Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I beg your pardon. Thank you, Mr Deputy President. The Greens will be held to account if, spurred on by Mr Abbott’s latest thought bubble, they sabotage the government’s scheme for the sake of another opportunity to use this chamber as a soapbox. There is no other fully developed paid parental leave scheme on offer; there is only the government’s—there is only the government scheme or Mr Abbott’s thought bubble, which has not been developed. No real thought has been given by the opposition as to how the scheme will interact with other family payments. This thought bubble is not fully costed, let alone budgeted, and will be paid for by a new tax on larger businesses, although the opposition promised not to fund election promises with new taxes. Presumably, this is why the opposition says this proposed tax on larger business is not a tax; it is a levy—or perhaps an ‘investment in human capital’. It is no wonder that Mr Abbott’s own party room is confused and business in this country is up in arms.

It is not clear which businesses are going to be liable or who is going to pay for the shortfall if the new tax is insufficient to fund Mr Abbott’s promises. It is no wonder that unions, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner and women’s advocates are sceptical when the funding mechanism for this scheme is so unclear. Mr Abbott’s thought bubble gives the most support to those who earn the most and gives the least to the many women on low wages and part-time wages—those who currently have the least entitlement to paid parental leave.