Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

That is the truth. That is what they have been like. There was no parental leave scheme put by those opposite at any stage. Where were the small ‘l’ liberals then? Was a submission put to the cabinet then? Where was the private member’s bill then from those opposite? It did not happen, and never would under archconservative former Prime Minister John Howard. Nor would it happen under the truth-teller at that stage, the now Leader of the Opposition, because when he said that it would happen over his dead body that was the truth.

Those people who go to the polls next time can have a choice. Do they believe the Leader of the Opposition who in a moment of sincerity back in 2002 said he would not do this at any stage, or do they believe the Leader of the Opposition when, in his own electorate on International Women’s Day, he had come up with something? I wonder what his conversation would have been like with the shadow Treasurer and the shadow minister for finance. We had the fiasco last week with the National Press Club and with the budget-in-reply speech, but it must have been an incredibly interesting conversation after he said: ‘Fellers, we have come up with this scheme. It’s going to be great. I have backflipped and I have changed my whole view. St Paul had nothing on my conversion experience, fellers. I have changed. I am a New Age feller.’ People are not going to believe that, and those sitting on this side do not believe those opposite would ever bring in a paid parental leave scheme if they had the chance. It is simply nonsense.

This is a historic day for the women and men and children in the Australian family. This is important legislation. I want to pay tribute to the many women in this caucus; to the great champions of the ACTU who have fought hard in relation to this; to the businesses that had the foresight to permit paid parental leave schemes to operate in their businesses for working women and working men; but also to those progressive forces in this community who have sought to ensure that all of us will go forward together with greater prosperity, with greater productivity and with greater profit for our businesses, which are the lifeblood of the Australian community.

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