Tom French (Moore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Becoming a parent is one of the most profound experiences in life. There's joy, exhaustion and a love that changes everything. Those first weeks and months are moments you never get back, and they shape the health and wellbeing of a family for years to come. As a dad of two young boys, I know how precious that time is when your baby first grips your finger or when your partner needs space to rest and recover. It is time that deserves to be protected, not squeezed into a hurried week away from work. Paid parental leave is a Labor achievement; it did not exist in this country until a Labor government created it. Before then, too many parents had no choice but to rush back to work or survive without support.

Today, Labor is expanding the scheme again—the most significant improvement since its introduction. As of 1 July, parents have 24 weeks of paid leave, rising to 26 weeks next year. For the first time ever, superannuation is included—protecting retirement incomes, particularly for women, who retire with far less super than men. The weekly payment rate has risen to almost $950 per week. Parents can now take up to four weeks together instead of just two, and eligibility thresholds are indexed so more families can qualify. That means more time, more money, more flexibility and more security. On average, parents are $12,000 better off than when this government came to office. These reforms will benefit around 180,000 families every year, including thousands in my electorate of Moore. When families tell me they are juggling the cost of living with long hours and raising kids at the same time, I know parental leave is not a luxury; it's a necessity.

The evidence is clear. Longer leave improves infant and maternal health and reduces infant mortality. Breastfeeding rates increase, maternal stress decreases and recovery after childbirth is stronger. Research shows that mothers are far more likely to return to the same job within a year if they have access to paid leave, particularly those who are casual and lower income workers. That is job security and family security rolled into one. It also advances gender equality. When dads and partners take more leave, they share the load from the very beginning. That builds a culture of equal caregiving, which benefits children and strengthens relationships. In countries like Sweden and Norway, generous parental leave has driven higher female workforce participation and better outcomes for families. Australia is moving in that direction with these changes. Adding superannuation to paid parental leave means retirement security is lifted. Women retire with, on average, one-third less superannuation than man. This measure alone could add $5,000 to $7,000 to a woman's super balance per child by retirement. That is structural reform that recognises that care is work and that raising children should not penalise women later in life.

Yet those opposite have never believed in paid parental leave. When Labor introduced Australia's first universal scheme, the coalition ridiculed it. They called mothers who access both employer and government schemes double dippers, frauds and rorters. Their election costings revealed that they would cut $158 million from superannuation on paid parental leave. The current shadow industrial relations minister declared, 'Paid parental leave, to me, is a very bad scheme, and I make no ambiguity about it.' He even said, 'It is not my choice that women have children; it's genetic.' Another senior coalition figure describes paid parental leave as a welfare payment. That is the difference. Labor sees parental leave as an investment in families, in equality and in the nation's future. The coalition sees it as a cost to be cut. We believe parents deserve time to care for their children without sacrificing financial security. They believe it is a handout. Paid parental leave is not just mothers leave; it is parents leave. It recognises that raising a child is valuable work, and it should be supported by the nation. These changes are practical. They are fair and they are deeply Labor. We will always look at how to strengthen this scheme further, but, right now, our focus is on delivering what we promised.

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