Fed: Document proves lack of commitment to family: Democrats

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2004
Fed: Document proves lack of commitment to family: Democrats

By Steve Larkin

ADELAIDE, Feb 16 AAP - A leaked cabinet document revealing the government ignored a
new work and family package last year proved the coalition had abrogated any commitment
to families, the Australian Democrats said today.

Democrats work and family spokeswoman Natasha Stott Despoja said the cabinet document
was evidence Australia lagged behind the rest of the world in assisting working families.

The cabinet-in-confidence document included proposals for greater financial help for
new parents and stronger unpaid parental leave provisions.

But the government failed to implement the ideas proposed for last year's Budget.

"This government has totally abrogated any commitment to work and family policy," Senator
Despoja said today.

"And it has failed to implement policies that would assist workers juggling their family
commitments, but also to give workers in Australia today time with their families.

"These leaked cabinet papers show there have been policy ideas on the table for a reasonable
period of time ... which begs the question, why has the prime minister not acted?

"Is it because other political issues have captured his attention, such as the conflict in Iraq?

"And why is he allowing that to be the leading political issue as opposed to how he
can better assist Australia's struggling working families?"

Senator Stott Despoja said work and family was "one of the biggest domestic political
issues facing Australia".

"Both major parties have failed Australia's working families in terms of policy generation
on this issue," she said.

"Australia's working families are going to be furious when they get a sense of how
this government, and the prime minister in particular, has ignored this issue despite
cabinet and departmental advice.

"Today's leaked cabinet papers demonstrate yet again Australia lags behind the rest
of the world in assisting working families - and that our prime minister has abrogated
his responsibility to male and female workers, particularly those with families, by ignoring
policy advice and details provided to him last year."

Senator Stott Despoja called on Prime Minister Howard to implement a paid maternity
leave scheme, which the Democrats' senator tabled in a Private Member's Bill in May 2002.

The Bill provided for a 14 week, government-funded paid maternity leave scheme.

"I'm not confident that this will happen soon and I call on the prime minister to perform
his maternity leave flip-flop in this year's Budget," Senator Stott Despoja said.

"It's enormously frustrating, this is the longest gestation phase of a policy that I can recall.

"Two-thirds of Australia's working women don't have any access to paid maternity leave
... it is a scandal."

AAP sl/drp/de

KEYWORD: FAMILY DESPOJA

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