Just for the Record
One of the policy areas in which you see the greatest difference between the ALP and the Liberal/National Coalition is that of women and families.
Some of the achievements of the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments include:
- Of the 1.5 million jobs created between 1987 and 1996, 63% were filled by women
- In 1983 only 24% of working women had superannuation, by 1996 85% were covered by the Superannuation Guarantee Levy
- From 1983 to 1996 Australia's child care program expanded almost six-fold, from 46,000 places to 280,000
- With the introduction of the Child Care Cash Rebate in July 1994, child care was recognised as a work-related expense. For the first time all working families were eligible for a rebate for child care expenses
- In 1995-1996 the non-taxable Maternity Allowance was announced, which was equivalent to six weeks of Parenting Allowance. It recognised that the majority of women did not receive paid maternity leave (the ALP is now committed to introducing a national scheme of paid maternity leave when elected to government)
- The Basic Parenting Allowance was introduced which made payments directly to the caregiver (rather than to the working spouse as most previous family payments had been)
- In 1993 an extra $30 million was allocated over four years to the National Women's Health Pogram to make the health system more responsive to the needs of women, particularly women from disadvantaged groups
- New funding of $42 million over four years was provided to extend the National Cervical Screening Program
- The $240 million breast cancer screening program aimed to reach 70% of women between 50 and 69 every two years
- As part of the National Women's Justic Strategy, the Labor Government also established a newtwork of women's legal centres around Australia
- The Sex Discrimination Act and the Affirmative Action Act were strengthened and extended by Labor to protect the rights of women to work to their full potential without discrimination and harassment. Between 1993 and 1996, industrial relations reforms included: legislation to prevent dismissal on the grounds of family responsibilities and strengthening of the award safety net to include unpaid parental leave.
- Other industrial relations breakthroughs included: an ACTU test case which found that personal sick leave entitlements could be used to care for sick family members;
flexible roster arrangements to allow parents time to pick up children from school or child care; family-friendly agreements including permanent part-time work, job sharing, career break schemes and child care.
To contrast this with the Howard Government's approach read Anne Summer's highly disturbing book, The End of Equality. Note, in particular, the Prime Minister's dismissal of the call for a national paid maternity scheme by his own appointed Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward. Other references that address the differences for women under Labor or Coalition Governments include Marian Sawer's Sisters in Suits and Linda Hancock's Women,
Public Policy and the State, which lists what was lost to women when Howard came
into government. Oh, and the annual Women's Budget Statement that was a world first is also not produced by the Howard Government.
As someone who has worked for many years to improve the lot of women in society, this is something I feel very strongly about - especially when I think of the inspiring, dedicated and completely selfless women I have worked alongside. If anyone wants any more information or would like to take me up on any of these points, please feel free to comment.
Some of the achievements of the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments include:
- Of the 1.5 million jobs created between 1987 and 1996, 63% were filled by women
- In 1983 only 24% of working women had superannuation, by 1996 85% were covered by the Superannuation Guarantee Levy
- From 1983 to 1996 Australia's child care program expanded almost six-fold, from 46,000 places to 280,000
- With the introduction of the Child Care Cash Rebate in July 1994, child care was recognised as a work-related expense. For the first time all working families were eligible for a rebate for child care expenses
- In 1995-1996 the non-taxable Maternity Allowance was announced, which was equivalent to six weeks of Parenting Allowance. It recognised that the majority of women did not receive paid maternity leave (the ALP is now committed to introducing a national scheme of paid maternity leave when elected to government)
- The Basic Parenting Allowance was introduced which made payments directly to the caregiver (rather than to the working spouse as most previous family payments had been)
- In 1993 an extra $30 million was allocated over four years to the National Women's Health Pogram to make the health system more responsive to the needs of women, particularly women from disadvantaged groups
- New funding of $42 million over four years was provided to extend the National Cervical Screening Program
- The $240 million breast cancer screening program aimed to reach 70% of women between 50 and 69 every two years
- As part of the National Women's Justic Strategy, the Labor Government also established a newtwork of women's legal centres around Australia
- The Sex Discrimination Act and the Affirmative Action Act were strengthened and extended by Labor to protect the rights of women to work to their full potential without discrimination and harassment. Between 1993 and 1996, industrial relations reforms included: legislation to prevent dismissal on the grounds of family responsibilities and strengthening of the award safety net to include unpaid parental leave.
- Other industrial relations breakthroughs included: an ACTU test case which found that personal sick leave entitlements could be used to care for sick family members;
flexible roster arrangements to allow parents time to pick up children from school or child care; family-friendly agreements including permanent part-time work, job sharing, career break schemes and child care.
To contrast this with the Howard Government's approach read Anne Summer's highly disturbing book, The End of Equality. Note, in particular, the Prime Minister's dismissal of the call for a national paid maternity scheme by his own appointed Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward. Other references that address the differences for women under Labor or Coalition Governments include Marian Sawer's Sisters in Suits and Linda Hancock's Women,
Public Policy and the State, which lists what was lost to women when Howard came
into government. Oh, and the annual Women's Budget Statement that was a world first is also not produced by the Howard Government.
As someone who has worked for many years to improve the lot of women in society, this is something I feel very strongly about - especially when I think of the inspiring, dedicated and completely selfless women I have worked alongside. If anyone wants any more information or would like to take me up on any of these points, please feel free to comment.