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

* required fields

Latest activity

louise , 2022  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:40:04 +1000
"I am living away from family and my partner and I rely on support of those around us with our 1 year old. We would love to have a second child, but without PPL it will be financially difficult. I am lucky enough that my employer offers maternity pay, but that would run out after 3 months, forcing me back to the work force earlier than I would like. It’s not fair on the child, or us as parents and I shouldn’t be penalised for working for an organisation who believes it is fair to offer paid leave."
Vicki , 4575  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:35:07 +1000
"This is wrong on too many levels.."
Jamie , 3040  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:30:33 +1000
"I have felt very lucky to have 12 weeks paid maternity leave through my employer and along with the governments PPL was able to take a good amount of time off for both my children (with budgeting adjustments). We are now considering having a 3rd child, however the removal of the governments PPL if there is an employer contribution has meant that we have to reconsider having a 3rd child."
Fiona , 2052  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:26:43 +1000
"The hypocrisy shown on this issue, and the embarrassing backflip, is astounding from someone who used to petulantly carry on about “Ju-liar”. Even if you won’t honour the PPL you carried on and on about before the election, at least don’t further denigrate the good work done by the Labour party to improve life for new parents."
Hayley , 7300  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:23:06 +1000
"Children need 26 weeks."
Sian , 3053  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:22:16 +1000
Sarah , 3121  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:19:29 +1000
Kerry , 5072  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:13:42 +1000
"To justify this policy by accusing women of “double-dipping” is mean-spirited and hateful. It’s also illogical – do they consider people who receive the pension but also have superannuation as “double-dippers”?"
Georgianna , 3130  /  signed 2015-08-07 12:13:41 +1000
"I am still juggling work and the thought of having more children. The fact that I do not have access to paid maternity leave from my current employer means this change would make a devastating impact on our family’s financial situation."
Anna , 6007  /  signed 2015-08-07 11:54:43 +1000
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