Re: Paid parental leave
I see it's been a while that this thread has been active, but is seems rather topical again...
IMO the Paid Parental Leave scheme is a kick in the guts for the income-earners who support their "stay- at- home mums" family group.
Surely this group deserves more recognition ?
In many circumstances they have made a deliberate decision to avoid returning to the workforce and placing their children in childcare because of their convictions of the benefits of the mother being at home 24/7, and are prepared to forego the financial benefits of a second wage because of their convictions.
If this PPL scheme goes ahead, these income earners will be unfairly burdened in their taxes to support women who choose to place their children in childcare and return to the workforce.
Wouldn't it make better sense to allow these families to split their income?
If that was made possible, wouldn't more women stay home with their families?
Has any government ever asked them?
If more women were able to stay at home, wouldn't that pave the way for more jobs being available for the many youth that are on the dole lists? Do we want to tolerate a scenario where mum goes to work while her teenage kids are home on the dole?
It seems to me that the discussions regarding the merits of returning women to the workforce are too much of a one way street.
good coverage from the Australian a few weeks ago....
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opi...-productive-too/story-fn562txd-1226834136139#
''...The logic of getting more mothers into the work force by outsourcing the care of their children is never questioned.
Unemployed mothers are simply presumed to be a great untapped labour force that should become productive by being employed at the service of the economy....''
''....Few people see the mother who does her own childcare at home as an intrinsic part of society and the economy. This ignores a fundamental fact about the family. Childcare in the family is holisticwith the mother as the linchpin....''
''...Some of them receive Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B. But all benefits that stay-at-home mothers receive are heavily means tested and they do not receive tax concessions. The opposite is true of women who are employed and put their children in care. They can receive Family Tax Benefit Part A and the non-means-tested childcare tax rebate of up to $7500 a child. In fact a couple could be earning anything - millions - and still receive the childcare tax rebate because it is not means tested....''
''....if one adds up all the subsidies paid for childcare - including the childcare benefit paid to low-income families, the childcare tax rebate, childcare services support, the jobs, education and training childcare fee assistance - they average at least $6041 compared with on average $3112 for Family Tax Benefit Part B, the only benefit directed solely at parental care....''
''.....Effectively large families, where the mother is not employed, subsidise smaller, richer families where both parents work....''
the entire article is imo a must read for those interested in this discussion.