Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. Does the minister stand by the statement that he made on television where he said, 'In many cases I think it is a rort', where parents take paid parental leave that they have got from their employer and from the government. Do you still think it is a rort?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government does not support double dipping. We do not support double dipping. What those opposite have made very clear is that they do and they designed the system for double dipping.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

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

The minister will resume his seat. The member for Jagajaga has a point of order—which had better be a good one.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. Do you still think it is a rort?

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

The member will resume her seat. There is no point of order and she knows it.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we have confirmed by those opposite is they designed the scheme—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member from Sydney will leave under 94(a).

The member for Sydney then left the chamber.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They designed a scheme that is producing the following results. In 60 per cent of cases, those who are currently getting a paid parental leave payment from their employer are in the public sector, working in the public sector offices particularly in this town, and those who are getting all of their paid parental leave—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs can join the member for Sydney if he wishes.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Then, on top of that, they are going to the taxpayer. They are actually earning 50 per cent more than those who are just getting the 18-weeks payment. What we are saying is very clear: if you are getting a paid parental leave payment over the course of when you have been in work and you have gone to have a child, then you will get that 18 weeks, which is just over about $11,500. But if you are drawing down $20,000 from a public sector employer—and that is 60 per cent of these cases—then you do not get to go back to the well and say, 'Can I have another $11,000, please, from the taxpayer?' If those opposite think that it is a fair thing that you can put one hand in the taxpayers' pocket for 20 grand and then put another hand in the taxpayers' pocket for 11 grand then you would not know fairness if it fell over you.