Member for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus yesterday held childcare forums in Patterson Lakes and Edithvale, to meet with local mums and dads about the Abbott Governments proposed cuts to family payments and Paid Parental Leave, and the uncertainty regarding ongoing federal funding for 15 hours per week of free Kindergarten.
The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP
Shadow Attorney General
Shadow Minister for the Arts
Member for Isaacs
MEDIA RELEASE
ISAACS PARENTS CONDEMN CUTS TO PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Member for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus yesterday held childcare forums in Patterson Lakes and Edithvale, to meet with local mums and dads about the Abbott Governments proposed cuts to family payments and Paid Parental Leave, and the uncertainty regarding ongoing federal funding for 15 hours per week of free Kindergarten.
Again and again, parents raised their concerns with me about cuts to Family Tax Benefit B and to Paid Parental Leave under the Abbott Government, Mr Dreyfus said.
A lot of parents in Melbournes South-East are doing it tough and the last thing they need are these callous cuts by Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison.
The Abbott Governments most recent Budget proposed cutting Family Tax Benefit B and cutting Paid Parental Leave for around 80,000 mothers.
Several parents and childcare workers raised with me their concerns about the certainty of federal funding for 15 hours of free Kindergarten per week, Mr Dreyfus said.
At present the Abbott Government has only committed to funding 15 hours per week until 2017. This makes planning for childcare into the future unnecessarily difficult.
I call on the Abbott Government to commit to permanent funding of 15 hours per week of Kindergarten and to drop their plan to cut Family Tax Benefit B and Paid Parental Leave for many Australian parents, Mr Dreyfus said.
FRIDAY, 22 MAY 2015
