Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion on paid parental leave, put forward by the member for Warringah. My duty as a member of the House of Representatives is to support families in ensuring a better future for their children. Putting families at the front and centre of policymaking is the guiding principle of the Albanese Labor government. It is the basis of the government's commitment to improving our country's Paid Parental Leave scheme to help parents to find a better balance between work and caring responsibilities.

The Rudd Labor government made notable strides in strengthening gender equality by introducing the first-ever government funded paid parental leave scheme in 2011. At the time Australia was one of just two OECD countries without a national statutory paid parental leave scheme, along with the United States. Since then, the former coalition government have argued that working mothers claiming their full parental leave entitlements are a rort and a fraud and have accused them of double-dipping. Such comments were hurtful to so many and showed the coalition's lack of ambition in encouraging more parents to participate in the workforce. The coalition fails to understand that workplace diversity and promoting parental workforce participation is not just good for families; it's good for the nation. Encouraging parents, particularly women, to take up work and leadership roles is a huge driver of economic growth. Matching women's workforce participation with that of men would increase Australia's GDP by a whopping $353 billion by 2050, or 8.7 per cent.

The Albanese government is considering specific amendments to the Paid Parental Leave scheme. Future changes will guarantee that the scheme will continue to meet the expectations of families across Australia and complement the parental leave scheme offered by several employers. These enhancements will be the result of carefully considering the various factors which influence the scheme's success. It is essential to make it better and it is important to get it right. While improving the paid parental leave scheme is a vital priority of this government, every good idea is only as good as the government's ability to provide for it within the context of the budget. It is impossible to ignore that the Albanese government inherited a $1 trillion debt left behind by those on the other side of this chamber. As a result, the government is forced to make sure that every measure aimed at improving gender equality can receive the appropriate funding needed for it to succeed. While this will take time, the government's investment of $5 billion in child care is an essential initial step. This measure will form a part of the October budget. It will do more to support female workforce participation than anything we have seen from those on the other side in the past decade.

Since its introduction, the Paid Parental Leave scheme has encouraged women to stay connected to their jobs, boosted workforce participation and allowed mothers to spend vital time with their newborn babies. It is crucial to women's economic security and the health and wellbeing of parents and their children. It continues to be an essential step in meeting an ageing Australian population's economic and social challenges. Treating parenting as an equal partnership helps gender equality and opens more choices for women to participate in the workforce. The Albanese Labor government is committed to strengthening the scheme to meet parenting demands and to improving flexibility to encourage families to share parenting responsibilities. It is aligned with the government's guiding principle to create a better Australia where no-one is held back or left behind.

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