21 April 2025

Greens candidate for Cunningham Jess Whittaker said a commitment to bring Australia's paid parental leave in line with the world's best practice would benefit thousands of families.

The Greens' $7.7 billion landmark policy for women’s equality and support for families would see paid parental leave double from 26 weeks to 52 weeks by 2030.

The plan, which would be implemented with the Greens in the balance of power and paid for by making the big corporations pay their fair share of tax, would increase the 'use it or lose it' secondary carers component of parental leave from four to 12 weeks. This has been key to getting parents to share the child care and household responsibilities in Nordic countries.

The benefits of paid parental leave would also be extended to PhD students, irrespective of their employment status. 

Jess said the policy was a massive step forward for women’s equality and it would give families time and financial security to thrive. 

"Having a baby is one of the most special moments of a woman's life, but it is incredibly stressful," Jess said. 

"During a cost-of-living crisis that stress would only be multiplied and families shouldn't have to be struggling to balance the household budget in the first year of a baby’s life.

"There are more than 2,000 babies born at Wollongong Hospital every year, so that is a lot of families who will directly benefit from this policy. 

"The Greens are serious about women's equality, reducing the gender pay gap and increasing the chances of mothers being able to transition back into the workforce.

“Tripling the ‘use it or lose it’ secondary carers component to 12 weeks will encourage parents to share the load, and help fix the disproportionate load of domestic work falling to women.”

Larissa Water, Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, said: “It was time parents were rewarded, not penalised, for dedicating themselves to the precious first year of a baby’s life.

“26 weeks at minimum wage is not enough," she said.

"Families are being forced to make decisions that keep the bills paid rather than being supported to choose what’s right for them and their kids.

“After sustained pressure from the Greens for over a decade, Labor finally enacted their policy of paying super on paid parental leave. But those tweaks to add super and gradually extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks still leave Australian women lagging behind our international sisters.”