Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Payne. Sophie from Rose Bay in Tasmania is pregnant with her second child. She lost her work contract due to COVID-19 and needed to stay home to homeschool her five-year-old son. As a result, Centrelink have told her that she will no longer qualify for paid parental leave. She could not have planned for this situation. Why does the government believe women like Sophie should not have access to paid parental leave?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll take the details of the specific case on notice and refer that to the responsible minister for further information. As I've said in the chamber before, nobody is able to plan for a pandemic. Nobody is able to plan for an economic response that has taken this government to extraordinary ends to address the challenges that the entire country is dealing with. We have sought very, very hard to work with those opposite and to work with the states and the territories in the process of that economic response. As Senator McAllister has raised specific issues in relation to an individual, I'll take those, as I said, on notice.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, a supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, the government voted against women like Sophie retaining their eligibility for paid parental leave. Sophie's child is due in September. She has struggled to find a new job. The government's decision means that she only has weeks to find a way to replace the paid parental leave she was going to rely on. Why is the government punishing women like Sophie for the economic consequences of COVID-19?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are a number of supports available to families who don't currently meet the paid parental leave tests. Those who have lost a job or have reduced hours during the COVID-19 pandemic should appropriately check with their employer if they're, in the first instance, eligible for a JobKeeper payment. We also recently amended the Paid Parental Leave Act to allow for the period a person receives the JobKeeper payment to count towards the paid parental leave work test. Parents who have lost their job but don't meet the paid parental leave work test and are not eligible for the JobKeeper payment may be eligible for other payments, such as the parenting payment and the jobseeker payment, which of course currently includes the $550 fortnightly coronavirus supplement, as well as possibly being eligible for family tax benefit, both part A and part B, as well as the newborn supplement and the newborn upfront payment of up to $2,239 for the first child, $1,120 for subsequent— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, a final supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Monday, the government announced it would force working women to pay childcare fees they couldn't afford. Last Thursday, the government voted against helping pregnant women affected by COVID-19 who are out of work because of COVID-19. Are there any women that the government is prepared to support?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Senator McAllister is not helping her own cause, or anyone else's, frankly, in that statement. Clearly, the economic initiatives that the government has advanced in terms of the COVID response are to help all Australians. And what I and others have made clear in relation to the childcare sector is that the—

Senator McAllister interjecting—

Well, Senator McAllister, as I have made clear and Minister Tehan has made clear, in working with the sector, the change that the government made in recent weeks to address the childcare sector was very much needed by the sector to ensure it was able to survive, to ensure that it could offer increased care and to ensure that those parents seeking more care were able to obtain it. A transition payment is being provided by the government, which complements the JobKeeper payment that was previously in place as part of that support. (Time expired)