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.

[freakiness]

Macklin said she could live on the dole but that comment has now been deleted from the official transcript.

It's an election year & Gillard didn't wait 2 minutes before she started the big spend. Whether it was budgeted or not they just can't stop spending but now pinches from single mothers which is frightening for them.

It was a silly answer to a silly question which has been used to take attention from what the interview was about.

Single parents do not have to live on newstart alone, they still get the other parts of the payment.

Do you think we should keep the system where one lot of single parents are paid at a different rate than another lot of single parents?

[freakiness]

correction: that should read parents as the changes are not limited to single parents but all who get parenting payment.

[bella_again]

as I said, I don't agree with even one parent being paid to take time off work for any reason (in this case to tend to a baby/child).

I do because research shows that bonding with the children from birth has significant impact in terms of overall outcomes later on in life in every domain.

Children left to themselves without that bonding occurring end up with attachment disorders and many other issues. I'm of the opinion that in the short term its probably cheaper to pay parents to stay home and encourage bonding than it is to deal with the issues much later on. That's not to say that those who work don't bond with their kids I'm merely saying that any opportunity to bond more is well worth any expense and it benefits the child.

I disagree with the statement about only those who can  afford children should consider having children. Many a great man and woman who has changed this world for the better have come out of poverty.  Money is not everything, yes we need it to survive but greater than money is love, hope and endurance.  

[lakeland27]

crikey wants to take us back to the wool mills and the dawn of the industrial revoloution. been reading gina rineharts book crikey ? do you want australians to forego all entitlements ? a vision of a fascist utopia :^O

there'd be blood on the streets.

[*crikey*mate*]

bella, it is just my opinion - doesn't make it right or wrong.

The modern perception of poverty is quite subjective too.

Lakeland - define entitlements.....

I just believe that we should get what we pay for and use what we can afford to use.

I don't recall any baby bonuses for when my children were born farless paid parental leave, so we planned for a situation where we could afford children on the reduced income. Yes, we had to cut out many of our luxuries, but we got there.

Similarly, my husband had time off work for each of their births, but he did this using his holiday entitlements or took leave without pay which we had previously budgeted for.

I was unable to work for most of one of my pregancies due to complications, so yes, this was an unexpected loss of income as we thought we still had 6 more months of my income - back then after using up my 11 anual sick days, we just had to make do on the income we could generate (OH got a second job), there was no government money to replace my income and nor did I expect there to be.

Pretty sure most of the people with kids my age and older had to do the same.

I believe as an adult I should be entitled to a can of coke if I want one, so does this mean that someone should give it to me even if I can't pay for it?

I also want one of those new BMW's.......

[lakeland27]

In theory, I am even against holiday pay, but recognize that it is now an assimilated expectation of full time employment and thus the employer takes this into consideration when determining annual wage/salary (within the constraints of the law)

do you realise how hard won these entitlements are ? the lack of full-time employment or underemployment has made it difficult enough for a lot of people. now you say holiday pay is wrong or undesirable ?  that's a rinehart value, not one a sensible and fair-minded non-billionaire worker should be advocating.. reduction of entitlements.. 2 dollars a day (gina's dream) comes a step closer to reality with that kind of 19thcentury approach. some might embrace that ideology, but some think the earth flat.

[*crikey*mate*]

Don't get me wrong, if we can afford it, then sure, hand out money for anything we want - I'm sure my everyone would love an extra week or two paid holidays a year - or even the choice not to work at all and still be paid, but word on the street is that our country is in a fair bit of debt already and people are always saying that there should be m ore money spent on education, healthcare, disability etc etc etc - just wondering how long the gravy train can survive.... We are already using more money than we bring in and apparently can't adequately fund everything we are already committed to funding to an acceptable level (research done here on the CS boards - is that a credible source?) I just wonder where this money is going to come from.

It seems to me that the more we get, the more we want and think that we should be entitled to.

[cherry*135]

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.

[**meep**]

I do because research shows that bonding with the children from birth has significant impact in terms of overall outcomes later on in life in every domain.

I agree, and keep referring to the Nordic countries as examples. 

According to Unicef analyses, Nordic countries consistently fare among the best when it comes to children's wellbeing.

"This is because their welfare policies emphasise the civic role of the state in facilitating quality of life and wellbeing among all its citizens" 

Local Swedish News

[lakeland27]

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.