Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be made.

The Senate has requested that the House make amendments to the Paid Parental Leave Bill 2010 to modify the work test for women who experience a premature birth and/or are unable to meet the work test due to complications or illness related to their pregnancy. This request was initiated by the government in the Senate in response to concerns raised in the Senate committee inquiry about whether women who have premature births or pregnancy complications that prevent them from working will meet the work test. The government acknowledges submissions made by the National Foundation for Australian Women, the ACTU and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association on this issue. The Senate committee, in its report, recommended:

… that the government examine the eligibility requirements … to ensure that … women who experience unexpected difficulties during pregnancy which may affect their ability to meet the eligibility requirements of the bill are able to access paid parental leave.

The government is therefore moving amendments to the Paid Parental Leave Bill to modify the work test for women who experience a premature birth and/or are unable to meet the work test due to complications or illness relating to their pregnancy. These amendments will allow a birth mother to be eligible for parental leave pay where the department secretary is satisfied that she would have met the work test but for the premature birth of her child or pregnancy related complications or illness. The changes will ensure that women in these circumstances are not precluded from the Paid Parental Leave scheme because of unexpected developments in their pregnancy which prevent them from doing the amount of paid work they otherwise would have undertaken. The cost of the amendments is likely to be negligible.

Many women experiencing pregnancy related illness or complications will have access to paid leave which already counts as qualifying work for the paid parental leave work test. The new provisions will ensure that the small number of women who may not have met the paid parental leave work test for these reasons will be able to access parental leave pay. It would not be appropriate for women who clearly have a genuine labour market attachment to be made ineligible in these sorts of situations.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Deregulation, Competition Policy and Sustainable Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I congratulate the minister on bringing these amendments forward. They have the complete and wholehearted support of the coalition. So as not to delay the passage of the bill through the parliamentary process, I will briefly highlight an amendment of particular interest to the small business community—the government’s agreement to the opposition’s request to have the department secretary continue to be the pay clerk, effectively, for this arrangement, indefinitely.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Macklin interjecting

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Deregulation, Competition Policy and Sustainable Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is an issue that we are pleased we have got agreement on in that respect and we are encouraged by that. It is a great comfort to many in the small business community, and I thank the minister for her interest in and willingness to deal with that.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to these amendments I will just say that we support the inclusion of women who may have those pregnancy difficulties and who do have an attachment to the workplace. We think they are very sensible amendments, and certainly they would be reflected in the paid parental leave plan that the coalition will introduce when we are in government. This is very important, and we commend these amendments to the House.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Deregulation, Competition Policy and Sustainable Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has just corrected me, and I thank her for that. Just to put the record straight, it is the Senate that has so far agreed with the proposition we have put forward, and I would encourage the government in this place to consider embracing that very thoughtful proposition—that, if we are going to set up those systems for six months for the Family Assistance Office, it makes a lot of sense to keep utilising that investment rather than transfer the cost and compliance burden to smaller employers. Thank you.

Question agreed to.