On 11 December 2002, Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward released her paper, "A Time to Value: Proposal for a national scheme of paid maternity leave."

The paper proposes a national scheme of paid maternity leave, entirely government funded, available to women in paid work at the time of the birth of a child. Women who have been in paid work for 40 of the 52 weeks before the birth of their child, including small business women, contractors and other self-employed, casual and part time workers, would be eligible.