Parliament has passed legislation to protect employer-funded paid leave for parents experiencing the stillbirth or death of a child.
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said the bill will “provide greater certainty for parents during [an] unbelievably difficult time.”
Last week, a small group of Coalition MPs raised concerns that the bill would encompass late-term abortions.
Rishworth said she was “disappointed that some senators tried to make it something that it’s not.”
Parental leave
Paid Parental Leave (PPL) is a national scheme for parents after a birth or adoption, capped at 24 weeks of federally-funded minimum wage.
Separately, employers may also fund their own PPL schemes, but these policies differ between individual companies.
Government-funded PPL cannot be cancelled if a baby dies or is stillborn. Last month, Labor introduced a proposal to legislate similar protections for employer-funded PPL.
Priya's bill
‘Baby Priya’s Bill’ has now been approved by both houses of Parliament, following a push from a mother whose employer cancelled her PPL after the death of her six-week-old daughter.
It means the Fair Work Act will be amended to make it illegal for employers to cancel PPL after a stillbirth or infant death.
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Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth paid tribute to Priya’s parents, who “in the midst of their grief, saw the need for change... so that other parents do not have to endure a similar circumstance.”
Opposition
Last week, a group of four Opposition MPs, including Barnaby Joyce, raised concerns that the bill would encompass late-term abortions.
Liberal Senator Tony Pasin said PPL “shouldn‘t be available to people who don’t wish to be parents.”
The Government noted the bill “doesn’t create any new entitlement to parental leave”. It accused a “very small minority” of trying to “hijack” the bill.
Despite this, Rishworth said “members from many sides” of politics recognised “the importance of providing clear and compassionate arrangements for families facing the heartbreaking loss of a baby.”
“This bill is not about late term abortion, [it’s] about giving parents dignity in the event of a stillbirth or early death of a child,“ she added.
Shadow Employment Minister Tim Wilson previously told TDA the bill is “an important step to ensure compassion and dignity are afforded to grieving parents.”
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