Volume 2   Number 1

Email: waa@womensactionalliance.com.au

Website: www.womensactionalliance.com.au

March 2006

 

 

 

 

Welcome to a new column which each issue  will feature an article from one of our state Presidents. That’s me above with our youngest daughter, Emily.

 

WAA (NSW) was one of the initial WAA bodies and remains actively involved in all WAA activities.  Recently we wrote to all members of the House of Representative Standing Committee on Family and Human Resources regarding the Balancing Work and Family Inquiry. We wrote concerning the importance of the Time Use Survey in providing statistics on unpaid work, so necessary to any discussion of the impact of paid work on family and vice versa.

 

We pointed out that the Time Use survey had been downgraded from a 5 year survey to 8 years or possibly longer, but that we had been advised of the possibility that a “Time Use Light” survey may be conducted in between the larger surveys.

 

One of the committee members, Alan Cadman, member for Mitchell, wrote to Chris Pearce, Parliamentary Secretary to   the Treasurer, and his reply gave us some hope. The Light survey will be tested this year during the conduct of the 2006 Time Use survey.

 

Mr Pearce concludes by saying, “The success of the light survey will not be known until the second half of 2007….However, if the time information collected in this way is comparable to equivalent categories used in the full survey, the light survey can be used to update time use and measures of unpaid work between full surveys.”

 

Jane Beard

NSW President

 

WE DID IT AGAIN!!!

SUPER SPLITTING NOW A REALITY

 

The ability to split compulsory superannuation contributions between spouses/partners became a reality in Australia with the passage late last year of the Taxation Laws Amendment (Superannuation Contributions Splitting) Act 2005.

 

Long standing WAA members will remember that WAA began campaigning for superannuation splitting way back in 1988, when it became apparent that Australia would be unable to support a universal age pension into the future.

 

At that time, the idea of superannuation for all workers, not just managerial or professional employees, had emerged, but no-one had considered the implications of the shift to superannuation on the lives of women, who, even now, still spend vastly more time out of the paid workforce than men.

 

Superannuation splitting, we concluded, gave women the ability to continue accumulating superannuation in their own right during periods of unpaid employment.

 

We began our campaign by lobbying politicians, industry associations such as Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), and other womens’ groups.  While many were supportive of the concept, at the time it was not legally possible to contribute to superannuation if you did not have a paid job.

 

VIEW FROM…..

NSW

Over the years, government has slowly moved in support of our policy, beginning in 1996 with the introduction of Retirement Savings Accounts, which could accept contributions on behalf of an unpaid worker. This was followed more recently by legislation allowing for superannuation splitting on divorce, and the introduction of the co-contribution for low-income workers.

 

WAA continued to campaign for the splitting of compulsory contributions, recognising that most low and middle income families have a very limited capacity to make extra contributions. Along the way, we made contact with Women in Super, a group of women who work in the superannuation industry, and who work to improve policy and education on superannuation for women. We are grateful to the support and assistance they provided over the years.

 

The 2005 Act allows fund members to transfer up to 85% of compulsory contributions to their spouse’s account at the end of each financial year. While funds are not required by the legislation to provide superannuation splitting, it is expected that most of the major funds will make it available to their members.

 

Hearty congratulations to all in WAA who have worked consistently since 1988 to achieve this important reform for women. For the first time it will be possible for low and middle income women to keep their superannuation accounts alive and growing during periods spent out of paid work caring for their families.

 

Well done to all those who helped in this long campaign. Persistence pays!!