Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education) Share this | Hansard source

The Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Flexibility Measures) Bill 2020 introduces reforms aimed at better supporting working parents and their families to access paid parental leave more flexibly to support choice about balancing work and family. From 1 July 2020 families will be able to split their parental leave pay into blocks of leave over a two-year period, allowing for periods of work in-between.

The changes will help thousands of new parents who currently need to return to work before they have used all of their paid parental leave. Instead of losing unused leave, these families will now have greater flexibility to take their leave at a time that suits the needs of their family. The increased flexibility will also make it easier for mothers who are eligible for Paid Parental Leave to transfer the entitlement to eligible partners who take on the role of primary carer where it suits the family's circumstances. We know that not all families are the same, and this bill makes important improvements to the Paid Parental Leave scheme that give families more flexibility to balance work and caring responsibilities in a way that best suits their needs. I commend this bill to the House.

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