31st May 2010, 8:32 PM – Representatives Paid Parental Leave Bill 2010, Paid Parental Leave (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2010 - Second Reading - Coalition amendments

The majority voted in favour of a motion "That the words proposed to be omitted ... stand part of the question."

In other words, it was a motion to keep the words referred to unchanged.

Tony Abbott MP, leader of the Coalition opposition, had proposed to replace the words in a motion to read the bills a second time with words that called on the Labor Government to amend parts of the proposed paid parental leave scheme.(Read Abbott MP's proposal here. )

Someone who voted Aye wanted the words to remain unchanged. Since the majority of members voted Aye, Abbott MP's attempt to change the words was unsuccessful.

Debate in Parliament

Tony Abbott MP argued that there were a series of “flaws” in the government's paid parental leave scheme that needed to be amended.(Read Abbott MP's whole contribution here. ) These included the fact that it does not include superannuation, is only 18 weeks long (rather than 26 weeks), is paid at the level of the minimum wage (rather than a replacement wage) and requires employers to administer the scheme (rather than the government).

Labor MP Jenny Macklin disagreed. She argued that the inclusion of superannuation would be considered when the scheme is reviewed in two years and that extending the scheme or providing a replacement wage rather than the minimum wage would be too costly.(Read Macklin MP's who contribution here ) Finally, she argued that employers should administer the scheme for their long term employees because the Labor Party wants the scheme to be treated like any other workplace entitlement.

Background to the bills

The Paid Parental Leave Bill 2010 and the Paid Parental Leave (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2010 were introduced by the Labor Government to establish a Government-funded Paid Parental Leave (PPL)scheme from 1 January 2011.(Read more about the Government's paid parental leave scheme in the bill's digest (522 KB) and the Department of Human Services website.)

References