Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would really like to answer the questions raised by the member for Mitchell: what is the connection between this bill and the government's outrageous proposal for its Paid Parental Leave Scheme? There is a very clear nexus and a very clear reason why we need to oppose this bill before us today in order to take a stand on paid parental leave, because this bill is actually demonstrating the rank hypocrisy of the government on this matter. We have now got a series of student-politics-like stunts being attempted to be woven into a coherent policy. The bill we have before us today demonstrates very clearly that there is indeed no coherent consistent policy.

The bill we are dealing with today is a bill that would transfer the administration of the paid parental leave system to the government sector on the basis that 'all the other payments of government such as family tax benefits are all paid for by the government'. But when the Prime Minister is questioned as to why it is that this Paid Parental Leave Scheme is going to be such a generous scheme that it is going to allow women who are very wealthy to have an enhanced entitlement—

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