Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I wasn't going to make a contribution, but, given the comments that we just heard from the minister opposite, I want to put very clearly on the record that the opposition has never referred to paid parental leave as a welfare scheme. I would ask her to reflect on coming in here and making comments that are clearly inaccurate. The opposition, when it was in government, was actually the first party to move on paid parental leave. We have a strong record of supporting government funded paid parental leave. It's important to note that the Labor government and the Greens are 14 years late on this particular policy. The coalition's paid parental leave policy, taken to the 2010 and 2013 federal election campaigns, included providing superannuation in the Commonwealth paid parental scheme, only for it to be opposed by Labor and the Greens. The minister has come in here and made these ridiculous false statements. I think the record of the coalition on this particular issue is absolutely documented by vote after vote and policy after policy for many, many years. To come in here and try to diminish the contribution of the coalition in relation to paid parental leave as a legislated workplace entitlement for women to make sure that they can choose to take time off to look after their children but remain connected to the workplace is, I think, an absolute disgrace and reflects terribly on you, Minister, and your government.