Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz—and it is not a point of order at this stage, Senator Abetz!

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

Very well said, Senator Moore.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to comments made by senior Liberal Senator Ian Macdonald yesterday when he described the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave scheme as:

… an age-of-entitlement allowance to certain individual Australians.

Does the minister agree with senior Liberal Senator Macdonald?

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

I am sure that Senator Moore is referring to Senator Macdonald's seniority in this place rather than the years that he has lived on this planet. But I can indicate that the government's position on the Paid Parental Leave scheme is very clear. As I indicated yesterday, we believe that it is good, sound public policy. I simply remind Senator Moore that these are the sorts of conditions that public servants in Canberra enjoy, and we want to have those conditions enjoyed by other women in the community who do not happen to have the good fortune of being employed in the Public Service.

As I indicated to the Senate yesterday, the Liberal Party is a broad church that brings together a diversity of opinions and views on a whole range of issues and therefore it does not surprise that within the broad church of the Liberal Party there are also diverse views in relation to the Paid Parental Leave scheme. Because we are a party of freedom of speech, because we are a party that believes in individuals being able to express themselves, it stands to reason that we will have people within our parliamentary party who do not necessarily fully accept and adopt all policies of the government. Having said that, the government is determined to press ahead with this vitally important social reform which will be good for our country's population, will be good for our country's productivity and will be good for the participation rate within the workforce and the maintenance of skills, especially of the women within our community.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Allowing for the fact of the very broad church of the government, I would like to find out further, Minister, whether you agree with other comments made by Senator Ian Macdonald—who has now joined us—yesterday when he said about the Paid Parental Leave scheme that it is giving businesses a tax cut so that they do not have to use their own funds for a Paid Parental Leave scheme, but that then whacking them with a 1.5 per cent levy to pay for the universal scheme just does not make sense. Does the minister, allowing for the broad church, agree with those comments from Senator Macdonald?

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

I agree with Senator Macdonald about the need to abolish the carbon tax. I agree with Senator Macdonald about the need to abolish the mining tax. I agree with Senator Ian Macdonald about the need to ensure that we have a proper framework for the live export trade, and—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a very personal point of order in terms of relevance. In terms of the process, we would like to know whether the minister agrees with Senator Macdonald not on all those other things but particularly on the comments that I asked.

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

I do draw the minister's attention to the question, and there are 39 seconds remaining, Minister.

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

What I was wanting to show and put on public display is that the things that unite Senator Ian Macdonald and myself are a lot greater than the very few issues on which we might part company. That was the purpose of my introduction to that answer, because Senator Ian Macdonald is a great contributor to this place, a wonderful contributor—

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Senator Abetz, resume your seat as you are entitled to be heard in silence.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald has carved youse up!

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! On my right and on my left! Senator Abetz.

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

Mr President, reaching across the political divide, I agree with Senator Mark Bishop's observations about how Labor Party policies were destroying his home state of Western Australia. That does not mean I agree with everything he said, but I do agree with that. (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

When there is silence on both sides we will proceed.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer to the fact that as late as yesterday afternoon in this chamber the government had not convinced Senator Macdonald of the benefits of the Paid Parental Leave scheme. If the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave scheme is not supported by his own parliamentary colleagues, how can the government expect the Australian people to support it at all?

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

The simple fact is that the Paid Parental Leave scheme is supported by Mr Abbott's parliamentary colleagues. It is a Liberal Party coalition policy. It is supported.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Abetz, resume your seat; you are entitled to be heard in silence. Order on my left! When there is silence we will proceed. Senator Abetz.

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

For all the hullabaloo emanating from the other side, it reminds of all the protestations of loyalty to Ms Gillard by those opposite. Oh, how we remember those public protestations of absolute loyalty. And you then knifed her.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on direct relevance, as stated in the standing orders. There is no way that those comments could be seen as directly relevant to a question about the paid parental leave in our community, which is what the question asked.

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

I am listening closely to the minister's answer, and it would assist in listening to the answer if people desisted from interjecting. It would make listening to the answer a lot easier. At this stage there is no point of order. The minister has 22 seconds remaining. Minister.

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

Let nobody come in here and claim that everybody within their party fully agrees with absolutely every policy position of their party, but the one thing that is different is that we on this side actually allow people to give public expression to those views. That is why we quite rightly deserve greater support from— (Time expired)