Planning kids? You should know the major parties’ parental leave policies before you vote

Shutterstock Anam Bilgrami, Macquarie UniversityMost new Australian mothers receive government paid parental leave to support health, encourage workforce participation and balance work and family life equally with their partners. Despite this, Australia still has one of the least generous parental leave schemes in the developed world. Both major parties propose to improve the paid parental leave scheme this election. If you plan on having children, it’s worthwhile understanding what each party promises. Their policies may impact your health, income and the opportunity to pursue your career differently. What are the major parties promising? The Australian government provides working parents with paid leave at the minimum wage for up to 18 weeks. This scheme was introduced by Labor in 2011 and represented a “giant leap” in social policy, but it came quite late by OECD standards. It has since been adjusted to provide partners with two weeks of leave and increase leave-taking flexibility. This election, the Coalition promises to “enhance” the scheme, although it will keep the total leave amount shared between parents unchanged at 20 weeks. It will...
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Food and exercise can treat depression as well as a psychologist, our study found. And it’s cheaper

Alexander Raths/shutterstock Adrienne O'Neil, Deakin University and Sophie Mahoney, Deakin UniversityAround 3.2 million Australians live with depression. At the same time, few Australians meet recommended dietary or physical activity guidelines. What has one got to do with the other? Our world-first trial, published this week, shows improving diet and doing more physical activity can be as effective as therapy with a psychologist for treating low-grade depression. Previous studies (including our own) have found “lifestyle” therapies are effective for depression. But they have never been directly compared with psychological therapies – until now. Amid a nation-wide shortage of mental health professionals, our research points to a potential solution. As we found lifestyle counselling was as effective as psychological therapy, our findings suggest dietitians and exercise physiologists may one day play a role in managing depression. What did our study measure? During the prolonged COVID lockdowns, Victorians’ distress levels were high and widespread. Face-to-face mental health services were limited. Our trial targeted people living in Victoria...
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