Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Adding Superannuation for a More Secure Retirement) Bill 2024. This legislation is great. It's part of what a Labor government does in terms of reform, but it is also very good news for families. It's great news that we're putting emphasis on superannuation, and it's even better news for the women of Australia.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to Australian families and to Australia's workforce as our economy evolves. It will further demonstrate how important superannuation is. Industrial relations policy changes must take into account our changing world and demands on individuals and families. This is a landmark policy, and I'm proud to be part of a Labor government which is setting the standards for superannuation because superannuation is in our DNA. We believe in superannuation, unlike those opposite. It's wonderful to be part of a political party which is not afraid of these big reforms and implements policies which change the lives of Australians for the better—sick leave, Medicare, the PBS, superannuation, the NDIS, even the NBN, cheaper child care, paid parental leave, fee-free TAFE and now even more improvements to paid parental leave and superannuation which benefit our country and the future of our people.

Paid parental leave is so important for Australian families. It's critical for women, and it's critical for our economy. The Gillard government knew this, which is why we introduced it in 2011, and the Albanese Labor government understands the importance of improving it. Since coming to office the Albanese government has not stopped thinking of ideas and better policies to make Australia a better place to live and to raise a family—a fairer place for Australian women. We believe in giving women the opportunity to return to the workforce.

But we know how important superannuation is to Australian women, because the fastest-growing cohort of homeless people in this country are women. Why? Because not all generations have had the opportunity of having superannuation. And having a child and being out of the workforce for some time impacts on the career pathways of Australian women. So, ensuring that superannuation is paid on that parental leave is really important.

We know there are always going to be those who don't support superannuation, like the former government. We hear that from the contributions of those opposite when we're talking about housing—how they want young Australians to raid their superannuation now to help with buying a home, when we know that superannuation is there to ensure that people have a comfortable retirement. And women deserve nothing less, particularly those who are raising our children, the future of this country, than to have superannuation paid on their paid parental leave. Unions in this country have been fighting for fairness in this area for a very long time. So, it is with great pride that I say, as a member of this Labor government, that we have been delivering on that.

From 1 July this year we added two more weeks of payment, expanding the scheme from 20 weeks to 22 weeks. We also gave more flexibility for both parents to access more of that paid parental leave to ensure that it works and that families have the flexibility they need in order to provide the loving care for their child and that both parents can be involved in those early formative weeks and months of a child's life. Parents will now have access to $20,000 to support them after the birth of a new baby. Through Paid Parental Leave, the government supports parents to take time off work after the birth or adoption of their child. Through this bill we are taking action to support them in their retirement. That's what it's all about. Through this bill we're investing $1.1 billion over the forward estimates to pay superannuation on government paid parental leave from 1 July.

I could say so much more in relation to the importance of this piece of legislation. When you get to stand in this place and to be a member of the government, you want to be part of a government that makes Australian lives better, and there has not been a government that has done more to close the pay gap for Australian women than this government. There has not been a government that has done more in terms of fairness and access to better superannuation. I'm proud to be part of that. To some degree, this government has continued to build on what the Gillard government did, and that's because more than 50 per cent of our caucus are women, who do make a difference when developing policy. So I commend this legislation as well as the leadership of the Prime Minister in ensuring fairness and greater access to superannuation for women and helping Australians in their retirement years.