Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Families in rural and regional electorates will be hard hit by the Prime Minister's cuts to family tax benefit part B. Does the Prime Minister think it is fair that families in the bush will have their family payments cut while wealthy Australians in the city get paid $50,000 to have a baby?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What this government wants to do is establish fairness. It is not fair that the staff of the member who just asked this question get access to paid parental leave at their wage and people working as shop assistants in milk bars, in the small businesses of country Australia do not. What I want to do is to ensure that there is fairness across urban and regional Australia by ensuring that every Australian gets access to a fair dinkum paid parental leave scheme. I know that members opposite are disappointed that they did not have the guts to think of this and put it forward as policy.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is the truth, Madam Speaker.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why should public servants have access to paid parental leave at their wage and not the rest of Australia? Why should the Leader of the Opposition's staff have access to paid parental leave at their wage and not the rest of Australia?

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin is warned.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So I want one rule for everyone and that rule is that paid parental leave should be paid at a person's wage. People get paid holiday pay at their wage, they get paid sick pay at their wage, they get paid long service leave at their wage and, finally, under this government, they will get paid parental leave at their wage. That is fair. That is just. That is modern. It is social reform and it is economic reform, and it will be delivered by this government.