalition's plan would lead to either an increase in taxes or a decrease in services. Her colleague Yvette D'Ath said it was easy to spruik a new policy when there was almost no information available on it.
Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Labor needed to do more for working families, such as extending their "pathetic" 18-week scheme to 26-weeks. She also joined the chorus of calls for the opposition to release details of their plan.
"On one hand we have (Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd, all talk no action, and we have Tony Abbott with very little credibility on these issues," she said.
Senator Hanson-Young said she'd be happy to talk to Mr Abbott about the Greens' 26-week government-funded paid parental leave proposal if he liked.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick said she'd like to see women's superannuation savings protected and a portion of leave dedicated to supporting parents - whether that be men or same-sex partners - under either scheme.
"(But) I'm not sure they'll be there," she told ABC Radio. In his book Battlelines, released last year, Mr Abbott advocated funding parental leave with a business levy.
Ms Broderick said all businesses needed to be involved if that model was to be put in place.
"I think there is a strong view that if small business had an additional impost ... then it would be a disincentive to the employment of women," she said.
Opposition spokeswoman on women, Sharman Stone, has been tasked with drafting the new parental leave proposals and Ms Broderick will meet her later today.
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