The policy, which the Coalition said would make the average working mother better off by $21,000, was released on Sunday as Mr Abbott, who used to be strongly averse to paid parental leave, met Melbourne mothers for coffee in a Malvern cafe. ''I am a convert. That's why I have a convert's zeal on this,'' he said.

The Coalition policy grants working mothers six months' leave on their actual wage, capped at the $150,000 salary level. If the father is the primary carer, he will receive the parental leave payment at the mother's salary. The scheme also applies to same-sex couples.

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said it was not fair to give more support to women on higher salaries.

''It's incredibly unfair,'' she told Sky News. ''We don't give more to the people who already have more. We give more help to the people who need more help.''

Finance Minister Penny Wong said the Coalition would make ''savage cuts'' to the budget to fund the scheme. She said the ''associated reductions in other outlays'' referred to was ''code for cuts to services like education, health and infrastructure spending''.