We've got good news and bad news:
The good news is that thanks to community backlash, the Turnbull government's latest attack on parental leave is set to fail in the Senate - with Senators Xenophon, Madigan and Lambie now publicly committed to voting them down.
The bad news is that you can bet the government won't give up yet on its attempts to cut new parents' paid time at home. Since Mother's Day last year, they've been finding new ways to attack parental leave, and there's no doubt that they will be working hard behind the scenes to try and convince the crossbench to approve some form of cut before the next budget.
That's where you come in. Senators Lambie and Xenophon have now both publicly stated that they will oppose *any* cuts to parental leave. Combined with block votes from Labor and The Greens, that means we're just one Senate vote short of blocking any future attack on paid parental leave.
Queensland Senator Lazarus could have a casting vote on this issue. We know he's listened closely to the community on this issue in the past, and was expected to vote against the first cut. Can you email Senator Lazarus at [email protected] and urge him to publicly commit to vote against *any* proposed cuts to paid parental leave?
Click here to find out what you should say
- Introduce yourself - Explain that you're a Queensland voter concerned about the government's new cuts to paid parental leave. Mention where you live and what you do.
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Explain the reason you're emailing - Let the Senator know that you're very concerned about the government's continued attacks on new parents' paid time at home, and and impact that any cuts to this critical system will have on families and the community. Explain that you're aware of previous reports that show the cuts would hurt key community workers, low income families, and undermine efforts to ensure women's economic equality. Urge the Senator to commit to vote against *any* proposed cuts to paid parental leave.
- Share your story - Would cuts to parental leave affect you or someone else you know? Share your story.
- Ask for a commitment - Ask the Senator to publicly commit to oppose any cuts to paid parental leave.
- Say thanks! - Thank the Senator for his time.
Once you've sent your email, please forward us a copy at [email protected] so we can keep track of all the powerful messages being sent to the Senator on this issue!