Over the past week, the Federal Member for Bowman, Henry Pike has written to thousands of young women across the Redlands, seeking their views on how to make it easier to raise a family in Australia.
“The most important job in the nation is raising the next generation of Australians, yet families are often the least supported by current tax and policy settings.’ Mr Pike said
“Local families have told me that the cost of living is climbing faster than wages, mortgage repayments are eating into household budgets, and achieving work-life balance feels more out of reach than ever.”
Mr Pike states that strong families are the foundation of a strong nation, and government policy should reflect that.
“Supporting mums, dads, and carers isn’t just social policy, it’s nation-building,” said Mr Pike.
To help ease pressure on households, Mr Pike has been developing three practical policy ideas to make life easier for families including ‘income splitting’, a ‘Raising the Nation’ tax break and providing more flexibility to utilise the childcare subsidy.
Income splitting would allow couples with a dependant, to split their income evenly for tax purposes to reduce their overall liability and recognise both partners’ contributions. It prevents households being hit with higher tax when one partner earns more.
Pike’s proposed “Raising the Nation” Tax Break would double the tax-free threshold for parents with dependents from $18,200 to $36,400. With proposed tax savings to the average Redlands household of around $5,824 per year.
Mr Pike is also seeking feedback on giving parents greater control of their Federal Child Care Subsidy. This would enable parents to use it in the way that best suits their family rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
“These policies would make a real difference for households across the Redlands, recognising the unique challenges families face and offering genuine choice in how they raise their children,” Mr Pike said.
“I’d love to hear more ideas from local families about how we can make raising children more affordable and family life a little easier.”
Redlanders can learn more about these proposals, test how they might benefit their household through an online calculator developed by Mr Pike and give their feedback at www.henrypike.com.au/strong_families