Labor’s Women’s Budget Statement outlines the problems women face, but offers very little when it comes to delivering the solutions women need.
On top of waiting years for half-measures on PPL and childcare, women are offered partial indexation rather than a funding boost for frontline services, while billionaires and big corporations get massive handouts and tax cuts.
As stated by Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, Larissa Waters
“After talking up their ‘women-centred’ budget for months now, the Albanese Government has offered up an incredibly underwhelming budget for women.
“After 9 years of inaction under the Coalition, it was a low bar to clear, but redirecting existing funds and dangling the promise of better things in the future just isn’t going to cut it when it comes to women’s safety and economic security.
“Cheaper childcare is a welcome outcome for women, but it’s still not free and there is nothing to address the early childhood workforce crisis. And instead of raising the rate of income support payments above the poverty line, they’ve chosen to give tax cuts to the wealthy.
On the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ plan to end violence against women and children
“The new ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children was released last week with great fanfare and laudable goals. But ambitious aims need to be backed with funding.
“The women’s safety sector has repeatedly called for a $1B per year to ensure funding meets demand. And yet the government’s budget response was to re-badge and re-shuffle previous funding commitments, adding only partial indexation and a fraction of the workers needed.
“Partial indexation is not a base funding increase. And the Albanese Government shouldn’t be trying to spin it as one.
On a standalone ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ plan to end violence against First Nations women and children
“A First Nations Action Plan and a standalone ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Plan for First Nations women is a matter of national priority and needs to be treated that way, but the Budget failed to dedicate funding for consultation or development of the Plan.
On Paid Parental Leave
“We support moves to strengthen Australia’s parental leave scheme, but Labor’s plan is too slow and doesn’t include superannuation or replacement wages. Families, and particularly women, have waited long enough for fairer leave and deserve action.
“If the Jobs summit convinced the Minister for Women to ‘step up’ on paid parental leave, why keep women waiting?.
“Fairer Paid Parental Leave is a no-brainer that benefits everyone – parents, children and the economy. If the Albanese government had axed the Stage 3 tax cuts, we could easily afford it.
