Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Tyrrell for the question. As Senator Farrell said last week, the government recognises that families, including the families of twins, do face unique challenges when having multiple births and that those births, while time for much celebration, often involve increased costs of raising children and place pressure on parents around re-entering the workforce. I've had the opportunity here to meet with the Multiple Birth Association when they come to town. There are a range of payments and assistance available to the parents of twins.

In relation to the specifics of why there's a certain interaction between twins as opposed to triplets, I would have to take that on notice and see if I can come back. I imagine that, when it was designed, there would have been reasons around that, but I don't have that information in front of me. But I can say that parents of twins can of course access family tax benefit payments, both A and B; newborn supplement; and newborn upfront payment. Parents of twins will also receive the benefit of the expansion of PPL, and parents can also access both PPL and the family tax benefit supplements like the newborn supplement and the newborn upfront payment at the same time. This provides an additional $2,735.05 for parents of twins. This is not available to parents of one child and is specifically designed to provide additional support to families of twins.

The multiple birth allowance payment recognises that families with three or more children born at the same time face disproportionately higher costs across their children's lives, as well as it making it harder to work. But if there is more information I can provide around the history of that, I will. (Time expired)