Last week Tony Abbott announced that if he wins the election, he will be instigating his ramped up version of the Paid Parental Scheme to represent six months (26 weeks) paid leave at full pay, with a cap at $150,000 per working mother (which means therefore up to $75,000 per mother).

The extended Paid Parental Leave would come into effect from July 1 2015, but has divided the Coalition as well as the general public, businesses and political commentators.

So would the new PPL swing your vote? While most people recognise the need for paid parental leave, many believe this six months on full pay is too much and divides the working mother and stay at home mum and favours those on the higher pay scale.

The new coalition maternity leave policy would provide mothers with 26 weeks' paid leave based on their earning capacity, capped at a salary of $150,000 a year, meaning a mother could receive up to $75,000. The scheme also includes superannuation. Fathers will be eligible for two weeks' paternity leave at their wage.

It's a big increase. Currently the paid parental leave is 18 weeks pay at minimum wage. With dads being able to swap in and take over primary care if the mother goes back to work early.

So how does Australia's Paid Parental Leave scheme stack up globally? Here's a quick snapshot of what some other countries offer:

Tony Abbott's argument is that the paid parental leave scheme will serve to show equality to working mums. People get sick leave or long service leave on full pay, so working mums on maternity should receive the same treatment:

"Australian men and women receive a replacement wage when they are on annual leave, sick leave and long service leave. We believe it is right for a mother to receive her full wage while on parental leave", said Abbott.

Kevin Rudd has not put forward increases to the paid parental leave, which was brought in by Labor. Rudd believes that where the hand giveth, the hand taketh, saying that working families will lose out on things like the school kids' bonus and taxes that companies will pay being passed onto the end consumer.

"We bought in first [the] paid parental leave policy which benefited 300,000 Australian families," Rudd said. "Tony Abbott is pretending to give on paid parental on the one hand but take by cutting the school kids' bonus."

"It's still a tax that all of us pay" said Labor health minister, Tanya Plibersek. "If Coles pay the tax you will pay at the cash register. If Woolworths pay the tax you will pay at the cash register".

What do you think of the Coalition's Paid Parental Leave scheme and will it influence your vote?

Next week we'll be outlining all the child care and working parent policies from the major parties.