Liberals promise extra leave time for two-parent families

The Trudeau Liberals took baby steps in their bid to reshape the social safety net Tuesday with a new, “use-itor-lose-it’’ leave option for new parents and a modest increase in the value of a rebranded tax benefit for low-income workers.

The government’s third budget — coming on the heels of two that created an incometested child benefit and a longterm funding commitment to child care — promised new parents the ability to share either five or eight additional weeks of leave following the birth of a child, provided they also share the job of caring for the baby.

Measures proposed Tuesday would give parents five additional weeks if they’ve opted for the traditional 12-month parental leave, or eight weeks under the new 18-month option introduced late last year. The benefit would be also be available to couples that adopt.

There won’t be any boost in benefits for the extra weeks off, unlike the higher benefits provided under a similar program in Quebec. Nor will eligibility rules be changed to follow Quebec’s lead, as experts had urged the Liberals to do.

The government hopes the measures will push more non-birthing parents to take more time to care for a newborn, allowing mothers to get back into workforce sooner. The budget document notes that women accounted for 92 per cent of parental benefits paid through EI during the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the most recent numbers available, suggesting a wide gender divide when it comes to caring for an infant.