Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz, and I refer to the government's budget measure of removing double dipping from parental leave pay. Does the minister agree with Navy Lieutenant Commander Sandra Croft who said:

To be told I am a double dipper and I'm rorting is a slap in the face to me and all public servants, nurses, teachers, firefighters and the average public servant on a normal wage.

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

Mr President, I can indicate that I am not aware of the person or the comments to which the honourable senator refers. However I think we have had a debate in this country where the Prime Minister did take to the Australian people a very ambitious paid parental leave scheme which did not find favour in this chamber and, as a result, we have adopted a different approach.

What we are seeking to do is introduce another scheme that does not allow for double dipping, which is the terminology that has been used. We believe that, if the Labor Party wants to go to the next election championing double dipping, so be it, and let them explain that to the Australian people.

Opposition Senator:

An opposition senator interjecting—

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

And we do not need the interjections from Rusty over there. I do not think we need interjections from you, Rusty. The paid parental leave maximum rate is currently $11,539, and over 50 per cent of mothers who were previously eligible for paid parental leave will continue to receive the full paid parental leave entitlement as they have no employer provided entitlements. As to the specifics of which the honourable senator asks, I will see if there is anything further that I can add in due course.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Does the minister agree with the chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kate Carnell, who says, 'We believe the government has got this legislation wrong'?

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

I have been burnt in the past when people have asserted that certain people have said things and, regrettably, I am not willing to take at face value what the honourable senator has said. This debate about paid parental leave and double dipping is well known in the community and we are in some tighter financial circumstances than we would otherwise like to be, courtesy of the legacy left to us by the ALP-Greens government, which saw a debt trajectory and a deficit trajectory and a debt burden never seen before in this country. That is what we are dealing with. We will continue to deal with it.

It is all well and easy for the Australian Labor Party, day after day, to come into this chamber and say, 'We would spend more here; we would spend more there; we would spend more everywhere else,' but what are their savings plans? Absolutely nil, and we would see the debt trajectory go up even further. (Time expired)

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Does the minister agree with the outgoing Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, who says that any move to pare back support when welcoming a new baby or to a woman's ability to come into paid work will 'just reinforce some of the gender gaps that currently exist for women'? Why is this government exacerbating the gender gap by cutting paid parental leave?

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

What a hide! What a hide coming from the Australian Labor Party, who had a paid parental leave scheme which was designed to encourage women to have children and remain in the workforce—and the Labor Party rejected it. They rejected it, lock, stock and barrel, for cheap political purposes. Now they come in here complaining that we are not doing enough for women in the workforce. I would invite Senator Gallagher: being a relatively new senator, if she is genuinely concerned about getting more women into the Australian labour force, she might actually encourage her colleagues to have a change of heart and accept that which we had initially put forward to the Australian people. But the Labor Party are on record as rejecting our policy, which was designed to do exactly that which you say you support. (Time expired)