Barbara Pocock (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Finance and Minister for Women. Minister, Australia now has one of the poorest paid parental leave schemes in the OECD. We're stuck at 18 weeks paid leave with two weeks for partners paid at just minimum wage and without superannuation, a pay cut for many working families at a critical moment in their lives. Meanwhile, the rest of the OECD has overtaken us, with the average period of paid parental leave now around 52 weeks and close to full wage replacement in many places. Australians and organisations from across the country, parents, women, unions and employers are united in their call for more paid parental leave for Australia's parents, especially mothers. This was one of the most common and most united points of discussion at the recent Jobs and Skills Summit, and not a voice was raised against it. When will your government increase the length of paid parental leave?