Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to make some comments on an issue that I think is top of mind at the moment for people right across the country, and that is paid parental leave. There are varying views on this issue but, when it comes to bringing up children, it is incredibly important because Australia’s future will be shaped by how we nurture and grow our next generation. Parents, mums and dads, in the workplace who need to take time off to have children before re-entering the workforce need to be assisted in doing that. I think it is quite right and quite appropriate that measures are put in place to do exactly that. We have seen a lot of discussion around the announcement from Tony Abbott on paid parental leave. It is good to see such focus being placed on the needs of our parents in the community who, as I said, need to take time off from work to stay home and look after their children.

An extremely important point I would like to raise tonight is that we need to also make sure that those mums and dads who choose to stay at home and look after their young children are equally supported and equally valued. It is absolutely vital that parents, regardless of whether they choose to return to the workplace after they have had their babies or choose to stay at home, are provided with choice in bringing up their families. It is vitally important that the contributions of parents in each situation are equally valued. While we have seen a lot of discussion over the last couple of days around paid parental leave, I want to make sure that there is the same level of respect for parents who choose to stay at home with their young children rather than return to the workplace.

It is an issue of choice. It is about families being able to make the decision that they see as the best fit for their family. It is very important that they have the opportunity to do that, and government has a responsibility to ensure that in either instance families get the support they need to bring their children up in the best possible way. As I said, that generation is the future of this country. We have to make sure that we get it right and that the responsibility of government is met to the full to ensure that they have the assistance they need.

It is interesting to note that when we look at regional areas it is often much more difficult for families bringing up children. As a Nationals senator I would certainly say that the Nationals understand those difficulties far more than any other party across the country. We know it is more difficult to get jobs out in the regions. We know when it comes to having children it is much more difficult to get those support networks. The tyranny of distance is there. I remember having to do a 70-kilometre round trip to get to the nurse after I had had my children to go for those checkups, whereas in cities it is often just down the road. So sometimes it is simple things like that that actually make it more difficult for mums or dads in regional areas to be able to cope with new babies and be able to deal with that very big change in their lifestyle that occurs. Child care in the regions is again much more difficult for families compared to the cities, where they often have a childcare centre on their doorstep and certainly a choice of childcare centres around their region. In the country areas and regional areas often families and parents do not have that luxury.

One of the most important issues for our regional families is the issue of health. It does not matter where I go, the issue of health is absolutely the key issue for families right across this state. Which brings me to the recent announcement from the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, of his plan for health. I find it absolutely astounding to see this vacuous policy from the Prime Minister being put forward to the Australian people. Let us go back for a moment to the election campaign in 2007. We are now in early 2010. At the end of 2007 Kevin Rudd very proudly campaigned on the slogan ‘Kevin Rudd will fix our hospitals’. He was going to do that by 2009, and I quote from one of his advertisements: ‘If state governments have not improved services by 2009, a Rudd Labor government will seek to take control of all Australia’s 750 public hospitals.’ Well, didn’t he go squibbing off that promise. It is simply another broken promise from Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister. ‘Kevin Rudd will fix our hospitals’ was the quote. He neglected to tell the people of Australia that it was not going to be for a very, very long time, if ever. At the moment we have got this plan in front of us that is long on spin and short on detail. There is no two ways about that. We are looking at a plan that is bowled up now to the Australian people that is not going to deliver a single thing until after 2012. Here is a promise he made before the end of 2007 and we are not looking at anything even potentially being delivered until 2012. I know my very good colleagues here in the chamber, Senator Parry and Senator Colbeck, understand the absolute spin that the Prime Minister is putting on this announcement.