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

In my earlier answer I went through the payments that are available to the parents of twins—which is extra, in the order of $2,735.05—that are not available to parents of one child. I think there is definitely a recognition there of the additional financial support from the government, so I don't accept the proposition put forward by Senator Tyrrell.

As to the multiple birth allowance payment, the origins of that are that it's to accommodate births of three or more children born at the same time. I think the parents of twins accessing some of those other payments at the same time—that they can receive them for both babies—is recognition that there are extra costs and that those costs are, in part way, supported by the government through those additional payments.