Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

No, we do not come to that conclusion, like Senator O'Neill would seek to come to it. We believe that this is a fair scheme. This is a very fair scheme. We believe that our Paid Parental Leave Scheme means that women in regional Australia will be treated the same as their city counterparts by being able to access a genuine Paid Parental Leave Scheme. Farming mothers and women in regional communities should be entitled to paid parental leave at their actual wage or the minimum wage, whichever is greater, just like women who work for big companies in the city.

Might I simply add that public servants here in Canberra are the beneficiaries of a scheme that is very similar, if not identical, to that which the Prime Minister is seeking to introduce. The unions champion it for the public servants in Canberra, but the Labor Party cannot bring themselves to champion it— (Time expired)