Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is indeed a shame that that conservative government didn't have the mettle to take that decision. So, in the fashion of Hawke and Keating, a Shorten-Bowen Labor government, should we be given the honour of being elected, will take the higher road. We will set another milestone in this country for superannuation. We will really create a platform that paves the way for future decisions for women, paying the superannuation guarantee on paid parental leave and, I might add, dad and partner payments, because we want everyone to do well. But we know that women have a way to go and need to catch up.

We're also going to phase out the $450-per-month minimum income threshold for eligibility for the superannuation guarantee. That is so important to all of those young people, particularly women, who are working two, three or sometimes even four jobs where the monthly income may not rack up to $450. But I tell you what: in the next 50 years they are going to need that superannuation and, more to the point, our tax base and our income generation are going to need that as well.

When I was talking about this this morning with an employee here in Parliament House, he said to me, 'Don't tell me that you guys are starting to plan more than three years ahead,' and I said, 'Well, we are, because now, if we start to include more people in the truly universal superannuation system, we will have more money put aside in years to come, and this will add an infinite amount of discretionary spending in the economy, but also it will take the pressure off the tax base in the future.' It's an important decision. (Time expired)

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