This Budget bashes birds

For an older single parent an extension of the taper will allow more earnings from workforce engagement to be kept, without reducing benefits. But engagement with the work-force is compulsory, even in one of the many areas with high unemployment rates.

However, partnered women with young children are still permitted to remain full time child parents. And their partners will keep the dependant spouse tax offset.

On the bright side, amendments to superannuation will see the introduction of MySuper, and other reforms, which will mean workers will find it easier to bring together the many individual super schemes to which they contribute. This is a very big deal for youngsters working multiple part-time and occasional jobs, and women working several part-time jobs, to achieve a decent wage.

There is money to meet the commitment to implement improvements to the Equal Opportunity in the Workforce Agency and promote gender equity in the workforce.

And history has been made. For the first time a female journalist was allowed lactation leave/privileges during the lock-up, and the Parliament House child care centre has stayed open until 9.00 pm to care for her baby.