NON-CUSTODIAL PARENTS PARTY (EQUAL PARENTING)

 

POLICY DIRECTIONS

 

Principles

 

The Australian Government is taking more and more of an intrusive and unnecessary role in the making of decisions that affect our lives.

 

The Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) seeks to:

 

a)     Minimise government interference in decisions that affect our lives; and

 

b)    Maximise the initiative of individuals to make and be accountable for the decisions.

 

Policies

 

Our policies are related to parents and children after divorce or separation. These policies are also applicable to parents and children from intact families. We seek to prevent family breakdown and we promote stability in established relationships.

 

The main issues are as follows:

 

·          Child Care

·          Crime and Justice

·          Defence

·          Economic Policy

·          Education and Training

·          Employment

·          Environment

·          Family Law and Child Support Issues

·          Foreign Policy

·          Health

·          Housing

·          Immigration

·          Marriage

·          Population Growth

·          Social Welfare

·          State Governments

·          Superannuation

·          Transport

·          Water

 

Child Care

 

We support the principle of the rebuttable presumption of equal-time, shared parenting. That is either parent can look after their children should the need arise.

 

We do support the continued public funding of childcare. However, this is only where it is not feasible to have the other parent look after the children.

 

The Government’s social security payment system is based on the percentage of care that the custodial parent is able to maintain.

 

Due to the current Government philosophy, it is very often more financially beneficial for the custodial parent not to permit the non-custodial parent to look after the children.

 

Should the non-custodial parent look after the children, the custodial parent could subsequently lose benefits.

 

As a result, it is then very often more financially beneficial for the custodial parent to place the children into an already overburdened child care system.

 

Crime and Justice

 

We support the concept of a rebuttable presumption of equal-time shared parenting.

 

Forty (40) per cent of non-custodial parents lose total contact with their children. This is within five (5) years of separation (ref: “Every Picture Tells a Story”).

 

Current legislation and judicial practice is to increase this loss of contact.

 

As a result, we have significant social problems in Australia.

 

Rex McCann, in his book "Boys Growing up Underfathered", has said that boys from a fatherless home are:

 

·          5 times more likely to commit suicide;

 

·          14 times more likely to commit rape;

 

·          9 times more likely to drop out of high school;

 

·          10 times more likely to abuse chemicals;

 

·          9 times more likely to end up in a state-operated institution; and

 

·          20 times more likely to end up in prison.

 

(Source: Rex McCann, "Boys Growing up Underfathered", Finch Publishing, Sydney. 2000, page 47).

 

It is noted that these figures relate to boys from separated families in the United States. We have no doubt that similar problems do exist for both girls and boys, and both in United States and Australia.

 

Australia's current prison population rate is 160.0 per 100,000 of adult population. The total prison population has increased by 63 per cent between 1992 and 2007. This is despite an overall Australian population increase of only 17 per cent. (Source: ABS Year Book 2007)

 

This fact indicates that we have increasing social problems in Australia.

 

Children from separated families need both parents when they grow up. Otherwise, the present problems will no doubt get worse. For example, the United States has ten (10) times more prisoners than Australia does per head of population.

 

A new Section 65DAA was added to the Family Law Act 1975. This occurred in 2006. This was to allow judges and magistrates to consider equal-time, shared parenting.

 

Family Court judges and magistrates have always been able to consider equal-time, shared parenting. However they have chosen not to do so. Unfortunately, this recent legislative change has still not been sufficient enough to change the ingrained cultural attitude of the judges of the Family Court and magistrates of the Federal Magistrates Court.

 

We need proper legislation to ensure the implementation of a rebuttable presumption of equal-time shared parenting. This is rather than just mere consideration (and invariable rejection of) equal-time, shared parenting as it is now. 

 

Defence

 

We do not support Australia’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

The Government's first and most important task is to defend the nation. It is not to attack other countries.

 

Therefore, we support the continued proper funding of our Australian Defence Force.

 

However, at the same time, we do not support funding for either the War in Iraq or Afghanistan.

 

The Government adopted the recommendations contained in the 2000 Defence White Paper. Additional funds were also made available in the 2006-2007 Budget.

 

The funding details are provided below.

 

* Defence funding was increased in the 2001-02 Commonwealth Budget and forward estimates to address a number of specific priorities detailed in the 2000 Defence White Paper. The White Paper provided a funding commitment for Defence of around $28.5 billion (b) (in 2006-07 dollars) over the decade from 2001-02. This funding injection equates to an increase of some 3% of average real growth per year over the period.

Key 2006-07 Budget measures include:

·  supplementation of $623 million (m) for the conduct of ADF operations including:

·  the continued ADF contribution to stabilisation and reconstruction activities in Iraq (an additional $392.7m over three years);

·  the continued ADF contribution, including deploying and sustaining the Reconstruction Task Force, to Afghanistan (an additional $218.2m over three years); and

·  the ADF contribution to the surveillance of Australia’s northern approaches ($12.1m);

·  funding to improve the sustainability and survivability of the Army in operational conditions ($440.5m over four years); and

·  funding to purchase C-17 Globemaster III heavy airlifters to enhance Defence’s heavy airlift capability ($1,918.6m over four years

 (Source: ABS Year Book 2007).

 

Economic Policy

 

We support less “red tape” and less government and bureaucratic intervention in our business community.

 

We support the "open society" approach as a means of increasing our nation's wealth. This is through free trade and globalisation.

 

At the same time, we recognize that there is a strong need to support our local industries.

 

Education and Training

 

We support that personal and family reasons may include the need to look after children.

 

Accessibility to education and training will be improved. This is with the implementation of a rebuttable presumption of equal-time, shared parenting.

 

We recognize that there needs to be economic incentives¹ to do more training. Therefore, we also support the abolition of the Child Support Agency and the return to fairer pre-1989 court orders for child support

 

Of the 5.3 million people aged 15-64 years in 2005 who had completed at least one training course, 2.7 million wanted to do further training. They chose not to do so. (Source: ABS Year Book 2007)

 

Why?

 

The most frequent main reason reported for not doing more training courses, was having too much work (19%). While men of this age group more frequently reported too much work (23%) as the main barrier to further training, women more frequently reported personal or family reasons (20%) as the main barrier to further training. (Source: ABS Year Book 2007).

Note: 1. The CSA’s book titled Child Support Scheme Facts and Figures 2005-2006.) shows that 43.2 per cent of liable parents for child support were below taxable income levels. That is, as at June 2006. This equates to 311,953 people out of a total number of 722,113 child support payers being effectively unemployed. 

 

Employment

 

We support the repealing of the Child Support legislation. We also support the adoption of shared/equal parenting. This is to allow both parents to get back into the work force to provide financial stability and independence.

 

The current Child Support System is not working. As a result, 43.2 per cent of child support payers are effectively not in the workforce. (ref. Child Support Agency’s Child Support Scheme Facts and Figures 2005-2006.)

 

This figure is increasing annually.

 

For comparison purposes, both last year’s and previous seven (7) figures are provided below:

 

1998-1999 - 36.4 per cent

1999-2000 - 36.9 per cent

2000-2001 - 39.0 per cent

2001-2002 - 38.2 per cent

2002-2003 - 39.6 per cent

2003-2004 - 40.7 per cent

2004-2005 - 40.5 per cent

2005-2006 - 43.2 per cent

 

(ref. respective Table 5.2’s in the CSA’s “Child Support Scheme. Facts and Figures” for 1998-1999, 1999-2000, etc. through to 2005-2006).

 

This trend is clearly upward, as shown below:

The Child Support Agency’s solution to the problem is to literally force liable parents into submission.

 

This solution has been outlined in several media releases (particularly coming out of the CSA’s Brisbane enforcement office) and via many indirect “briefings” given to selected media journalists.

 

The above figures show that this punitive “solution” has not worked. As a result, child support payments are decreasing.

 

Environment

 

We support the need to improve the power generation systems that we have in place now. That is, we support the removal of the emphasis on coal as the main source of power generation.

 

There have been calls for the implementation of nuclear power generation. It is predicted that the “green” parties will one day adopt nuclear power stations in preference to the only other solution, which is coal-fired power stations!

 

However we do not support the nuclear option as a solution. We cannot support nuclear power because of the inherent dangers involved.

 

We wish to secure economic growth and at the same time preserve the environment.

 

By world standards, Australia is a dry continent with limited freshwater resources. This is largely due to its variable and unpredictable rainfall. More than two-thirds of the continent is classified as arid or semi-arid, making it the driest inhabited continent - Antarctica is the driest continent

 

It is recognized that the problem of Climate Change does exist.

 

The reason is that more and more of world’s population is simply living in an affluent type of society. With the result, more and more energy is required to sustain that type of lifestyle.

 

Two (2) decades ago, approximately one (1) billion people would have been living in what could be considered to be an affluent lifestyle. Now with previously less developed countries now having emerging economies, this figure is closer to three (3) or four (4) billion people. This is causing ever-increasing environmental problems on a large scale.

 

Renewable energy such as through wind, water and solar power generation will certainly help. These alternatives should be certainly promoted. However by themselves they are not the solutions to the problem.

 

There are only two (2) realistic sources of power generation - either coal or nuclear power. No other method provides a complete solution.

 

Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal. Placing an environmental tax on our coal production would result in significant job losses.

 

Similarly, signing the Kyoto Agreement would also create a significant impact on our economy. Better management is required rather than punitive action by the Government.

 

Family Law and Child Support Issues

 

(Refer to our separate policy on Family Law & Child Support Policy)

 

Foreign Policy

 

We support any measures that would avoid having Australia involved in unnecessary confrontation

 

The United States of America has the number one (1) economy in the world. At the same time, the USA also has the best army in the world. In the near future, there are several countries that may attempt to overtake the USA’s position as the number one (1) economy in the world.

 

As a worst-case scenario, it is conceivable that the USA will continue to utilize its strong military position to maintain its status quo economically.

 

Health

 

We support higher levels of service being provided by the Medicare Scheme and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

 

We also support the introduction of a voluntary Commonwealth Dental Scheme.

 

In 2004-2005, the total expenditure on health was $87.3 billion. This represents 9.8 per cent of GDP.

 

This is a substantial investment in health.

 

The average person makes use of Medicare twelve (12) times per year. The annual cost per person is $533.46. (Source: ABS Year Book 2007  “Health” – Table 9.40). 

 

Similarly, the PBS had 168.3 million benefit prescriptions in 2005-06. This represented a cost to the Government of $6,163.1m.

The number of PBS subsidised prescriptions per person in 2005-06 was 8.2

(Source: ABS Year Book 2007 “Health”-Table 9.41 ). 

 

We do not see that these costs and the respective usage level as being unreasonable. This is particularly since our population is aging.

 

Housing

 

We support fairer and more equitable distribution of property. This is for parents after divorce or separation. (Refer to our separate policy on Family Law & Child Support Policy)

 

Owning a house is getting beyond the reach of the average wage earner.

 

Between 1994-95 and 2003-04, owners with a mortgage experienced a $45 increase in weekly housing costs after adjustment for inflation, most of which occurred in the last year (graph 8.9). As a proportion of gross household income, housing costs of owners with a mortgage rose from an average of 17% in 2002-03 to 19% in 2003-04, the same as in 1994-95.

For other tenure types, changes were smaller with an overall increase of $21 for private renters and $6 for public renters between 1994-95 and 2003-04. For private renters, this represented a small decline in the proportion of income spent on rent, from 20% to 19% - but for public renters it represented an increase, from 17% to 19% of income spent on rent (graph 8.10). As noted above, the effect of CRA receipts should be taken into consideration when making comparisons of housing costs of private renters with those of other tenure types.

 

(Source: ABS Year Book 2007). 

 

The housing problem is normally worse for parents who separate and/or divorce.

 

This is caused by unnecessary legislative and judicial intervention.

 

Immigration

 

We support controlled immigration.

 

Australia needs to look after the people living in Australia, as its first priority.

 

 In 2004-05 net overseas migration (123,800 people) represented half (50%) of Australia’s population growth for the year (Source: ABS Year Book 2007)

 

One of the main reasons why people do not wish to have children is because of our unfair and inequitable Family Law and Child Support legislation.

 

Australia's total fertility rate (TFR) is about 1.7 babies per female. It is the lowest on record. The TFR should be at least 2.1 for sustainability.

 

Unfortunately our marriage rate and consequently the TFR are in decline. Since the mid-1970s the annual marriage rate has continued to decline from 9 per 100,000 people. It is now 5.5 per 100,000 people.

(Source: ABS Year Book 2007).

 

We support changes to the Family Law Act 1975 to make this piece of legislation fairer and more equitable to all parties. At the same time, we would support the complete repealing of our current child support legislation.

 

Marriage

 

We support the Marriage Manifesto produced by the National Marriage Coalition in 2007.

 

There were 111,000 marriages registered in Australia in 2004, resulting in a crude marriage rate of 5.5 marriages per 1,000 population. This almost the lowest on record (there were 5.1 marriages per 1000 population in 2001).

The crude marriage rates between 1954 and 2004 are shown in graph 5.42. (Source: ABS Year Book 2007).

The Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) is a proud signatory of the Marriage Manifesto.

 

We particularly refer to Item 11 of the section titled “STEPPING FORWARD TOGETHER - A CALL TO ACTION”.

 

Item 11 states that:

 

We urge all governments and their agencies to take urgent steps to:

 

11. Implement a fundamental reform process of the Family Law Act 1975 with a view to making divorce laws more equitable for all concerned; specifically:

 

  i. Examining the current grounds for divorce, namely the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, as evidenced by 12 months separation of the parties.

 

 ii. Examining whether the best interests of children would be enhanced by longer separation periods where there are children of the marriage and earlier reconciliation counseling (as opposed to conciliation counseling).

 

iii. Including a presumption of shared parenting after divorce in the Family Law Act. Children will then be guaranteed equal access to both parents after divorce. This is their right.

 

Adobe Acrobat PDF copy of the Marriage Manifesto

 

Population Growth

 

Australia’s Family Law and Child Support problem affects the natural growth of population.

 

As such, we support changes to the Family Law Act 1975 to make this piece of legislation fairer and more equitable to all parties. At the same time, we would support the complete repealing of our current child support legislation

 

In 2005, thirty (30) per cent* of Australia’s population was aged 50 and over (Source: ABS Year Book 2007). This has been caused as a result of the post-Second World War baby boom. As more and more “baby boomers” die, the dynamics of Australia will change significantly. This will be particularly apparent in the next twenty (20) or thirty (30) years.

 

(*The percentage of people aged over 50 should not be above fifteen (15) per cent, for reasons of future economic sustainability).

 

Federal Governments, both now and in the past, have recognized that this problem does exist. However, at the same time, they have done nothing to address the issue. (It should be noted that the various State Governments have never recognized the problem even exists!)

 

Australia needs to look after people living in Australia as the first priority. This is not only with regard to improvements in our health, education and welfare facilities. It is also with regard to making significant changes to the current family law and child support legislation.

 

This is so it becomes more conducive for families to have children.

 

Social Welfare

 

We support the implementation of a rebuttable presumption of equal-time shared parenting. We also support the abolition of the Child Support Agency. Both measures, if adopted, would significantly reduce the outlays on social welfare.

 

Australia has a disproportionately large number of people on social welfare. Two (2) of the larger payments that the Government provides for are Newstart Allowance ($4.527 billion) and Parenting Payments ($6.048 billion). (Source: ABS Year Book 2007).

 

We believe that this will become an ever increasing necessity as our population continues to age.

 

State Governments

 

We support many of the functions, now being carried out by state government departments, being transferred to the Commonwealth Government.

 

Australia is over-governed. These changes would result in less unnecessary, bureaucratic intervention.

 

Many state government departments do view their roles as being important. The reality is that the true power has resided with the Commonwealth Government for some time.

 

This is simply because the bulk of the taxation revenue, i.e. mainly from income tax and GST - is raised by the Federal Government.

 

In 2004-05, Commonwealth Government taxation represented 82.3% of taxation revenue for all levels of government. (Source: ABS Year Book 2007).

Superannuation

 

Funds held as superannuation are considered to be property by the Family Law courts.

 

(Refer to our separate policy on Family Law & Child Support Policy)

 

Transport

 

We support funding that is allocated to providing for deficiencies in public transport rather than for building new freeways. This is for environmental reasons.

 

The majority of Australia's workforce and students (72 per cent in 2000) drove a car, truck or similar to their work or to their place of study. Only 12 per cent used public transport to get to work or to their place of study. (Source: ABS Year Book 2007) 

 

Water

 

We support environmentally-friendly proposals to transfer water from North Queensland and North-West Australia to the rural areas of the south.

 

Water is a scare but necessary resource in our rural communities.

 

By far the largest consumer of water in Australia is the agriculture industry. Agriculture accounted for about two-thirds (67%) of total water consumption in 2000-01 (graph 24.23). Of the water used for agricultural production in 2004-05, most was for irrigation of crops and pastures (90%); the remainder was used for other agricultural purposes such as stock drinking water and piggery cleaning. (Source: ABS Year Book 2007).

 

There are many proposals to obtain water, that are also environmentally friendly, from North Queensland and North-West Australia, tapping existing aquifers, damming northern rivers, desalination, etc.

 

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