Q. The Liberal Government plans to introduce a new parental leave policy which gives new parents up to 26 weeks leave at their current full rate of pay (up to $100,000) to be partly paid for by a 1.5 per cent levy on large companies.
The current policy introduced by the previous Labor Government gives new parents 18 weeks leave at the minimum wage rate paid for by the Government.
Which scheme do you support most?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Feb 14* |
|
| The government’s policy |
19% |
17% |
24% |
18% |
16% |
23% |
||
| The current policy |
36% |
48% |
26% |
50% |
32% |
36% |
||
| Neither |
34% |
26% |
40% |
22% |
43% |
32% |
||
| Don’t know |
11% |
9% |
11% |
10% |
9% |
9% |
*The Feb 2014 question outlined the original Liberal policy, which would have given up to 26 weeks leave at the parent’s current full rate of pay up to $150,000.
The largest proportion (36%) of Australians prefers the current parental leave policy. Just 19% support the government’s policy; while a large proportion (34%) support neither.
The latest results show a slight drop in support for the government’s policy (down from 23% in February 2014; this question included the original upper limit of $150,000).
Labor voters were more likely to support the current policy (48%). However, 17% support the government’s policy, and 26% support neither. Lib/Nat voters were most likely to support neither policy (40%). However, 24% support the government’s policy, and 26% support the current policy.
Those aged 18-34 were most likely to support the government’s policy (33%). Those aged 35-44 were reflective of the overall sample, with 20% supporting the government’s policy, 36% supporting the current policy and 29% supporting neither. Those aged 45+ were far more likely to select ‘neither’ (47%), with just 9% supporting the government’s policy, and 36% the current policy.