Media Release by The Hon Jenny Macklin MP

Liberals say no to Tony Abbott’s “Rolls Royce” paid parental leave scheme

Today Liberal Senator Sue Boyce joined the growing ranks of Liberals saying no to Tony Abbott’s millionaire mums paid parental leave scheme.

The Age reports that Senator Boyce made her feelings clear to Mr Abbott in the Liberal party room yesterday, calling it a “Rolls-Royce scheme”.

Senator Boyce joins the Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent and the National Party who have called on Tony Abbott to abandon his Richie Rich paid parental leave scheme, which will give wealthy mums up to $75,000 to have a baby.

The Coalition is so deeply divided they will never deliver Tony Abbott’s pie in the sky scheme, which he plans to fund by whacking a great big new tax on Australian businesses.

This Labor Government delivered Australia’s first national Paid Parental Leave scheme more than a year ago.

Our scheme gives parents more options to balance work and family, helps employers retain skilled staff and boosts workforce participation.

While the Coalition squabble over their pie in the sky paid parental leave scheme, the Government is getting on with building Australia’s first National Disability Insurance Scheme.

It was a Labor Government in the past that built Medicare, and it will be a Labor Government that will build a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Work is already underway on the design and development work that we need to do to get Australia ready for a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The Coalition’s split on their pie in the sky paid parental leave scheme has been going on since last year, see:

http://jennymacklin.fahcsia.cust.bulletproof.net/node/818

http://jennymacklin.fahcsia.cust.bulletproof.net/node/1542