Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like many Australian women, I watched in utter shock yesterday as the Treasurer made an announcement that 80,000 Australian mums will be losing part of their entitlement to paid parental leave. The worst thing is that this was all presented as a measure of 'fairness'. I think we all learned last year, when that toxic budget was handed down by the government, that these people have absolutely no understanding of what fairness means. And this policy announcement is further evidence of that.

One of the things I am finding most frustrating is that I thought—perhaps foolishly—that this could be one shadow of an issue on which the Prime Minister had actual genuine conviction. We heard the Prime Minister say several years ago that a paid parental leave scheme would be introduced in this country over his dead body. Then we had this charade of a signature announcement that he would lay his life on the line for this policy. And what we see now, the shock that we see now, is that in this budget they are introducing a policy that will see 80,000 to 90,000 Australian women worse off at one of the most vulnerable times in in their whole lives.

The Treasurer tried to sell that budget last year by telling us that this was all about the children. I say to the Treasurer: if that is the case, why are you tying changes to child care to a $6 billion cut to family tax benefits that will see some of the poorest families in this country $6,000 worse off? Those opposite have no idea about fairness and I reject these changes.

Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed, tonight is budget night. Unlike those opposite, we understand and will never forget that it is important for government—just as it is for small business and families—to live within their means. So I am looking tonight for a credible path back to surplus. Small business, as most people on this side understand, is the engine room of our nation's prosperity. There are two million small businesses in Australia that will be looking to the budget tonight to support small business, to confidently invest and to create more jobs for our nation.

I will be looking for a budget that encourages all Australians to have a go. It is in our ethos, and we need a budget tonight that will support that. I am looking for a budget that will play to our nation's strengths, and our nation's strengths are our people. I welcome the announcements in respect of families—the significant investment in child care to make it more affordable, more flexible and more accessible for more families.

I specifically will be looking for the $203 million over the next four years for the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme; $60 million for tranche 2 irrigation investment; more money going into the jobs program and a budget that continues to build on confidence in my state of Tasmania.

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

Here we are again. It is another budget day, and we have already seen in the early media leaks and the backgrounding that is going on that the government again tonight will attack working families, families in our electorates. It is pretty clear to all of us on this side of the House, and to all Australians who will be out there tonight watching, that the government are only interested in doing one thing tonight; they are only worried about saving their own jobs.

They had better think again about some of the budget measures they are putting forward tonight. What we have already heard is that they are going after women and they are going after families. They are saying to 80,000 women who are about to embark on having a child, 'You will possibly lose some of your paid parental leave entitlements.' They are saying it is one or the other. They are completely ignoring the fact that we have enterprise bargaining in this scheme; the government currently, through the former Labor government, has a minimum payment; and then, through hard work and negotiations with employers, workers are able to get that topped up.

Just so the government are clear who they are attacking when they introduce this measure, they are attacking women who work in retail; they are attacking nurses; they are attacking teachers. They are attacking some of the hardest working Australians. The government are only interested in saving their own jobs. This government and the budget tonight are for elite men. It is written by elite men and it will continue to— (Time expired)