Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today in this place we launched the Women's Budget Statement, a feature of the budget which has been missing for a decade since former Prime Minister Abbott appointed himself Minister for Women and abolished it. This is a really important moment. The Women's Budget Statement is back. I'm really proud to be part of a government made up of equal numbers of women and men. Indeed, I believe, as a government, we have more than equal representation of women and men. But, more importantly, I am proud to be part of a government which is delivering for women already.

One of the key features that we see in this budget is Labor's extension of the Paid Parental Leave scheme, a scheme that Labor brought in last time we were in government, a scheme we believe in and back but a scheme which has likely been left untouched for a decade. Our policy will bring paid parental leave up to 26 weeks—six months—by 2026. This will make a tremendous difference to families as they make those judgements and those decisions early in their little ones' lives around how much time they can spend at home, how much time they can spend as a family.

By supporting families to be there with their children in those critical early months—and let's face it, those really early months are tough for many, many families—is a really special thing but it is also a really important thing when we look at productivity, when we look at workplace participation. It is just one measure contained within the Women's Budget Statement that I am deeply proud of, and I am deeply proud to be part of a government which is delivering for women and their families.