Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Is the minister aware of comments made last week by Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss that the government is talking with the National Farmers' Federation and rural women's groups on the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave Scheme? Can the minister confirm that the National Farmers' Federation and the Country Women's Association were not consulted about the scheme prior to Mr Truss making those comments?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answer to the honourable senator's question, I cannot detail the exact information that she is seeking, other than to say that we as a government believe that the Paid Parental Leave Scheme is a very important measure to assist in our nation's tasks around population, productivity and the participation of women in the workforce. These measures are important.

They were the three aspects of the policy that we believe is vitally important and that is why we took it to the elections in 2010 and 2013. We believe that it is a good policy for the productivity of our nation to increase the participation rate of women. That scheme, might I add, includes and sustains their superannuation contributions, which under the current Labor scheme are not even considered and are forgone. This is a very important scheme for the benefit of the working women of this nation to deal with the population task, the participation task and also the productivity task, which are just so important for our nation.

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I think that confirms that, contrary to Mr Truss's comments, the National Farmers' Federation and the Country Women's Association were not consulted.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No comments. What is the question?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Abetz. I refer to data released by the Department of Social Services that shows the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave Scheme would overwhelmingly disadvantage National Party electorates, as compared to Liberal Party electorates. Does this not demonstrate that the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave Scheme only serves to exacerbate the inequality between rural and urban Australia?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, we do not come to that conclusion, like Senator O'Neill would seek to come to it. We believe that this is a fair scheme. This is a very fair scheme. We believe that our Paid Parental Leave Scheme means that women in regional Australia will be treated the same as their city counterparts by being able to access a genuine Paid Parental Leave Scheme. Farming mothers and women in regional communities should be entitled to paid parental leave at their actual wage or the minimum wage, whichever is greater, just like women who work for big companies in the city.

Might I simply add that public servants here in Canberra are the beneficiaries of a scheme that is very similar, if not identical, to that which the Prime Minister is seeking to introduce. The unions champion it for the public servants in Canberra, but the Labor Party cannot bring themselves to champion it— (Time expired)

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer to Senator Williams' comments that rural people believe that the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave Scheme is too generous, too expensive, unfair and putting a price on a baby. Why is the Prime Minister introducing a scheme that is too expensive, unfair and prices babies according to their mother's income?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the honourable senator wants a direct answer to that question, she should be directing it to my good friend Senator Williams, rather than to me. As I had the great pleasure of saying in question time yesterday, we in the coalition have a broad church. We actually represent differing views within the community and we bring them all together in our party room. That is unlike those opposite, who only allow one type of person into their party room and that person has to have the qualification of having been a trade union official. Without that, you are not allowed into the Labor Party in this joint. What else I might add is this: we actually believe in freedom of expression.

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Senator Conroy comes in on cue, because we know what his views are on climate change but he cannot bring himself to express them. (Time expired)

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Bring on the tea party!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my left. I am waiting to give the call.