Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral Matters) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank all senators for their contribution to the debate on what is a very important bill. The government is pleased to be delivering on its commitment to provide improved support for families who experience stillbirth or death of a child in the first 24 months and to be introducing much-needed flexibility into the unpaid parental leave provisions.

The Fair Work Amendment (Improving Unpaid Parental Leave for Parents of Stillborn Babies and Other Measures) Bill 2020 marks an important step in unpaid parental leave entitlements, which are just as important during the COVID-19 pandemic as they were before. These are sensible and measured reforms. While continuing to implement the specific measures to support families impacted by COVID-19, the government is progressing these important reforms to unpaid parental leave as part of our ongoing commitment to parents and families.

The amendments in the bill are compassionate reforms that will provide parents with more support and clarity around their unpaid parental leave entitlements where they experience a stillbirth or the death of a child in the first two years of life, ensuring these parents can take the leave they had planned to take. The amendments in the bill are sensible reforms that will provide parents with more flexibility when their baby is hospitalised following birth, and when making decisions about how to organise work and caring commitments. The measures in the bill are an important package of reforms that provide parents with improved support, greater choice and flexibility to combine care and work responsibilities.

Finally, I want to recognise and thank all of the parents who gave their time and shared their stories, and to pay tribute to the precious children they lost. I commend the bill to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.