Federal Government's Dad and Partner Pay kicks in from this year

[grandmoon]

The new Dad and Partner Pay comes into effect today under changes made to the Paid Parental Leave Act, allowing fathers to take government-funded time off for their newborns, sharing the primary carer's responsibilities and offering more support.

Eligible fathers will be paid about $606 per week before tax at the rate of the current national minimum wage - and this could be on top of any paid parental leave being received by the mother or other family assistance being received.

[catsnknots]

All good and fine to say you don't think that people should not be paid to raise a family when your family is wealthy and can help you out... 

An example of why we need to help out... 

Many people work casual... they do not get sick pay, holiday pay or maternity leave... when they have a baby there is nothing for them to live on... 

Many have families that do not live near by and cannot help out...

Many have family breakdowns that leave them single and alone...

Yes we should help people out.. Personally I am more for a type of payment control to make sure all babies get what they need....  it is not money earned but money given and none needs to go on drugs or excessive alcohol. 

[cherry*135]

Agree with all your post Bella. I have relatives that fostered twin baby boys as newly born babies. The wife spent 5 weeks bonding exclusively with them, never left them, left the house basically in 5 weeks. (as they had already spent a bit of time with their birth mother (taken off her), then a temp foster carer).

Any money that that family could have received from the Govt to help with expenses over that time would have been money well spent.

[cherry*135]

Australia is well behind other countries (Scandinavian ones for example) in paid parental leave entitlements.

Many people work casual... they do not get sick pay, holiday pay or maternity leave... when they have a baby there is nothing for them to live on.

This Dad/partner payment will be of great benefit to them. I think with most couples bringing a new baby home, the Dad endeavours to take time off  if possible, when a new baby is brought home, to spend time with the new baby, help out around the house, do school pick ups/drop offs etc.

If they don't have paid leave then they may not be able to afford to do that.

[cherry*135]

i didn't get paid baby bonus,  or paid parental leave (although I think I did get a fortnights or months worth of pay, when I went back to work after 12 mths maternity leave.) It wasn't payable if you didn't return from maternity leave).

Our mortgage was $80 per week (which was a lot less than the  avg weekly rent at the time).  Perfectly able to live on one salary instead of two. TIMES HAVE CHANGED. 2 incomes are needed to pay mortgage/rent. The avg rent where I live for a modest house is $420 p.w.. The avg house price is about $500 000 for a modest house.

[*crikey*mate*]

australia's debt is quite manageable despite what the cheer squad in the msm tell us. if we cannot afford a better standard of education and maintain 100 plus years of workplace reform now , when can we ? despite the constant chipping away by the govts opponents at fiscal confidence  we've never had it so good.

look at the rebound in ore prices..  our position is very good right now.

but the introduction of this new paid parental leave or the recently introduced and ever increasing baby bonuses and paid maternity leave are not "maintaining 100 plus years of workplace reform" it's adding new ones....

We've already got "free" education and healthcare, yet according to many here on the boards, neither is being funded adequately to meet their expectations...

I'm pretty sure it wasn;'t too long ago that there was a push for single parents to return to work at a much earlier stage of their child's development - (not sure - just what I read here)- what was the motivating factor for that?

If it was financial, it makes more sense to me to pay to have one parent available for a child for as long as possible rather than providing the opportunity for two parents to stay home for a short period of time.

[*crikey*mate*]

Some will be recommending children go back to living in workhouses soon.:^O

I suppose that would save their parents the expense of housing/clothing and feeding them.

*does a quick google to see if that is legal*

[cherry*135]

Working in a butchers shop for more than 8+ hours a day at under legal working age is close enough.

[*crikey*mate*]

i didn't get paid baby bonus,  or paid parental leave (although I think I did get a fortnights or months worth of pay, when I went back to work after 12 mths maternity leave.) It wasn't payable if you didn't return from maternity leave).

Our mortgage was $80 per week (which was a lot less than the  avg weekly rent at the time).  Perfectly able to live on one salary instead of two. TIMES HAVE CHANGED. 2 incomes are needed to pay mortgage/rent. The avg rent where I live for a modest house is $420 p.w.. The avg house price is about $500 000 for a modest house.

So, if two incomes are needed to pay mortgage/rent, where are all our families with only one parent living?

[i-need-a-martini]

It's about time dads were given some thought after birth. It's fabulous news and well overdue.

[cherry*135]

If it was financial, it makes more sense to me to pay to have one parent available for a child for as long as possible rather than providing the opportunity for two parents to stay home for a short period of time.

Parenting payment (paid every fortnight)  available till the youngest child in a family was 16 years of age (as it was until recent years, then 8yo soon to be 6yo?). OK

Compared with:

Up to two weeks paid parent Dad/partner payment from the Govt. Maximum $1212. Only payable for a new baby.  NOT OK

I am glad you are not this country's Treasurer.