PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Ms KARA COOK (Bonner) (11:26): I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) from 1 July 2026, families will be eligible to receive 130 days of Parental Leave Pay, an increase from the current 120 days; (b) from 1 July 2025, eligible parents receiving Parental Leave Pay also receive superannuation contributions, helping to close the gender gap in retirement savings; and (c) women continue to retire with significantly less superannuation than men, in part due to time taken out of the workforce for caring responsibilities; (2) commends the Government for expanding Parental Leave Pay and introducing superannuation on Parental Leave Pay, recognising both as landmark steps toward gender equity in the workplace and in retirement; (3) recognises that sharing parental leave more equally between mothers and fathers supports women's workforce participation, promotes gender equity, and benefits Australian families and the broader economy; and (4) supports the Government as it continues to build a world-class paid parental leave scheme that values the work of caring, supports working families, and advances gender equality for all Australians.
It was my birthday yesterday—21 again!—and, while I was grateful for the cards, the messages and the time spent with family, the very best gift I could receive arrives this week for Australian families. From 1 July, paid parental leave will expand to a full six months. That means more time for parents to bond with their newborn, more flexibility for mums and dads to share caring responsibilities and more support during one of the most important times in a family's life.
That is what practical support for families looks like. In my electorate of Bonner, more than 45,000 families call our community home and around 1,600 families access paid parental leave each year. These reforms will make a real difference to their lives.
When Labor came to government in 2022, eligible families received around $14,000 through paid parental leave. From 1 July, families accessing the full entitlement will receive almost $30,000—around $16,000 more than they would have received just four years ago. The weekly payment will also increase to more than $1,000, and, because we've lifted the income thresholds, even more Australian families will now be eligible for this support.
For many families, that is the difference between financial stress and financial security. It means parents can spend more time with their baby and less time worrying about whether they can afford to return to work before they are ready. As a mum of three beautiful kids, I know firsthand that becoming a parent changes everything.
It changes your priorities overnight. It changes your routine, your perspective and the way you think about the future. I also know that, while those first weeks and months are filled with incredible joy, they can also be exhausting, overwhelming, and, for many families, financially stressful.
New parents are learning as they go, often surviving on very little sleep while trying to give their child the very best start in life. The last thing they need is the financial pressure forcing them back to work before they are ready. This is why parental leave matters.
It gives a family the time to recover, to bond with their baby and to adjust to the new chapter without immediately worrying about how they are going to make the household budget work. Since Labor began reforming the scheme in 2023, parents of more than 460,000 Australian children have already benefited from the more generous, or more flexible, paid parental leave.
Around 180,000 families every year will benefit from this latest expansion. These reforms are particularly important for women. As both a mum and a member of parliament, I know there should never be a choice between building a family and building a career.
Too often, women have carried the long-term financial cost of taking time out to raise children. That is why Labor has also introduced superannuation on paid parental leave, helping to close the gender retirement gap, because starting a family should never mean sacrificing financial security later in life. This is good for parents, it's good for babies, and it's good for our economy.
Our support for families doesn't stop there. From 1 July, more than 1.2 million Australian families will receive an increase to their family tax benefit, helping with the everyday cost of raising kids. In Bonner, more than 6,000 families rely on these payments, and these increases will help families put food on the table, pay the bills and meet the rising cost of essentials.
We are also increasing income and asset thresholds for a range of payments, giving Australians greater flexibility before their payments begin to reduce. These are practical reforms that recognise the pressures families continue to face and that put more money back into the pockets of Australian families. The way we support families says a great deal about the country that we want to be.
Labor believes that every child deserves the very best start in life and that every parent deserves the opportunity to spend those precious first months with their newborn without unnecessary financial pressure. This is the biggest expansion of paid parental leave since the scheme was introduced. It is an investment in Australian families.
It is an investment in children, and, as a mum, I know there is no job more important than raising the next generation. Every Australian family deserves the chance to spend those precious first months with a baby knowing they have the time, the support and the financial security that they need. Labor is delivering for all Australian families when it matters most.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Sharkie ): Is the motion seconded? Ms Teesdale: I second the amendment, and I reserve my right to speak.