Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the minister's failure to provide an answer to the question.

I appreciate the response that the minister gave just now. But, again, it shows a lack of commitment to parental leave. This is a question that we have asked a number of times, and we still have not had a response to it. It is a very straightforward question asking for information—and I will advise the Senate exactly what we are looking for. It is a shame that we have not been furnished with this information.

As I indicated, on 13 January I tabled questions seeking information about the planned changes to paid parental leave that the government announced in the Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

Specifically, with reference to the proposed changes to Parental Leave Pay announced in the Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, I asked the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services the following questions: one, what would be the total number of eligible parents who would be adversely affected by proposed changes to the PLP; two, can the minister advise the number of parents who will (a) lose part of their paid parental leave payment and (b) no longer be eligible for paid parental leave; three, what will be the estimated average paid parental leave payment that partial eligible parents would lose compared to under current arrangements; and four, what will the estimated average paid parental leave payment that parents will lose when they are not eligible for any paid parental leave payment be compared to current arrangements?