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

Yvette , 3058  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:13:40 +1000
Leonie , 6225  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:13:30 +1000
"You have got to be joking Joe!"
Lizzy , 2334  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:13:30 +1000
nerin , 2304  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:13:11 +1000
"breastfeeding a newborn whilst juggling older children is hard enough to do on its own- a government that expects women who are trying to continue to breastfeed, care for other children will now also be forced to return to work after just a mere 14 weeks!! Our government needs to take the iniaitive to actually talk to everyday mothers before making these decisions – what happened to being a more consultative government as promised?"
Tricia , 2205  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:12:59 +1000
"You hooked in people to vote for you with your ‘amazing’ PPL scheme which has been dropped. Now the very people who you hooked in, you’re screwing over."
Ryan , 3088  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:12:03 +1000
"The best care a baby can receive is from there mother and they need to be able to support their child without extra financial stress"
Katie , 2486  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:11:50 +1000
"I am about to become a mother in June and after spending 90k on IVF treatments, am relying on my employer and government leave to be able to spend the first 12 months at home. I planned this for years."
Linda , 2211  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:11:27 +1000
"I want to be able to spend the appropriate amount of time with a child that I have brought into this world to ensure the health and wellbeing of the child, myself and the rest of my family."
Tahlia , 7009  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:10:51 +1000
Emma , 4123  /  signed 2015-05-12 12:10:10 +1000
"Babies need a parent at home for as long as possible – if people are ‘double dipping’ then move the government paid mat leave option to only be available after employer paid mat leave balance has been exhausted. There are huge benefits from having Mum or Dad at home for 12+ months after birth and this budget change will significantly impact a lot of mothers. There are plenty of other ways to save money. For example – drug tests for those on the dole. Paid employees have to be tested, why not benefit receivers? Or work for the dole schemes. There are PLENTY of other options."
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