Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Darmanin for her question and congratulate her on her inaugural speech yesterday; it was a wonderful speech. How appropriate it is that your first question is on paying super on PPL, which is something your union, the ASU, and your colleague and our colleague and friend Senator Linda White campaigned on for many years.

It's a very exciting day for us and all those who have been involved in the decades-long campaign to have super paid on paid parental leave. It is a workplace entitlement, and it is the only workplace entitlement that remained without superannuation being paid on it. It took a Labor government to fix that—as it always does. It always falls to Labor governments to address unfairness, to make sure that women get a fair go, to make sure that we are driving women's equality through every aspect of life, including through the time that they spend bringing up and caring for young children.

I acknowledge all of those that have been involved in the campaign to date to do that. It really reminds us of the importance of being in government and being able to implement these important reforms. With this change, eligible parents with babies born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025 will receive an additional 12 per cent of their government funded paid parental leave as a contribution to their superannuation fund. When the scheme reaches 26 weeks, as it will—another important Labor reform, to expand PPL from 20 to 26 weeks—this will see around $3,000 flow into the parent's super account. Around 180,000 families across Australia will benefit every year with extra dollars flowing into those superannuation accounts.