Women Should Return to Work – Government

The Abbott Government has called on women who have had children to rejoin the workforce, suggesting that it may let them keep some of their welfare payments if they do so.

News Corp papers have reported that Treasurer Joe Hockey will release a White Paper before the next election outlining plans to get women back to work, including options that would allow low to middle-income households to keep some of their welfare, such as Family Tax Benefit A or the Child Care Benefit.

Hockey told the The Sunday Mail that “for the sake of the future of the Australian economy” more women were needed in the workforce.

“We have an ageing population, we need (women) to be more productive. We need you for your experience, we need you for the contribution you all make for the jobs that your children will get in the future,” Hockey said.

“The Prime Minister and I have talked about how we can try and support women who are endeavouring to balance a home life and other demands but we’re working it through.

“It’s not just mums returning (to the workforce) but mums who want to spend more time with their own children.

“One area of growth is the start-up of home-based businesses and women have been prolific in setting up home-based businesses, they’re great innovators.”

Ugh. Us women. Always leaning & not lifting, right @JoeHockey? #auspol http://t.co/VRcG3DuC6U pic.twitter.com/zFPHnsRb4d

— Sharna Bremner (@sharnatweets) August 30, 2015

Hockey said the government understood more working women wanted to extend the time they spent with their kids, and “conversations” were being held on how it could be achieved.

The Sunday Mail said if the number of women in work or looking for work increased by four per cent, or 393,000 extra women nationally, it would add $25 billion to the economy.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott backed the plan, saying the need for women to be economically active was “central to our very notion of modern society”.