Impacts of Government proposals to cut family benefits. 1.1 million families will lose FTB-A Supplements of $726 per child.
The National Foundation for Australian Women deplores both the content and process of the Bill now before the Parliament. We urge the Parliament to reject the Bill.
NFAW has a strong policy of support for women to make their own life choices – to choose to be a home maker, to choose to do paid work, to choose part time work if that is a real choice. Responsibility for bearing and rearing children, rightly or wrongly falls mostly on women.
The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW), having given evidence to a hearing of the Commission, undertook to bring some further information to the Commission. We will not comment on every issue raised in the Interim Report. Our specific submissions are set out below.
If parental workforce participation is a major goal of Government policies, then child care is but one of an inter-related suite of policies which must be coordinated. Reformation of child care alone will not produce solutions.
To improve women’s workforce participation more effectively, t he Commonwealth Government must enhance the availability and accessibility to families, of before and after school care for school-aged children, says the National Foundation for Australian W omen (NFAW ), a leading independent women’s advocacy group.
NFAW recognises and respects the improvements to child care standards and fee relief systems which the current Commonwealth Government has brought about, including through important cooperation with the States and Territories. The NFAW notes that means of achieving greater time-flexibility and simplicity in funding arrangements are under consideration, but no announcements have been made as yet.
In recent consultations with women throughout Australia, women identified a range of issues as relevant in determining the extent to which they are able to engage in the work force.
NFAW believes the process of Reform of Australia’s Future Tax System, and the October 2011 Tax Forum are a key opportunities to introduce changes which will enhance gender equality in the work-place, together with the promotion of greater fiscal vertical equity.
