Families

Keeping the economy strong has allowed this Labor Government to:

• create nearly 750,000 extra jobs that have kept Australians working;
• introduce an 18 week Paid Parental Leave scheme that helps families look after new born babies at the time when family income goes down and costs go up;  
• increase child care rebates from 30% to 50% for out-of-pocket child care expenses that provides families with up to $7,500 per child per year towards child care costs;
• introduce the Education Tax Refund giving families up to $409 for each primary school student and up to $818 for each secondary school student in 2010-11 to cover eligible education expenses;
• begin to build the foundations for an National Disability Insurance Scheme that gives disabled people access to services and facilities they need when they need it;
• introduce the most significant pension changes in our history with the maximum rate of pension increasing by about $148 per fortnight for singles and $146 per fortnight for couples combined over the last two years;
• put in place a plan to raise superannuation from 9% to 12 % which will add over $100,000 to the average retirement balance of an average 30 year old worker;
• deliver $47 billion in tax cuts so that in 2010-11 a person earning $50,000 paid $1,750 a year less in tax, compared to 2007-08, to help them meet the cost of living expenses;
• provide additional and more timely tax relief to low- and middle-income individuals so that in 2010-11 a person earning $30,000 paid $750 a year less in tax;
• introduce from next year further tax cuts of at least $300 a year for 60 per cent of taxpayers to assist them with the extra costs associated with the carbon price; and
• make record investments in schools and hospitals so all Australians have decent services and get a decent start in life.