Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Under the government's latest cuts to paid parental leave, a female police officer in Victoria will lose 12 weeks of paid parental leave. That is a loss of around $8,000. Can the Prime Minister explain to police officers, who sacrifice so much to protect our community, why he wants them to return to their challenging work sooner, with less money, because of his cuts to paid parental leave?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition stands behind our police, our security services and the men and women of the ADF in a way that the Labor Party have not done. We know that. Look at their disgraceful record on security in Victoria. Look at their failure to defend our borders. Look at their reluctance to stand up for our alliances. The Labor Party have never been prepared to stand behind the men and women that keep us safe. We are and we do. The member for Paterson raised earlier the workers at Tomago. Standing behind working men and women—

Mr Watts interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gellibrand is warned.

Mr Watts interjecting—

The member for Gellibrand has been warned. He probably did not hear because he was interjecting uncontrollably.

Mr Watts interjecting—

One more word! You are in an ejector seat—I am telling you. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Honourable members interjecting—

I want to hear the Manager of Opposition Business.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on direct relevance. The question goes to the impact of the government's policies on Victorian police officers and nothing else. The Prime Minister is talking about everything but.

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

Paid parental leave!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga is warned. Before I call the Prime Minister, the Manager of Opposition Business does raise a valid point of order. As he well knows, the Prime Minister is entitled to a preamble and to make some remarks for context, which he has done, but I am sure he will bring himself, in the two-thirds of the time remaining, back to the question.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reforms that we are proposing and the Labor Party is opposing will benefit families all around Australia, benefit families of police men and women, benefit families of power workers in the Hunter Valley and benefit families of workers in Tomago, until such time as the member for Paterson achieves her goal and drives coal out of the Hunter Valley. But I will ask the minister to add to the answer on social services.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member opposite for the question. The measure that is included in the bill that is before the parliament would see 96,000 mothers, representing the lowest income participants in the paid parental leave scheme, receive an extra two weeks at home after the birth of their child and up to an extra $1,300. There used to be a time when the Labor Party's view was that the focus should be squarely on those who have the lowest income and the lowest means and the lowest ability to look after their own interests. What they do in opposing this measure in this bill is deny 96,000 mothers, the lowest income participants in the scheme, an extra two weeks and an extra up to $1,300 during that period of time. The system that we have at the moment gives rise to situations like the one that they have—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order other than relevance?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, if there is a new preamble and he is avoiding the topic again, all I can ask is that you enforce your earlier ruling.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Social Services is talking on the topic of the question—I am listening to him carefully—but he needs to, as he knows, confine himself to the substance of the question.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is the case that the system that we have at present has disproportionate focus on some instances in the public sector. So you can have a situation arise where one mother who might earn over $100,000 plus 15 per cent super will have access to up to, for instance, 14 weeks of employer paid maternity leave. When you consider the leave for that person plus the taxpayer funded leave, they could receive $44½ thousand, which is more than most mothers earn in a year. (Time expired)