Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last night's budget delivered one of the most important changes to gender equality and women's workforce participation that we have seen in decades. In the budget last night, it was announced that this government will increase the Paid Parental Leave scheme currently funded by the government to 26 weeks, or six months. Not only will it increase the entitlement; it will also make sure that it's accessible not just for women and birth mothers but for fathers and parents. Why is this important? For too long in this country, paid parental leave has fallen to the mother. It's often the mother that doesn't have the choice to return to work, because she is the one entitled to the paid entitlement. It locks fathers out of being involved, but it locks women in the home. This gender reform says to families: What's best for your family? Who is best to take the paid parental leave: is it mum or is it the partner? This is how forward-thinking this government is. It is taking gender equality seriously by giving the choice on paid parental leave back to households and back to families. That's the kind of reform this government is doing. I give a big shout-out to all the mums and future mums, because we're thinking of you.

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