Coalition split on supporting families

Media Release.

25 May 2013

The Coalition's split over how best to support families and working women in Australia has deepened today, according to Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care Kate Ellis, with yet another senior Coalition figure openly revolting against yet another one of Tony Abbott's policies to hurt families.

Ms Ellis said that comments by Barnaby Joyce revealed that the Nationals were unhappy with plans by Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey to abolish support for new families, and came on top of their secret plans to slash child care support.

"Here are the facts - Labor is increasing the Family Tax Benefit and the Coalition would scrap Labor's increase."

"Barnaby Joyce has let the cat out of the bag."

"Tony Abbott is wedded to his paid parental leave scheme which would hugely benefit high income earners as opposed to lower income families."

"Joe Hockey has confirmed that the Opposition would axe the baby bonus altogether, rather than support Labor's sensible solution of boosting family assistance and offering a fairer distribution to support families with new babies."

Ms Ellis said the Government had made responsible decisions over a number of Budgets to better target family payments, while also delivering record levels of assistance to low and middle income families who need it most.
"Hockey also let slip this week that a Coalition Government could get rid of child care support for all families."

"The Child Care Rebate is on the Opposition's hit list."

"Millions of families deserve to know what the Opposition has planned well before the election, not after it."

"Labor offers Child Care Benefit to families with children in approved care where they are earning less than $142,000 a year as well as the Child Care Rebate, which is not means-tested."

"The Labor Government increased the Child Care Rebate from 30 per cent in 2008 to 50 per cent with a cap of $7500, but it's important that families know that they can now receive their Child Care Rebate payments fortnightly, instead of having to wait until the end of the year for this critical assistance - making it easier to balance the family budget each week."

"It is this type of support for lower income earning families that Barnaby Joyce says is at risk under the Abbott and Hockey plans to cut family support to the bone."

"Voting Liberal or National is a hugely risky proposition for any family with children because every measure of support is on Abbott's chopping block."

"Australian families would have no idea what support they would receive from a Coalition government because not even the Coalition knows."