Great news for Australian dads
Jim Arneman posted Thursday, 19 August 2010
I think I can speak for pretty much every father in Australia: when your child is born, it changes your life forever.
I’m the proud father of one great little boy – the moment he was born was the proudest moment of my life. Spending time with the little bloke is and was absolutely precious.
Federal Labor wants to make it easier for fathers to be more hands-on at home and spend more time helping out when their baby is born.
That’s why a re-elected Gillard Labor Government will, for the first time, provide two weeks Paid Paternity Leave for fathers of newborn babies.
Life is about more than work, and the precious moments we spend with our newborn children are priceless. All families should have that time but, Federal Labor also realises work is a necessity to provide for our children, and that right now taking time off work is not an option for many fathers.
We are introducing Paid Parental Leave because we recognise the importance of time spent bonding with a newborn and because we know young families need assistance financially at a time when family income is reduced.
The involvement of fathers in children’s lives has many positive benefits for children, including improved social and emotional development.
Paid Paternity Leave allows fathers and other partners to support the primary carer in their new caring role, and to recover from the birth.
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Federal Labor’s new entitlement for two weeks dedicated paternity leave pay will be made available to eligible dads from 1 July 2012.
Importantly, this support will be provided in addition to Federal Labor’s 18 weeks Paid Parental Leave, which starts in just four months time. Parents will still be able to choose to share the 18 weeks Paid Parental Leave between them.
Tony Abbott meanwhile, has set out a plan which won’t begin for years and is paid for through a tax hike which will only serve to raise the price of groceries and petrol.
For more information about Federal Labor’s Paid Parental Leave policy head here and for our Paid Paternity Leave policy, head here.
Did your family have access to paternity leave when you started a family? What would have that time meant if you could have had paternity leave? How do you think Paid Paternity Leave will take the pressure off young families?
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