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

Amber , 5343  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:13:54 +1000
"As a new mum-to-be with a husband who is re-skilling through a mature aged apprenticeship, these changes will impact our financial situation significantly. I will be forced back to work sooner leaving child care as my only option. We live in a rural town, have no family living near by to rely on and will be forced to stop breast feeding much earlier than anticipated."
Kate , 3173  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:13:45 +1000
Liza , 3226  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:13:33 +1000
"I want the option to be able to stay at home and look after my child without thinking about when I’ll have to go back to work.
This is unfair for mothers and goes against basic woman’s instincts. Stop
Being such a damaging govennment!"
Jasveen , IG8 7LJ  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:13:30 +1000
Christine , 3088  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:13:20 +1000
"We are struggling enough as it is, we can’t afford childcare, and paid parental leave helped get us set up for our new arrival. Don’t take that away from people who really need it. I had complications after birth and still not physically able to work, so how would I have been able to go back to work so soon? And really what is the point in having children if you can’t be there to bring them up yourself?"
Tayah , 6330  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:13:14 +1000
Stacy , 2029  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:12:48 +1000
"as a social worker I know too well the importance of a baby having a chance to securely attach to his/her mother and the negative effects it can have on a child, society & future government funding when a mother is left with no choice but to place a child in childcare. Save the country money in the long run as well as keeping families together by not reducing this pay."
Amanda , 3173  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:12:41 +1000
Kathryn , 4218  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:12:40 +1000
"I am not a parent yet, but I would like to be able to have some time to bond with our new baby when the time comes for us. How disgusting to cut maternity leave. Maybe politicians should take pay cuts to allow low income earners to have some small pleasure in life, unlike filthy rich politicians who’s wives stay at home full time"
tanya , 6164  /  signed 2015-05-11 22:12:09 +1000
"This is bullying and backing patents into a corner. Yes some of us went back to work but its not always easy for others to do the same. Post natal anxiety and depression is serious and if assisting parents to stay home a little longer means they may return to work mentally and physically fit then rhats a good enough reason."
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