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Monday, 4 July 2011
Page: 7328

Family Payments

Mrs D'ATH (Petrie) (14:57): My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indig­enous Affairs. Will the minister update the House on new measures to benefit Australian families? How have these measures been received and are there any risks to these important reforms?

Ms MACKLIN (Jagajaga—Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) (14:57): I thank the member for Petrie very much for her question. She knows that the Labor govern­ment are delivering substantial benefits that are helping families and seniors, while all we get from those opposite is spin and no substance at all. Since last Friday Australian pensioners can now receive the new work bonus which will help them keep more of the pension when they take on some part-time work. Since last Friday Australian families will be able to get access to an expanded education tax refund that will now include school uniforms. Since last Friday there are now new baby bonus payment arrangements to help with the upfront purchases that parents need to make when a new baby comes into the family, such as paying for a new cot or a pram. Families will also be able to access improved family tax benefit payment arrangements to help them meet unexpected costs, such as the cost of fixing their cars. These are real, tangible benefits for Australian families and pensioners. These are reforms of substance, and each and every one of them was delivered by this Labor government. And from last Friday Australian parents are now also receiving the government funded paid parental leave through their employer, and this helps parents keep their connection with their workplace. Just on Friday the Prime Minister and I were very pleased to go to McDonalds in Werribee where we met new mum, Mia, with her baby, Sienna. Mia is about to go back to work after having had her paid parental leave. Of course, she has been very pleased to have the time off with her new baby and has also benefited from keeping the connection with her workplace. She is now very pleased to go back to work. This demonstrates that our paid parental leave has been good for families and continues to be good for business.

Also, from Friday parents who are returning to work after having time off looking after their children will be able to receive the childcare rebate fortnightly, which of course will help them balance their family budgets. It was this Labor govern­ment that increased the childcare rebate from 30 per cent, which existed under the coalition, to 50 per cent of out-of-pocket costs. All of these changes have been delivered by this Labor government. And all that we hear from the opposition on these issues is the very, very large bill of $4.5 billion that this Leader of the Opposition wants to pay for their paid parental leave policy. Although I read in the paper today that the Leader of the Nationals told the Leader of the Opposition he should:

Just get rid of the bloody thing.

What is it to be? Is the Leader of the Oppos­ition going to get rid of their paid parental leave policy or leave Australians with a huge bill?