Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, has warned that the proposed cuts to paid parental leave could further increase the gender pay gap. Broderick, who fought for the paid parental leave scheme at the beginning of her career, told press last Wednesday that in order for Australian women to make progress, a strong paid parental…
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‘Why should Australian citizens and businesses be taxed, and working women discriminated against, just so that the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff can receive a massive benefit when she gets pregnant?’ This accusatory rhetorical posed by Clive Palmer in a parliamentary debate on Monday has been the talk of the town this week. As…
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The Australia Jockeys Association is lobbying for changes to rules governing parental leave after it was revealed female jockeys are missing out due to indirect discrimination in federal policy. To be eligible for paid parental leave under the still incumbent Labor scheme, applicants must have worked 10 months out of 13 before the child was…
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Fun fact: Since the Australian Labor Government introduced its paid parental leave scheme just over two years ago, 300,000 women – at a rate of about 10,000 a month – have accepted the 18-week minimum-wage payment. Recent data suggests that fewer than 20 fathers a month have taken up the leave. But is anyone surprised?…
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Tony Abbott’s proposed paid parental leave scheme to be introduced in 2015 has been described as a ‘winner’ among Australian mothers and the media. There is no doubt, if Abbott is elected, this policy will greatly benefit new mothers. But with just a few weeks until election, I can’t help but wonder; what is…
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Minor newsflash: babies need someone to stop work and take care of them when they arrive in the world. Question is, how best to let parents stop that career thing long enough to do this? Paid parental leave schemes have been a key issue in the lead up to the Federal election, in part because…
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