DEPARTMENT COMFIRMS 80,000 WOMEN TO LOSE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE IN FIRST YEAR OF MORRISON’S CUTS

Media Release

Jenny Macklin MP

Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
 Shadow Minister for Disability Reform

04 June , 2015

The Department of Social Services has confirmed that in the first year of Scott Morrison’s cuts to Paid Parental Leave 45,000 women will lose part of their PPL and 34,000 women will lose the full $11,500.

This will be devastating for new mums, who will be forced to spend less time with their new babies.

Unfortunately, the Department has refused to outline the long term impact of the Government’s Paid Parental Leave cuts.

Asked in Senate Estimates today exactly how many women would be impacted over the forward estimates, the Department said:

“we will take that on notice”

BARBARA BENNETT, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Asked about how much, on average, these women would lose:

“We will have to take that on notice”

BARBARA BENNETT, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

This is the budget estimates, and the Department doesn’t seem to know key details of a significant budget measure that will hurt Australian families.

How has the Government worked out its budget figures, if it doesn’t know how much families will lose?

This shows just how rubbery the Government’s budget really is.

It is also clear that there was absolutely no consultation done before the cut was announced:

“There were no consultations undertaken, externally to the public service, on the budget measure”

BARBARA BENNETT, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

This cut was clearly the brainchild of Scott Morrison, with no proper process or policy work.

Now thousands of women risk losing as much as $11,500 because of the cut.

Scott Morrison should keep his hands off Paid Parental Leave.