Clearing the path for women to join the workforce is a win for women and for the economy
Senator Barbara Pocock, Greens Spokesperson for employment and labour market expert will be speaking on a panel today as part of the Revenue Summit hosted by the Australia Institute. Barbara will be discussing the revenue benefits from having more women in work and the policy pathways to it such as increased paid parental leave and free childcare.
The Australia Institute’s Revenue Summit 2022 will bring economists, policy, and taxation experts together to discuss revenue raising options to meet Australia’s public spending needs.
Senator Barbara Pocock will join cross bench MPs for a panel discussion chaired by Laura Tingle at 1.25pm AEST.
Economic modelling from KPMG shows that halving the gap between male and female workforce participation rates would increase Australia’s annual GDP by $60 billion over the next 20 years.
The Productivity Commission has previously estimated that 165,000 parents, mostly women, would like to work, or work more hours but are unable to do so because of lack of affordable and suitable childcare.
Quotes to attribute to Senator Barbara Pocock
“Australians are facing cost of living and climate crises that without significant government investment, will threaten everyday life. We must urgently discuss and action revenue options.
“I’ll be heading to this revenue summit with three key items on my agenda; redirecting tax cuts, ending fossil fuel subsidies, and improving childcare for families and workers.
“By investing in free childcare and increasing paid parental leave, more women will be able to join the workforce or increase their hours of work. Not only does this provide wages and benefits for families but also provides a boost to tax revenue.
“If we want to raise tax revenue we have to invest in better infrastructure for work and care.
“Greater participation of women in the workforce will increase revenue. It’s been done in Norway. It can be done here.
“Our paid parental leave and childcare systems are limping along behind the rest of the world. It’s time we caught up.
“The cost of investing in policies that improve access to childcare and paid parental leave would be offset by female labour and tax revenues
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