The federal budget arrives on Tuesday, but Treasurer Joe Hockey has come in for criticism after his announcement yesterday of new reforms that will see a number of new mothers lose access to government entitlements.
Yesterday, ICYMI, was Mother’s Day – if you forgot, then you should probably go ahead and give your mum a call – and as such, critics were quick to label the unfortunately-timed move “the mother of all insults.”
Under current arrangements, carers can access childcare payments from their employers, if they are available, as well as from the government’s scheme, which provides 18 weeks at minimum wage for carers earning $150,000 or less.
Yesterday, Hockey told Nine’s Sunday that the government intend to stop this, saying that it amounts to “double dipping” and “you cannot get parental leave both from your employer and taxpayers.”
Hockey says that this is a matter of fairness, and that the cut, due to come into effect from July 2016, will save a billion dollars over four years.
It is anticipated that 80,000 mothers annually will lose access to some or all government payments as a result of the changes.
Professor Marian Baird, part of a panel evaluating the existing paid parental leave scheme, says that Hockey’s announcement undermines the original philosophy of the scheme, with government payments acting as a “complement” to those from employers.
“To now say that mothers are double dipping is just rude and cruel,” she said to Fairfax. “I’s an outrageous attack on mothers because that was the plan of the scheme.”
Tomorrow’s budget will likely bring cuts in the areas of health and education, with a view to “eliminating waste and duplication.” A number of agencies will be merged, and new rules surrounding tax deductions for car expenses will also be announced.
Earlier this year, Tony Abbott announced a crackdown on parents who refuse to vaccinate their children, saying that they will lose access to government childcare benefits.
Photo: Stefan Postles via Getty Images
