Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Let me ask the same question in another way. Say that today an employer has a workplace agreement that obliges the employer to provide a worker with 18 weeks paid parental leave. In six months time the agreement is up for negotiation. Can the employer and the employee, perhaps collectively, agree to provide in their workplace agreement that the employer will provide 18 weeks paid parental leave, both leave from work and pay accompanying, and that the 18-week payment that the employer would otherwise make to the employee will be satisfied in whole for those workers who are earning the minimum wage with the employer—who hopefully will be few—and/or in part for those workers who are earning more than the minimum wage with the employer by the employer passing on to those employees the parenting payment payable under this bill? Sorry, it is still not clear.