House debates

Wednesday, 11 November 2020

Bills

Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2020-2021; Consideration in Detail

12:09 pm

Photo of Anne WebsterAnne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

(   I speak in support of Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2020-2021 for the Social Services portfolio. I would like to touch on two measures that are particularly important to me. The Morrison-McCormack government is committed to ensuring that women have the flexibility to balance their caring and work responsibilities without disadvantage. Sadly, through no fault of their own, expectant mothers, like so many Australians, have faced job losses due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The Commonwealth government is providing $130 million to support new parents whose employment was interrupted by coronavirus by introducing a concessional paid parental leave work test period for a limited time.

Under the normal rules parents must have worked 10 out of the 13 months prior to the birth of their child to qualify for the paid parental leave. The paid parental leave is being temporarily extended to allow parents who have worked 10 months out of the 20 months prior to birth, taking into account the possible loss of work during the COVID-19 pandemic. This extension acknowledges how the coalition government values family and parenting.

This measure enables about 12,800 new parents to access parental leave pay, and dad and partner pay, who would otherwise fail the work test due to the loss of employment or reduction of work hours. As a social worker working with young disadvantaged mothers, experience has shown me that the first 1,000 days is the most vulnerable of times. Support is essential, and that is why I am focused on making sure we, as a government, are doing all we can for young families.

We understand that many families rely on paid parental leave when planning for their new baby, and the government does not want families to miss out because of the devastating and unpredictable impacts of this pandemic. The Morrison-McCormack government understands the long-term importance of families having the flexibility to spend time with their new child without financial stress. This measure will support families during what should be a happy time for all parents and is in line with the government's core values of supporting all Australians who want to work.

The Commonwealth government is also dedicated to reducing the financial, social and personal impacts on families who have to endure the tragedy of the loss of a child. This is a heartbreaking circumstance for any parent to walk through. It is a grief which is often disenfranchised, difficult to share and evidenced by silence. That is why I'm so pleased that we have committed $7.6 million to expand access to bereavement payments for parents who suffer the heartbreak of a stillborn child or where their child passes away before their first birthday.

From 1 January 2021, all eligible families who suffer a stillbirth will receive $3,606 regardless of whether this is their first or subsequent stillbirth. I understand that no amount of money could ever compensate for the grief of losing a child, but these new measures will minimise the financial impact of this unspeakable loss. I hope that addressing the inconsistencies in this payment goes some way to acknowledge the trauma these parents experience and supports them as they move forward with their lives.

These changes work alongside the other measures in this bill to improve the wellbeing of Australian families. I ask the minister: how does this measure build on the flexibility and the changes we have made to paid parental leave earlier this year to benefit dads and partners?

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