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.

---

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

* required fields

Latest activity

Matt , 3194  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:19:59 +1000
Lilianne , 5109  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:19:58 +1000
"We cannot afford to have me stay at home so I would at least like to spend more time with my future babies at home. Also we are shift workers so cannot find any out of hours childcare so your child care benefits are useless to us and I struggle to find an appropriate job within my career path as it is."
Joni , 2481  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:19:42 +1000
Katherina , 7018  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:19:05 +1000
"This was put in place for a reason – it’s not about ‘double dipping’ it is about ensuring working mothers are able to spend the quality time they need with their newborn to ensure the best start to life, and if breast feeding to enable the baby to gain as many benefits as they can from feeding and bonding with their mother. Parental leave policies acknowledge the importance of an employee’s parental and family responsibilities, and complement other family-friendly policies by helping employees achieve genuine work-life balance and best outcomes for the children of Australia. All major studies indicate that the longer a baby is breastfeed the more they achieve in life….isn’t that what we want for our country?"
Mel , 5070  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:18:55 +1000
"I’m 29 weeks. Working full time hours but employed as casual so get no maternity leave for work. If you cut this I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay at home with my baby long."
christy , 4077  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:18:28 +1000
"I am a mum and see mums who struge just like me! Take a pay cut Mr Hockey and Mr Abbott and give back to the people. Actually tge entire givernment needs a pay cut! They never work anyway!"
Sophie , 5173  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:18:26 +1000
tara , 6122  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:18:12 +1000
"Because i am a new mum and its hard enough with a baby and running a household without thinking about going to work"
Samantha , 6021  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:18:03 +1000
Michelle , 2446  /  signed 2015-05-12 10:17:34 +1000
"We have babies and make families to bring up our selves not for other ppl to!! Please don’t destroy what every mother wants and thats to see our children grow up ourselves"
← Previous  1  2  …  198  199  200  201  202  203  204  205  206  …  448  449  Next →