Bishop clearly hasn’t yet realised there has been a fairly recent change of govt, and, for the first time ever, Barnaby Joist has declined to talk about something when he’s not across the detail.

a range of other payments and transfers effectively extend the period of paid leave to six months.

Katz, do you think Labor would really be heartbroken if they had to extend it to six months? We always see these things through our own rosy or blue tinged specs of course, but I thought yesterday’s unusual parade of Labor heavies condemning Abbot was just theatre and with Bob Brown coming in to give Tony a bit of moral support it seemed so farcical that one feels it had to be a set up. Tony is well and truly wedged into passing the legislation and possibly even supporting the Greens with their preferred six months amendment.

Watching how strong Julia G and the government are on the community services sector wage claim I can’t imagine them really not wanting the full six months. Three looked modest and responsible, of course, but it was under criticism from the left generally for not being enough. Tony has stepped in and really been helpful to the cause, and of course copped a lot of flak for inconsistency and high handedness, to say nothing of p.ing off the business sector.

If six months gets through I can see smiles and high fives all round the cabinet table.

Rudd has plainly wedged the Coalition into supporting policy that is anathema to a large segment of the conservative side of politics.

If Rudd refuses to compromise this wedging remains alive until the double dissolution and the possible joint session.

Barring a miracle, Labor will win a double dissolution election handsomely. With or without a joint sitting the original legislation will pass.

After the administrative mechanism is put in place it will be relatively simple to tinker with the parameters of entitlement and liability, etc.

Under those circumstances, parental support will become a permanent feature of Australia’s political economy, just like Whitlam’s Medibank/Medicare.

Acceding to the various proposed amendments, however, delivers the initiative to parties and interests whose genuine commitment to parental support is questionable to say the least.

Schubert should learn patience.

That said, there’s a lot more to ensuring that having a child and keeping your work options open than doing this. As was noted on Radio Natioanl this morining, Germany has a more generous scheme than proposed in Australia by far but there is little evidence that it is raising female participation in the workplace.

Quality childcare nearby, a comprehensive reintegration package at similar responsibility, flexibility etc are also issues that need to be addressed. It would be no bad thing if companies that could demonstrate something like best practice in workplace inclusion would get preference (all else being close to equal) in state-originating tenders.