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

Vera , 2010  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:20:04 +1000
"Don’t go backwards on parental leave reforms. Australia has historically been a poor international performer on parental leave entitlements according to ILO standards. There are developing countries with much poorer economies that have much more generous parental leave schemes. These reforms will undermine Australian working families and reduce workforce participation by Australian women."
Louisa , 2515  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:19:34 +1000
"A countries most valuable resources is well adjusted hard working labour in the form of population. It has been proven in research that children who have had primary care from one parent consistently benefit from this greatly throughout their lives. It is also a WHO recommendation that babies are breastfeed exclusively for at least the first 6 months of their lives. Not to mention issues around mental health of mothers who feel increasing pressure to do and be everything to everybody. By forcing mothers back to work early you are not only jeopardising the birth rate of the country thus a future population of taxpayers who will provide revenue for the cowuntry, you are jeopardising the strong bond between children and mothers while enables children to grow up well adjusted and contributing members of society (future tax payers)you are jeopardising the health of babies – as males making such decisions there is little understanding of the mechanics of breastfeeding, and jeopardising the mental health of mothers across australia. It is unbelievably short sighted to cut welfare from women and families who have no doubt contributed to society through their taxes all their working life. People who are entitled to take time out to raise a family and who once children are of a certain age, will re-enter the workforce for the rest of their lives again contributing through their taxes to society. It is short sighted to cut this funding as a means for you to boast in the future that your government decreased to the ‘debt’ of the country…yet have a generation of mothers and children who have not been adequately looked after at the most important time in their lives. You could learn a lot about the care and commitment many Scandanavian countries take of their most vulnerable to ensure they have a happy and contented population."
Kimberley , 2534  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:19:25 +1000
"Because I want to be there as much as I can for my future baby. I think the first year of life, and more so the first 6 months are so important for the relationship between a mother and baby. The stress of going back to work early, having someone else look after your baby is just leading to another issue(s)."
Siobhan , 4170  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:19:01 +1000
"As I’m expecting my first child at the end of this year, my husband and I had been counting on some support from the government to ensure that we could afford for me to stay home a bit longer when our baby makes its debut – this couldn’t be more disappointing."
Rachael , 4165  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:18:42 +1000
Kate , 3199  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:18:39 +1000
"my husband and I are trying to conceive and we would have to sell our house or I would have to go back to work when my baby is only three months old if we are successful in falling pregnant! My sister is pregnant with the struggles of her husband finding work she will be in the same situation! It’s a disgraceful policy! Nothing like helping the rich get richer all the time!"
Jeni , 4355  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:18:28 +1000
Laura , 2131  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:18:22 +1000
Kirsty , 4165  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:17:52 +1000
Rebecca , 3616  /  signed 2015-05-11 10:17:33 +1000
← Previous  1  2  …  347  348  349  350  351  352  353  354  355  …  448  449  Next →