Women victims of Kennett's cuts
By Elle Morrell
MELBOURNE — Public opinion polls have consistently recorded a much higher disapproval of the Victorian government from women than from men. Fifty-nine per cent of women the latest Saulwick Age poll said the government had gone too far with its program of spending cuts, compared with 53% of men, and only 32% of women approved of Kennett's government as opposed to 48% approval from men.
This reflects the fact that Kennett's cuts to the public sector are mainly targeted at women. Earlier this month, 250 women attended a "Women Are Watching" public meeting organised by the Victorian Women's Coalition. Speakers highlighted the savage cuts to women's services.
Jo Crean, a parent from the Kindergarten Action Group, told the October 3 meeting of the effects of the cuts to preschool funding. The budget has been cut by a further $5 million, and there is now, she said, a more general push to dismantle the whole public preschool system. In 1994 parents will have to pay three times the fees they paid in 1993.
The government is no longer paying the full salaries of teachers, but making it the responsibility of the preschool parents' committees to top up the government's inadequate subsidy. Preschool workers are also not allocated any Workcare or sick pay.
Mary Crooks, who was involved in the Nicholls inquiry into state finances, attacked Kennett's radical economic rationalist agenda. "His political and social experiment has caught many by surprise", she said.
Crooks said Kennett couldn't justify his measures by blaming the previous Labor government's deficit. In contrast, she said, the Cain/Kirner Labor government had shown restraint in its public service cuts.
Barbara Lewis, from the Trades Hall Council, ran through some of the cuts affecting women: maternal and child health services; nursing mothers association; kindergartens; public transport; secondary education. "It's a pretty grim picture that will continue for at least another three years", she said. Lewis urged people to build broad community opposition groups, such as the newly formed Public Health Alliance.
Catherine Gow from the Save Fairlea Women's Coalition spoke on the urgent campaign to stop the Kennett government from moving women and children from Fairlea Women's Prison to the high security Jika Jika men's prison.