Sepuloni Carmel: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSepuloni Carmel: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 03 December 2014. Volume:702;Page:1087. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston):I am really interested in new clause 6 of the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill and the extension that is put in here—from 16 weeks to 22 weeks and then on to 26 weeks—and I really would like to know from the member in the chair Sue Moroney what advice she has received about the financial implications of these changes. I know that the member had been discussing with the Government the fact that although her preference was to continue offering 26 weeks’ paid parental leave to all new parents this was almost a compromise given the Government felt that it was unaffordable despite the member’s own costings saying that that was not the case. So what I am interested in is the costings that the member has come up with and I would like to see whether in fact they would be affordable for any Government to be able to take on at this point.I was interested in the Families Commission submission on this bill as well. It stated that in 2009 when the effects of the financial crisis were most evident eight countries made changes to increase financial benefits for parental leave and actually the change in one of those countries was for multiple births. So eight countries actually increased the financial arrangements they had for paid parental leave and found that it was actually the fiscally responsible thing to do and actually it really helped during an economic crisis in terms of the benefits that came from it. So I would really like to know from the member whether she received any advice on that and whether actually she knows what those eight countries were that extended their paid parental leave provisions and how it actually helped them during difficult economic times. I think that would be something good for this Government to take on board despite the fact that I have heard from the member of the compromise that is being made here in terms of changing the availability from being for all new parents and new births to being multiple births children with disabilities and premature births. I would really like to know the financial implications.I would really also like to know from the member what the long-term savings will be. There is some research out there particularly in relation to premature births multiple births and children with disability about the increased importance of breastfeeding exclusively for those first 6 months. I think I have seen some pretty serious statistics that outline that those babies who are not exclusively breastfed in those first 6 months are 14 times more likely to die than those who are which is a pretty serious statistic. I think that one came from Unicef so I would be interested to know from the member whether she had further information along those lines because I think this Parliament should take that kind of information quite seriously. With regard to premature babies and to babies who are born as part of a multiple birth—and I know that multiple birth babies are more likely to be of a lower weight when born so there are risks there—I ask what the benefits are to having 6 months’ exclusive breastfeeding that the member has come across.I am also really interested in a submission on this bill in relation to what we are discussing in this clause that was put forward by the Children’s Commissioner which pointed out that the current rate of paid parental leave is the same rate regardless of whether there is one or more children born—so regardless of whether it is a single birth or a multiple birth. The Children’s Commissioner actually put forward in its submission that it disadvantaged parents of multiple birth babies—I am not sure whether I am phrasing it quite right. I know that that point made in the submission by the Children’s Commissioner is slightly different to what is in the clause but it does touch on the issue of multiple births and how there needs to be some different arrangements made to take into consideration the additional pressures that are on the parents who give birth to more than one baby at one time. I am really interested in the long-term costings or savings that could be made in respect of the health of these children.