Unless you have been living under a rock you would know it is now election time in Australia. Families can be greatly affected by the outcome of who is leader and as a parent there are some important items in each parties policies that will affect our day to day, most important for new parents is paid maternity leave. Here is a brief run down.
LABOR
- is government funded
- is for eligible working parents of children born or adopted on or after 1 January 2011
- can be transferred to the other parent
- is paid at the National Minimum Wage - currently $570 a week before tax*
- is for up to 18 weeks
- can be taken any time within the first year after birth.
*The 2010 national minimum wage order has been set at $569.90 per week, calculated on the basis of a week of 38 ordinary hours, or $15 per hour. The PPL scheme payment is calculated at the hourly rate of $15.
LIBERAL
- provide primary carers (in the vast majority of families, mothers) with 26 weeks paid parental leave, at full replacement pay (up to a maximum salary of $150,000 per annum) or the Federal minimum wage, whichever is greater;
- be available to all employees, including contractors and the self-employed; and
- include superannuation contributions at the mandatory rate of nine per cent.
Carers will not have to be working full-time to access the Coalition’s Paid Parental Leave scheme because it uses the same
- ‘work-test’ as Labor’s proposal which requires:
- an average of at least one conventional day of paid work a week;
- over a ‘continuous qualifying period’ of paid work which amounts to a least 10 months of the 13 months prior to the expected date of birth.
So what’s your thoughts? Comment below and take part of this week’s reader poll. Which parties paid maternity scheme do you prefer?
