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

What a hide! What a hide coming from the Australian Labor Party, who had a paid parental leave scheme which was designed to encourage women to have children and remain in the workforce—and the Labor Party rejected it. They rejected it, lock, stock and barrel, for cheap political purposes. Now they come in here complaining that we are not doing enough for women in the workforce. I would invite Senator Gallagher: being a relatively new senator, if she is genuinely concerned about getting more women into the Australian labour force, she might actually encourage her colleagues to have a change of heart and accept that which we had initially put forward to the Australian people. But the Labor Party are on record as rejecting our policy, which was designed to do exactly that which you say you support. (Time expired)