Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to contribute to this debate on the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Improvements for Families and Gender Equality) Bill 2022. One of the first things we did as a government was to hold a Jobs and Skills Summit, bringing together all sectors of our country to address the issues facing our nation and together consider real solutions that will have a real and effective impact. Paid parental leave reform was one of the most frequent proposals raised at this successful Jobs and Skills Summit in September. We made the summit one of our first priorities, and we did this because we are a sensible, proactive government. This is another example of a sensible and practical bill addressing issues that real-world people are facing today. This government has listened to the issues raised by everyday people, and we are responding to these issues and making sure that we make changes to create a better future. This is a government for all Australians. This is a government that cares about and looks out for working families.

This bill is aimed at improving the lives of working families, just like the many hardworking families in my electorate of Hunter, and these families deserve a fair go. Having a child is one of the most amazing times of someone's life, but it can also come with added pressures. Families in Hunter and around Australia deserve to have the financial support in place that they need so they can focus on what's important: providing the best possible start to the life of the newest member of their family. This bill is supporting better outcomes for children. It's important that the decision to have a child should not come at a financial sacrifice for women. Women should not have to choose between having a family and maintaining economic equality. That's why this bill is helping to advance women's economic equality. The time women are out of the workforce to bring a child into this world should not leave them worse off when it comes time for them to retire.

Of course, as with all nation-shaping legislation that has been passed through this place, it was the Labor Party who were responsible, so it's no surprise that it was when the Labor Party were last in government, in 2011, that the Paid Parental Leave scheme was first established. I'm proud to be a part of this government, which is taking the most significant steps to improve the scheme since its establishment. The government is modernising the Paid Parental Leave scheme to reflect how Australian families and their needs have changed since it was established over a decade ago.

We said we would be a government that holds nobody back and leaves nobody behind. This amendment is giving those who were held back previously an opportunity to access paid parental leave and all of the benefits that come with it. Around 181,000 families will benefit from the changes in this bill, including around 4,300 parents who will gain access who would have been ineligible underneath the current scheme. That's 181,000 families with more support and 181,000 children with a better start in life.

The current scheme was a significant introduction in 2011, but today it is not fit for purpose and does not entirely support the changing needs of a modern family in 2023. The current scheme does not do enough to provide access to fathers and partners. It limits flexibility for families to choose how they take leave and transition back into the workforce. Eligibility rules are unfair to families where the mother is the higher-income earner. Our bill fixes these issues.

We are giving more families access to the government payment, making sure that parents have more flexibility in how they take leave. We encourage parents to share the care because we know and understand that in 2023 parenting is a shared responsibility more than ever before. We are a government that gets straight onto the job. There's no fluffing around on this side of the parliament. That's why from 1 July 2023 this bill will deliver six important changes. The current scheme offers two separate payments. This bill will combine these two existing payments into a single 20-week scheme. I know firsthand what it's like to become a new parent, and I also know what it's like becoming a dad for the second time. It can be challenging, and it's important that the load is shared between both parents. That is why one of the changes we'll be making is reserving a portion of the scheme for each parent to support them both to take time off work after a birth or an adoption.

The time you spend with your child as a newborn is invaluable, and it is an experience that you don't get many times throughout your life. I know that when my girls were born I would have loved to have had the chance to be at home with them as much as I could, but unfortunately I had to go back to work, leaving my amazing wife, Alex, at home to look after them. This is a common occurrence for many Australian families. It's not fair on mothers, and it certainly isn't fair on the fathers. This is exactly what ensuring both parties can take time off work will address. This is a bill that is good for both the parents and children of Australia and the Hunter because when fathers take a greater caring role from the start it benefits mums, dads and their kids.

This bill is about modernising the scheme and bringing it into line with modern parenting. Gone are the days when raising children and looking after the newborn was solely the responsibility of the mother. It was this type of mindset that too often limited the Paid Parental Leave scheme, making it difficult for one parent to access the payment. The changes being introduced will remove the notion of primary and secondary carers and make it easier for both parents to access this payment.

Our government wants to make sure that all families who need the support of the Paid Parental Leave scheme have the chance to access it. We know that an individual income does not tell the whole story of a family's income, and so we are expanding access to the scheme by introducing a $350,000 family income test which families can be assessed under if they exceed the individual income test.

When you're a government in touch with the people who you represent, you understand the needs of people in the community. We understand that not every family is the same, and that's why there is a need for increased flexibility for parents to choose how they take leave days. That is what this bill and these changes to the Paid Parental Leave scheme will deliver. These changes will allow eligible fathers and partners to access the payment, irrespective of whether the birth parent meets the income test or residency requirements, because, again, we're a government that leaves no-one behind.

This is a bill that, as a father and a man, I am proud to speak on and support. This is a bill that sends a clear message that treating parenting as an equal partnership supports gender equality. This bill shows that, as a government, we value both men and women as carers. I truly hope that this is reflected and reinforced in workplaces and throughout all of our communities. This bill brings all-round benefits. The government's paid parental leave reform is good for parents, good for kids, good for employers and good for the economy. This government is delivering a win for all, a win that will have real benefits for real people who need it the most. I commend this bill to the House.

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