STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms FRANCE (Dickson) (13:47): The weeks and months after my Henry was born are still clear in my mind: first smile, tiny toes, sleepless nights, continuous feeding, first cold and first injections. Joy. Stress.

Love. Fear. That was nearly 22 years ago.

I struggled for a few months, as most parents do. I did it, however, with the security of six-months paid maternity leave, because in the UK all the way back in 2004 that was the law. I got six weeks at 90 per cent pay and the rest at a fixed rate.

Paid maternity leave or parental leave was unheard of in Australia at that time, let alone for six months. Labor changed that. Labor introduced the very first ever Paid Parental Leave scheme, in 2011, of 18 weeks.

This week we finally catch up to the UK and move to six-months paid leave, 22 whole years later. This Wednesday, families get six-months paid parental leave and will receive almost $30,000 over that time. During their nine years in government, those opposite did nothing to increase the days and weeks parents have with their baby.

In fact, they tried to cut entitlements for new mothers. We've added six additional weeks since coming to government as well as superannuation on parental leave. Labor is the party for working families.