ENDEAVOUR FORUM NEWSLETTER No. 127, JULY 2007
BOOKSHELF
"Balancing Work and Family": Commonwealth of Australia, 2006. 402 pp. 
Reviewed by Dr. Daphne Hennelly.
This is a Federal Government report on an inquiry into the position of Australian women regarding "family life and the paid workforce". The Committee chaired by Bronwyn Bishop, MHR, have put an enormous amount of work into analyzing many aspects of life including social change, taxation, parents having children, child care, tax relief and the difficulties of disability carers.The result is a large tome of findings and statistics. This includes submissions and public hearings from many people all over Australia.
The Government presumably requires a factual case in order to direct Government money to areas where the need is greatest - a difficult assessment to make in a large country like Australia with so many immigrants from various countries.
However, the impression given is that the Committee is intent on getting as many women as possible into the paid work force, whether they are married, single, with or without children, regardless of age or circumstances; in other words, financial considerations are paramount. Whether this is the best outcome for the raising of children is not seriously considered, nor whether husbands are in agreement.
The Government wants more money via taxation and this is the most obvious way of getting it.The reason quoted for this is the need for supporting the ageing population, with less young people available to provide the finance.
There is insistence that child care facilities should be provided at any cost. This was contrary to the objections of some submissions that creches are not generally in a child's best interests. Various contemporary studies have shown that this produces many problems for children, and likewise, their parents.
One rather disturbing idea in all this is that spending money on women's education is wasted unless she is fully employed in a financially productive occupation. Many of us think that education as such is never wasted because it enhances a woman's personal life and capabilities. She is then able to competently bring up and educate her own children. Some would go further and say that it is absolutely necessary for women to be well educated in order to adequately look after their families.
One instance of this principle could be considered in regard to food. We have an obesity problem among our population. What about training children to cook good quality meals at home so that they do not have to resort to the nutritionally unbalanced "take-away"?
A fault with this inquiry is that it is unbalanced, there being no consideration given to the needs of children and their happiness in family life. It is downgrading for women to be considered solely as financial providers. Parents sorely need to balance home life and work, parents need to have time to develop family activities with their children and be available in times of stress.
A casual observer might get the impression that Australia is a well-off country with abundant assets, low unemployment and adequate government services. Yet there seems to be a great drive to get women into the paid workforce. Why is this so? Views on this would be interesting.
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