Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

It could go a bit rogue, I'm not exactly sure what's about to happen, but we're going to go through it anyway. I wanted to speak this afternoon at the end of a long sitting period before the winter break about the changes that came in yesterday for paid parental leave. In doing so, I wanted to reflect on my own personal journey because this year I took parental leave from this place in Canberra. It was a decision that my partner and I discussed as to how we would make it possible. My partner is a member of the Victorian parliament, and she's exceptionally hardworking. We won't go into the political situations in our particular household, but I am constantly in admiration of how hard my beautiful partner, Georgie, works and how incredibly smart and dedicated she is to her job.

We made the decision that I was going to take two months off coming to Canberra in order to help raise our daughter, Lilah, who is very busy at the moment, and probably—

Mr Burns's baby having interjected—

Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll take that interjection!

Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Exactly—point of order, Speaker! There was a two-month period where I didn't come to Canberra. I still worked for the people of Macnamara because this is one of those rare jobs where you feel like you can't waste a day. In saying that, I also didn't want to waste and not see a moment of the precious first few months of our amazing daughter's life, as well as how quickly she grows and how quickly she develops, and how privileged I was to be a part of that.

What I saw were two things. One is that the standards are, frankly, different for men and women when entering into those circumstances. I announced that I was going to take a couple of months off coming to Canberra, and the responses I got were things like: 'Great work,' 'Good on you,' 'Well done; it's about time dads stepped up to the plate.' Yet, my partner, Georgie, who's also a member of parliament, could not win. If she brought our baby to work, she was criticised for bringing her; if she was at work without our baby, Lilah, then she was a neglectful mother and choosing to be at work over with her family. What was unfortunately so starkly pointed out to me as a father was how different the treatment is for mums and dads, and for men and women still in 2026.

For paid parental leave, it's not just about being able to survive and support your family; it's actually about families making decisions for what works for them and encouraging families to have those discussions so that it is possible to share that amazing period in your child's life. If it's one of the parents making the choice to be at home, then that's amazing. If the other parent decides that they're going to go back to work, then that's okay. Whatever is right for the family needs to be possible.

Mr Burns's baby having interjected—

I'll wrap it up soon; don't worry. I'm getting the wind-up. I think the changes that came in yesterday to paid parental leave are really so important. They build on the extension of paid parental leave, resulting in more money each week.

Mr Burns's baby having interjected—

That sound could be one of a few things. The extra funds obviously make it more possible for families to have support, but the other big change that came in yesterday was that superannuation would also be paid to parents. When you're in this period where you're choosing to have kids or you're fortunate enough to be thinking about all these really hard but rewarding decisions, you don't want to be in a situation where your retirement is potentially going to be affected by the fact that you're taking some time away from work—or your career, for that matter. Unfortunately, for too long, that's happened, and it's fallen to mums to make those sacrifices, put a pause on their career and lose out on superannuation. That's just not right. It's not right that it's not possible.

Mr Burns's baby having interjected—

We're almost there. It's not fair that it should be systemically burdening women in their careers or in their retirement, and these changes are really just another step forward to make it easier for families—to make it less of a burden just on mums to miss out on such important parts of their working lives. I feel very blessed to be in this place at the end of a sitting week with my daughter here with me, and I know that I'm very lucky compared to so many others, but I am also proud of the reforms that we've brought in to make it easier and more possible for families, fathers and mothers to take this time away to be with their beautiful kids.

Milton Dick (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

Welcome to Lilah.

House adjourned at 17:00