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

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Cormann. Is the minister aware of a submission by the Australian Industry Group, which states, 'The Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave Scheme is unlikely to improve productivity, is gold-plated and should be abandoned?' Is the AiG correct?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the AiG is not correct. The government's paid parental leave policy is an important social and economic reform, as the Leader of the Government in the Senate has said earlier today.

It is a central part of our plan to build a stronger, more prosperous economy. One of the big structural challenges that we are facing as a nation is that, as a result of the ageing population, we are confronted with falling workforce participation rates. In order to lift workforce participation rates, we need to encourage older Australians to work longer and we need to lift workforce participation by women. Our Paid Parental Leave Scheme will be an important part of that.

I ask Senator Cameron, a union official from way back: do you think that paid parental leave is a welfare entitlement? Do you think that sick leave is a welfare entitlement? Do you think that annual leave is a welfare entitlement? This is the whole point. We on this side of the parliament say that, when the working women of Australia have a baby and have to take leave from work, they deserve to have, up to a certain level, their replacement wage paid to them during that period, in the same way as somebody, whom you might have represented as a worker in the past, has access to sick leave entitlements at their replacement wage, access to long service leave at their replacement wage and access to their annual leave at their replacement wage.

It is quite unbelievable that it has to be the coalition that is standing up for working women across Australia, that it is the coalition that is working towards a fair deal for working women across Australia, because the Labor Party is selling out the working women of Australia. You have long lost the plot when it comes to building a stronger, more prosperous economy.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Senator Cormann, I think $50,000 for millionaire families, when you have written pensioners off, is unacceptable.

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

Senator Cameron, that is a comment. We need the question.

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

I refer to the Commission of Audit report, handed down by the Business Council of Australia chairman, Tony Shepherd, which rejects the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave Scheme and, instead, recommends 'targeting expenditure to those most in need'. Does the minister agree?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a very high regard for Mr Shepherd, but I have long been on the record as saying that I disagree with him on this occasion. We have taken the Paid Parental Leave Scheme that the government is putting forward to two elections. It has been widely—

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

Order! On my left: if you wish to debate the issue, the time to debate it is after three o'clock when taking note of answers, not now.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that the Australian Labor Party does not care about the judgements made by the Australian people at successive elections. I know that the Australian Labor Party is quite happy to join in with the Greens, to act in defiance of the will of the Australian people, as they did earlier today when they, again, refused to support the repeal of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

This is a Labor Party which is out of touch with modern Australia. This is a Labor Party which, quite frankly, needs to get into the 21st century. You should start standing up for the interests of working women and you should start standing up for a stronger, more prosperous economy where everyone has the opportunity to get ahead.

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I wonder whether the minister has given the same lecture to his colleagues—

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

Order! Senator Cameron, that is a debate. You are asked to ask a question.

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

Given the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave Scheme is opposed by his own Liberal and National colleagues, as well as the business community, can the minister advise the Senate if there is anyone left who supports the government paying $50,000 to wealthy women to have a baby?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is not the Prime Minister's Paid Parental Leave Scheme; this is the Liberal-National Party Paid Parental Leave Scheme. This is the policy that we have taken to two elections. This is the policy that was extensively litigated in the lead-up to the last election. It is the policy that we are committed to deliver because it is in the interests of our economy and it is in the interests of working women across Australia. It will help us lift workforce participation and it will help us lift productivity. It is a very important part of our Economic Action Strategy, to start repairing the mess that you left behind. You clearly do not understand about a 21st century economy. You clearly do not understand what is required in order to repair the mess you left behind. You clearly do not understand what is required to build a stronger, more prosperous economy where we can create jobs again, instead of losing them. Well, we will continue to get on with the job.