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

Gemma , 4129  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:08:19 +1000
"It took my baby and I six week to establish an important breastfeeding relationship, half of my work provided maternity leave. I was fortunate enough to have 12 months off with my child however have now made the decision to only have 1 child so we can afford to provide a great life and education. I pay my taxes and am not entitled to much from the government but the paid parental leave was invaluable and would force so many mums back to the workforce early."
melanie , 2281  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:08:11 +1000
Alison , 3088  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:07:20 +1000
"Parental leave encourages parents back to work which is productive for this country and essential help for families to make ends meet."
Yasmine , 4133  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:07:09 +1000
"Kids need their mums/parent. Stupid to cut back the time that they crave to have to go back to work early"
Kathryn , 6110  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:07:06 +1000
"I have a month left on my PPL and i am already having anxiety about going back to work. 18 weeks is short enough as it is please dont cut it to less."
Sally , 2300  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:06:54 +1000
"I’m expecting my 1st baby in September and was relying on this payment also. I do get 3 months from work but then I will have to go back because we can’t afford to have any longer off if not receiving an income… 3 months with my first baby. I’m devastated.."
Eliza , 3930  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:06:52 +1000
Clair , 3030  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:06:29 +1000
"Because I’m a Mum on maternity leave. I have one child and I’m hoping to have more, but this will be difficult if I have to go back to work after 18 weeks!"
Kirsty , 4053  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:06:28 +1000
"My work offers 8 weeks maternity leave. I started my leave at 36 weeks pregnant so by the time my baby is born I will only have 4 weeks leave left…I don’t think it is ‘double dipping’ to then be able to extend my time off with government payments. In the UK they have 6 months from the employer and 6 from the government. Why is australia stripping mothers of precious time with their babies?"
Kristy  /  signed 2015-05-12 08:06:13 +1000
"what an absurd and cruel thing to do, my daughter was severely ill after being born not 1 year ago, without the paid parental leave I would of had to have left her in hospital alone while I had to go back to work. I couldn’t imagine something more horrible and condescending from our government."
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