Parmar Parmjeet: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave and Work Contact Hours) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeParmar Parmjeet: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave and Work Contact Hours) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 16 September 2015. Volume:708;Page:6746. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr PARMJEET PARMAR (National): Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker for the opportunity to speak on this bill in the name of Sue Moroney the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave and Work Contact Hours) Amendment Bill. I want to first acknowledge that it is really good to see that Sue Moroney’s member’s bill was drawn from the ballot so soon after her earlier bill so I congratulate Sue Moroney on that. But I am taking this call to oppose this bill.As a working mother I understand the importance of paid parental leave and there is a wide consensus that paid parental leave is important. That is why this National Government is already investing in paid parental leave. As we have heard that investment in paid parental leave is required. We are already investing in paid parental leave as we have already announced changes to the paid parental leave provisions in our last year’s Budget—that is Budget 2014.We have increased paid parental leave from 14 weeks to 16 weeks from 1 April 2015 and we have announced that paid parental leave will be increased to 18 weeks from next year—that is April 2016. Also for babies born on and after 1 April 2015 the parental tax credit has gone up from $150 to $220 and the payment period has been extended from 8 weeks to 10 weeks. The Employment Standards Legislation Bill which is before the House is also going to make the paid parental leave provision more effective and also flexible.The Employment Standards Legislation Bill is going to extend paid parental leave to other workers—to casual workers to seasonal workers and also to those who have just recently changed their jobs. This shows that we value working people and we want to support them when they want to go away to have their babies. They should be supported with reasonable paid parental leave.We are also wanting to make the paid parental leave provisions more flexible so employees working for more than one employer will be able to combine their income to maximise their paid parental leave payment to the maximum cap. Also the paid parental leave provision is going to be extended to primary carers. Primary carers are going to be not biological parents and not formally adoptive parents but other carers those who are available to take care of a newborn. But to become a primary carer those people should be in employment to qualify to get paid parental leave.As a woman I am conscious that we should not underestimate women’s place in the labour market. I do not want to see any changes coming through that will damage the prospects of women in the labour market. Paid parental leave is a work-related entitlement. It is a work-related entitlement and I do not want to see any discrimination against women because of women’s child-bearing responsibilities.It is important that families have access to paid parental leave that they can look after themselves and the newborn and that there is enough time for bonding. As I said our goal is to make the paid parental leave more effective efficient flexible and also make it affordable. What this National Government is already doing is actually providing that optimal balance to provide family-life balance and also to make it affordable.The National Government is known for working hard for families and children and we are also delivering for taxpayers. We are already doing what is needed so I oppose this bill. Thank you.