Australian women deserve a government-funded paid parental leave scheme in the upcoming Federal Budget, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today, on the eve of International Women’s Day.

“Australian women are disadvantaged in comparison to their international sisters in being denied a paid parental leave scheme that is enshrined in law,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

“Australia is one of just two OECD countries that do not provide for some sort of government-funded paid parental leave.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told this morning’s Women’s Breakfast Forum in Canberra that a government-funded paid parental leave scheme must be included in the 2009-2010 Federal Budget.

Senior Government ministers are saying that paid parental leave will be left out of the Budget due to Australia’s economic situation, it has been reported.

“What working mums really want for Mother’s Day is a government-funded paid parental leave scheme,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia)
(4.32 pm)—I rise today to speak to the government’s $42 million stimulus package that, as the government puts it, aims to provide long-term infrastructure building for Australia. While the Greens have stated on the record our support for the intent of this package, we do raise genuine and serious concerns about a number of the areas that have failed to be adequately addressed within this package of the Appropriation (Nation Building and Jobs) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009 and related bills.

I rise today to discuss the release of the Productivity Commission’s draft report entitled Paid Parental Leave: Support for Parents with Newborn Children handed down two weeks ago.

I must say that while many of us that have been talking about greater supports for working families for years were sceptical at the Government’s referral of parental supports to yet ‘another’ inquiry, the initial recommendations and proposed model put forward by the Productivity Commission have proved to be quite promising.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says that now more than ever, government-funded paid parental leave is a must to adequately support Australian families.

Senator Hanson-Young has responded to statements from Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan that recent global financial events could delay the introduction of such a paid parental leave scheme for Australia to beyond 2009.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the Greens will push for 26 weeks’ paid parental leave, saying that such a scheme will provide better support for parents and babies.

Yesterday the Greens welcomed the Productivity Commission’s recommendation for a government-funded 18-week paid parental leave scheme as a positive step in the right direction that was long overdue for working parents.

“Twenty-six weeks of paid parental leave is what the Greens are bringing to the table in this debate,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young today welcomed the Productivity Commission’s recommendation for a government-funded 18-week paid parental leave scheme, saying that such a proposal was long overdue for Australian workers.

The recommendation was made in the Productivity Commission’s initial report into paid parental leave, based on more than 250 submissions, which was released today.

“A paid parental leave scheme should be a no-brainer for the Government,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has backed Parliamentary Secretary for Early Education and Childcare Maxine McKew’s call to reduce the current childcare ratio to one carer for every three babies.

“The Greens have long called for nationally consistent childcare standards, and to achieve carer-to-child ratios of at least one-to-three for children up to two years old, and one-to-four for children older than two years,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

Currently in Australia the dominant standard is one carer for every five babies.