OTTAWA – Labour Minister Patty Hajdu says even wealthier women need more support when it comes to moving from their careers into motherhood — and back again.

The 2017 budget extended parental leave to 18 months, but anyone who wants to take the lengthier time off will need to spread 12 months worth of payments over that time, because there is no increase in benefits.

The Liberals were under pressure from both employers and labour groups to scrap the proposal during consultations last year, as both sides expressed concerns it would leave out the lower-income families they said they want to help.

But Hajdu says that it will not be the solution for every women, but that no one measure can do it all.

Hajdu says women in well-paying jobs also need support, and that extending parental leave could be one way to remove barriers to having more women in corporate leadership positions.

The budget contains other measures — including money for child care — that Hajdu says are aimed at boosting female participation in the workforce across the socio-economic spectrum.