Date: xxxxx

Letter to the Editor

Business and Professional Women Australia (BPW Australia) welcomes a report on Work and Family presented by Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop based on an inquiry calling for childcare cost to be made tax deductible and Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) on childcare to be removed.

This report is a clear indication of the need for choice and cost equity in childcare provision. No matter whether children are afforded the luxury of an employer’s in-house childcare facility, in-home care (nannies), or attend an outside childcare facility service levels should be equitable.

As the name suggests, BPW is a professional women’s group based on women helping other women and we are asking for a level playing field nothing more.

We have long been advocating for improved childcare conditions for working women and we recently formed a Task Group to review the existing childcare FBT anomaly.

This Federal Government report is timely and in line with the concerns of our national membership many of whom are small business owners.

Women should expect to receive the same childcare provision regardless of whether they are employed by a large organisation, a small to medium sized business, or are sole operators.

If Australian women are to have a place in business, industry, government and the other professions they require accessible, affordable, and high quality childcare regardless of their employer status.

In a skills shortage it makes economic sense to maintain or increase women workforce participation and childcare is key.

With the current workplace laws forcing women into casual work seven days a week, they need to be able to rely on a range of service levels at a reasonable cost; childcare is often not available outside standard business hours and the cost is prohibitive for some women.

We totally support the removal of FBT from all childcare facilities and services and BPW Australia has been campaigning against it for some time.

The report encourages working parents to choose between receiving the Child Care benefit and Child Care Tax rebate, or to claim work-related child care costs as a tax deduction.

This is great news.

There are 19 recommendations in this report and it would be a pity if others are not open to debate in the community at large.

Recommendations such as the freezing of HECS debt interest of second earners in couple families: in-home care categorised as approved care attracting payments and tax concessions; a survey to collect necessary data to assess whether women are paid the same as men for doing work of equal value; and a public campaign highlighting the benefits of family friendly arrangements.

These are all very welcome recommendations. We commend the Government for its work and hope it will take the next step and shape fair and equitable policy based on choice for all families.

Kay Morrison
President
BPW Australia

 

 

Editor’s Note:

 

Business and Professional Women (BPW) is an international organisation that educates and informs women and undertakes research and projects aimed at improving the status of women. BPW lobbies governments at all levels and it holds Special Category Status at the United Nations on current and emerging issues of importance to women. In Australia BPW is a national organisation comprising around 1000 members.