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Leading Australian researchers urge Abbott to pass parental leave legislation
Media Release - March 11 2010
Some of Australia’s leading researchers in work, organisational studies and work and family policy have urged Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to put aside political point-scoring and pass the Government’s parental leave legislation.
The academics and researchers delivered their appeal in a letter to Mr Abbott today, saying a failure in the passage of the bill would be a “be a policy tragedy for Australian women”.
While the signatories acknowledged the Liberal leader’s efforts in proposing an alternative scheme offering a 26-week parental leave provision, they said working women, particularly from low socioeconomic backgrounds, would be further disadvantaged by delays to the introduction of paid parental leave.
“The details of eligibility, administration and funding that you propose are not yet clear,” their letter states.
“We are also concerned that the possible administration of your proposed scheme would lead to further complications which will not benefit women and would impose onerous transaction costs on business, government and potentially women and their families.”
They said they believed the 18-week scheme before the Parliament was vital to women working in low paid jobs and the private sector who currently lack access to paid maternity leave.
“We see this scheme as an important first step and believe that is it vital that support for working women and their families is not jeopardised or delayed by party political gamesmanship.”
Contacts for interviews: Sara Charlesworth, Principal Research Fellow, RMIT University – tel 0412 889122
Professor Barbara Pocock, Director of the Centre for Work + Life, University of South Australia, Co-convenor Work and Family Policy Roundtable – tel 0414 244 606 Room 441 Institute Building H03 University of Sydney NSW 2006 AUSTRALIA.
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A full copy of the letter to Mr Abbott and a list of signatories follows…
11 March 2010
The Hon Tony Abbott MP
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Mr Abbott
We, the undersigned researchers in work and family policy, urge you to support the introduction of legislation for paid maternity/parental leave this year.
Australia still remains one of only two countries without universal access to paid maternity leave. As you yourself now acknowledge, Australian women and their families are entitled to this benefit.
While the provision of 26 weeks parental leave would be welcome, and is certainly supported by international research, the details of eligibility, administration and funding that you propose are not yet clear. We are also concerned that the possible administration of your proposed scheme would lead to further complications which will not benefit women and would impose onerous transaction costs on business, government and potentially women and their families.
The paid parental leave scheme of 18 weeks at federal minimum wages currently in draft legislation was developed after extensive consultation and costing by the Productivity Commission. Many of the undersigned brought international evidence forward to the Commission in the process of its inquiry, making the point that the benefits of paid parental leave have been publicly discussed for many years in Australia. The case for provision at the earliest moment possible is overwhelming.
The current proposed scheme is due to commence on 1 January 2011. It will particularly benefit the many women in low paid jobs, and in the private sector, who currently lack any access to paid parental leave. We see this scheme as an important first step and believe that is it vital that support for working women and their families is not jeopardised or delayed by party political gamesmanship. That would be a policy tragedy for Australian women.
Based on our own research, we recommend a course of action that starts with the introduction of the federal Government’s proposal. Following this, we recommend investigating the feasibility of extending this scheme to six months and increasing the rate of payment to replacement wages.
There remain other important outstanding aspects that also require attention, such as the provision of superannuation contributions for parents while on leave, enforcement of the current right to return to work after a period of leave, and the provision of paid paternity leave.
Two weeks paternity leave was recommended by the Productivity Commission and is the minimum provision that should be available.
We urge you to support the early provision of 18 weeks paid parental leave for all Australian workers as a first step and to resist any temptation to make this important question a political plaything.
Yours sincerely
Dr Marian Baird
Professor of Work and Organisations
University of Sydney
Director, Women and Work Research Group
Sara Charlesworth
Principal Research Fellow
RMIT University
Ph: 0412 889 122
Dr Rae Cooper
Research Fellow
Work and Organisational Studies
University of Sydney
Dr Leanne Cutcher
Work and Organisational Studies
University of Sydney
Dr Elizabeth Hill
University of Sydney
Co-convenor Work and Family Policy Roundtable
Associate Professor Susan Mcgrath-Champ
Work and Organisational Studies
University of Sydney
Professor Barbara Pocock
Director of the Centre for Work + Life
University of South Australia
Co-convenor Work and Family Policy Roundtable
Ph: 0414 244 606
Dr Meg Smith
University of Western Sydney
Professor Gillian Whitehouse
University of Queensland
Work and Family Policy Roundtable
Women and Work Research Group
University of Sydney
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