The contentious ParentsNext program will be examined in a public hearing of the Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services on Friday 11 November 2022, from 9.45am to 3.00pm AEDT. The Committee will hear from a range of witnesses, including academics, advocacy groups and government departments.
Committee Chair, Mr Julian Hill MP, said "Let's not beat around the bush. ParentsNext has become highly controversial. Many claim ParentsNext causes economic and mental harm to parents of young children, disrespects First Nations peoples and survivors of domestic violence, and fundamentally misunderstands the factors inhibiting women from working. Many others strongly support the program claiming it helps numerous single parents and changes lives for the better.
The Committee approaches this task with an open mind and will listen carefully to the strongly divergent views about whether the program actually assists parents of young children to find secure and meaningful work. We will examine evidence presented and consider how the program invests in building work readiness of its participants. We want to hear what aspects work, how it can help someone to get a secure job, and what action may be needed given concerns expressed by participants and stakeholders.
Our role as a Committee is to ensure we understand the design and operation of ParentsNext, as well as key issues undermining the effectiveness of the program, so that we can make recommendations to improve outcomes and support parents in pursuing their needs and aspirations."
Submissions on ParentsNext are requested by 30 November 2022. Further public hearings will be held in Melbourne on 6 December and Sydney on 7 December, followed by site visits to other parts of Australia. The Committee has undertaken to make recommendations relating to ParentsNext by the end of February 2023, as part of an interim report.
Further information about the inquiry, including Terms of Reference, future public hearings, published submissions and hearing transcripts, will be available on the inquiry website.
Public hearing details
Date 11 November 2022
Time 9.45am – 3.00pm AEDT
Location Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra
Witnesses Dr Ann Nevile (Australian National University)
Dr Katherine Curchin (Australian National University)
Dr Elise Klein (Australian National University)
Dr Eve Vincent (Macquarie University)
Volunteering Australia
Goodstart Early Learning
Economic Justice Australia
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Department of Social Services
Services Australia
The hearing will be live broadcast via the Parliament's Watch, Read, Listen website.
