Stop cuts to working parents' time to care

UPDATE - GREAT NEWS: After two years of powerful campaigning by Fair Agenda members and other concerned community members, the cuts to paid parental leave have been taken out of the federal budget. It's a really important reprieve for the tens of thousands of working families who stood to lose precious time to care if these cuts had gone ahead.

But - the fight may not be over. If the Government have shown us anything over the past two years, it's that they don't give up on these cuts easily -- so Fair Agenda will keep a watching brief on this issue.

But right now, Fair Agenda's work to secure an election commitment from the Nick Xenophon Team - and to hold them to account for that promise - are the key factor that are stopping these cuts going ahead. So thank you to all those Fair Agenda members who made calls, sent emails, met with their Senators, helped secure election commitments, and funded research to help stop these cuts. You can read more about the impact of our campaigning together here.

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The Turnbull Government have just announced their *fourth* attempt to cut our paid parental leave system. They're trying to sell this new proposal as a boost for parents; but in reality they're making a boost for some parents entirely contingent on cutting the time tens of thousands of other working parents can afford to spend caring for their newborns, and planning on stripping $750 million from the system overall.

It's a proposal that would pit working parents against each other, and drag our system backwards. It would also cap the total combined leave available to eligible parents at 20 weeks -- well below the 26 weeks postnatal leave experts recommend for health and welfare outcomes.

The fate of these cuts will be decided by the Senate crossbench, with The Nick Xenophon Team expected to have the critical casting votes. Community campaigning has stopped the Turnbull Government from getting their plans to cut paid parental leave through the previous parliament. 

It's critical we show the Senate crossbench that the community oppose these cuts; and want them to stop these cruel cuts to new families. Can you sign the petition to join the campaign?

Find out more about the new cuts

Experts say that 26 weeks post-natal leave is the minimum needed for health and welfare reasons.

Right now, any eligible parent can access 18 weeks of leave at the minimum wage, and then top that up with any leave they’ve negotiated into their employment contract, to cover costs while they care for their newborn.

The system was designed to be used in combination; to allow more women to access the recommended 26+ weeks leave. For many women, the leave negotiated into their employment agreement has been bargained in lieu of additional pay or other leave provisions. 

In their latest proposal the Government is once again trying to punish these women – by cutting their access to government leave if they want to access the employer leave they’ve negotiated. It means that instead of acting as a floor, the period of government provided leave would instead becomes a ceiling.

To be clear, there are some positive aspects of this latest proposal:

  • The amount of government provided leave would be increased from 18 to 20 weeks at the minimum wage (still well below the 26 weeks recommended by experts). This would be good news for working parents without access to employer leave.
  • A change in the ‘activity test’ that determines would also see an increase in the number of parents eligible to access parental leave. And if these increases were all that was on the table – it would be good news...
  • But both these changes would both be contingent on cutting the leave available for 72,000 other families.  

In short, the crux of this proposal is still a cut. One that’s estimated to tear $600-$750 million out of the parental leave system, and to slash the amount of time thousands of workers like nurses, retail workers and ambos can afford to spend caring for their newborn. In fact, it’s estimated that under this new proposal 68,000 families with a median income of $62,000 a year would lose an average of $5,600.[2]

 

-Find out more -

1. Is this the winning compromise on paid parental leave, Women’s Agenda, 21 November 2016.

2. Samantha Maiden: Breakthrough looms on parental leave pay, Daily Telegraph, 20 November 2016.

Paid parental leave: Nick Xenophon warned not to pit working mums against each other, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 November 2016. 

29,038 SIGNATURES

It's hard enough caring for a newborn without being forced back to work early. Please don't cut working parents' right to the existing 18 weeks government paid parental leave. 

Signed,

Fair Agenda will email petition signers from time to time with important updates

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Latest activity

Emma , 2036  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:46:10 +1000
Sarah , 7011  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:45:15 +1000
"I am self employed, I work 6-7 days per week every week to keep my business running. The paid parental leave program is the only way that I, like many other women, can afford have time off work after having a baby. Plus I have always thought that it was a fair program as opposed to the baby bonus that used to be given to people even if they chose not to work!"
Beth , 2566  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:45:14 +1000
"Forcing women back to work when their child is only a few months old is detrimental to the child and the mother. Why should working mums who have been tax payers for years & who will again pay taxes when they go back to work not benefit from all the tax they have & will pay"
Amber , 2040  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:44:50 +1000
Melissa , 3034  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:44:48 +1000
"companys offer the additional paid leave as an incentive to keep women in the workforce and to return to work. Wouldn’t GDP be affected with less women returning to work?"
Adam , 2299  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:44:03 +1000
Kylie , 7018  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:43:47 +1000
"I am pregnant with my fourth baby. We have spaced out children so I have been able to spend a lot of time with each one before returning to work. This change to ppl completely throws out our budget. So much for improving life for families."
Stephanie , 2484  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:43:44 +1000
jade , 3754  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:43:28 +1000
"The government recommend breastfeeding for at least 12 months, it is near impossible to feed your baby and return to work. Support breastfeeding mothers by not sending them back to work!"
Jennifer , 3131  /  signed 2015-05-12 20:43:27 +1000
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