The move comes soon after marie claire 's PUSH IT campaign for paid maternity leave - and yesterday, Senator Stott Despoja wore a marie claire t-shirt while promoting the new bill!

The legislation provides for 14 weeks' paid leave at or around the birth or adoption of a child, at minimum wage rates. Senator Stott Despoja hopes the issue will be picked up by the other major parties at the upcoming federal election.

"It's not expensive, it's quite modest," she says of the proposal, which would cost $591.6 million in the first year, compared to the $1.3 billion cost of the baby bonus. "It assures workplace attachment, so job continuation and continuation of superannuation benefits."

• Read coverage of the bill in The Age
  Read marie claire 's article, Time to Deliver, from our July issue
  Learn more about the Workplace Relations (Guaranteeing Paid Maternity leave) Amendment Bill 2007