Three key policy areas affecting women: The Liberal/Labor verdict (so far) - Women's Agenda

Three key policy areas affecting women: The Liberal/Labor verdict (so far)

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s finally called the Federal Election and our two main political parties are priming themselves for relentless (no doubt, tedious) campaigning.

Although pre-election promises are hardly gospel truth, Turnbull and Opposition leader Bill Shorten have laid some of their cards on the table, and we now have a sense of their respective agendas.

So which party is likely to do more in three main policy areas affecting women? Below we take a look.

1. Paid Parental Leave

The Liberal Party: The coalition’s stance on paid parental leave is lacklustre to say the least. In a surprise move, Turnbull has opted to uphold Tony Abbott’s proposed cuts which will see women only able to access the government’s paid scheme to “top up” their employer’s offering. A woman who might receive 8 weeks paid leave from her employer therefore, will only be able to access a 10-week subsidy from the government to reach the 18-week minimum wage requirement. Right now, women are able to access both their employer’s scheme and 18 weeks of government payments, so this would change things considerably, and not for the better.

The Labor Party: Nothing ground-breaking happening here, but at least Labor has promised to protect the current paid parental scheme. Families with new babies will be up to $11,800 better off per year than under the coalition’s proposed policy. It’s a safe bet that this will become one of Shorten’s big push-points over the next two months. In a statement yesterday he announced that “Labor will put people first” and “protect paid parental leave for young families.” 

2. Superannuation

The Liberal Party: Treasurer Scott Morrison’s proposed changes to superannuation delivered the greatest shock-factor in a budget that otherwise had all the zing of a tepid cup of tea. The changes see 4% of Australia’s highest earners (typically safe Liberal voters) penalised with a cap to superannuation concessions. It also saw people earning under $37,000 per year, (the majority being part-time mothers), given a $500 per annum super benefit, ensuring they are not made to pay more tax on their superannuation than on their income.  Another benefit for women was the concession rollover initiative as well as the partner contributions allowance. All in all, a pretty encouraging step forward.

The Labor Party: It’s a fair bet that the same low income-tax offset outlined by the Coalition would be carried forth under a Labor government, given it was started by them in the first place. But Shorten has ruled out “retrospective” changes to superannuation, meaning that top earners will not be cracked down upon with the same caps proposed by the coalition. It’s a stupid case of political point scoring by Shorten, rather than a stance with any true conviction.

3. Domestic violence

The Liberal Party: In a positive (albeit political) move, Turnbull drew mass attention to domestic violence when he became Prime Minister, promising $100 million of funding toward prevention and services. The budget fell flat though, with the coalition allocating only $33 million dollars for the year in a continued response ($100 million over three years). A pretty dismal approach, given 1 in 3 Australian women will be subject to some form of physical or sexual violence during their lifetime.

The Labor Party: In a similar move to Turnbull, shorten has paid considerable lip-service to the issue of domestic violence, emphasising it as a national priority. Unfortunately, Labor’s proposed funding of $72 million over three years, is pretty damn pitiful. In light of the Victorian government proposing $572 million of additional funding, it’s clear that the federal position is definitely not where it needs to be. 

No doubt more promises will emerge over the next few weeks in a bid to win votes come 2 July. In a race that will likely come down to the wire, it’s crucial for both sides to keep women at the forefront of their agendas. Not only because gender inequality is rife and should be combatted, but also because the astute party will recognise that women represent more than half the population. Our vote is seriously important. 

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