Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Acting Deputy President Walsh, they say good things come to those who wait, and you and I both know that Australian women have been waiting a very long time to have a government that is prepared to pay super on paid parental leave, and that is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing. Today we proudly introduced a bill, called the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Adding Superannuation for a More Secure Retirement) Bill, into the House of Representatives. This bill builds on recent reforms which have made paid parental leave more flexible, accessible and gender equitable, and which increase the length of time available under the scheme.

This commitment, to pay super on paid parental leave, is delivering on our commitment to provide greater support for Australian families. By introducing this legislation today, we will ensure that we pay superannuation on government funded paid parental leave. This means that eligible parents after 1 July 2025 will receive an additional payment based on superannuation guarantee as a contribution to their nominated superannuation fund.

Paying superannuation on paid parental leave will improve the economic security in retirement of around 180,000 Australian families each year. We know that women retire with less super, and that is unacceptable in our country. We know that there have been historic systemic reasons why women have been poorer in retirement. Today, the Albanese Labor government is ending this retirement poverty. We are stepping in and we are paying super on paid parental leave. I couldn't be more proud to be part of a government who is delivering this important reform today.