STEVE MARTIN, HOST: The Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, is highlighting today some changes for or to the paid parental leave system that have apparently just come into effect. Now, some of the info that's come through with this is that in 2024-25, locally, just under 1700 parents were part of this scheme. So the scheme's now
been expanded so it includes more time off, higher payments and is available to more people. Catherine King is the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, but principally she's joining us this morning as the Federal Member for Ballarat. Catherine King, good morning.MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CATHERINE KING: Good morning. That's my most important role, Member for Ballarat.
MARTIN: See, I almost wrote that in your introduction, but I thought, no, I won't be so cheeky.
KING: It is.
MARTIN: Catherine King, I'll start with the parental leave stuff. There's a couple of other news items kicking around today that I'd like to ask your thoughts on. But with the parental leave, what's changed?
KING: So it now goes to 26 weeks, so six months of paid parental leave, so the amount of time has been expanded. It's at a higher rate than it previously was, and also superannuation is paid on that because we know, mainly for women, but the time out of the workforce caring for children has meant often a really significant disadvantage at retirement. So as you know, superannuation is cumulative – the more you put in in your early years, the better it is. So that’s in there as well. And the income threshold has changed, and it would mean that eligible families across our region will receive almost $30,000 across their paid parental leave period, and that's a substantial increase from when we came to government.
We know it's pretty hard when you're having– being a new parent is absolutely amazing, but we also know that all of the evidence is that the more time in those really early days parents can spend with their kids and not have that sort of financial pressure on them, the better that is for the baby, better it is for the families, the mums and dads, And really, paid parental leave has been an important part of our system. But expanding it has also been really important because people have been telling us really clearly they are absolutely stretched to try and balance their needs, their financial obligations and their obligations to their new baby, and paid parental leave really helps with that.
MARTIN: Who's eligible for this?
KING: Yeah, well, certainly in terms of eligible parents, obviously, you have to be having a baby, and it came in on the 1 July, so you have to have had your baby after 1 July, and so that's the first thing. And then there are income thresholds that are related to that as well, so obviously if you’re a very high income earning household, then paid parental leave- obviously if you’ve got workplace paid parental leave, that kicks in, but the government paid parental leave has some eligibility requirements on it, and that's all available on the Services Australia website.
MARTIN: Okay. So does that mean if you've got workplace paid parental leave, you get a top-up from the government so that it comes up to that minimum level?
KING: Yeah, depending on your income level. So really, annual income tests are rising, and so basically it's around $186,487 of family income, and that limit's increasing to $386,000. So that's quite a high income for couples, but obviously we're seeing that across the board, the costs going up. So we're recognising that in terms of both having a baby and costs of living as well. So those income thresholds allow quite a large number of people who have children, but obviously there’s a top up if your workplace scheme doesn’t actually fit in with that.
MARTIN: Just under 1700 parents in 2024-25 in Ballarat, and in your seat accessed the scheme, so under these changes, what are you anticipating? Because it's going to be a lot more, isn't it?
KING: It will be a lot more. Hard to know. How wonderful that we've had 1700 people have babies in our area, so welcome all those beautiful new families and new babies into our area. It will be higher than that. Hard to know. Obviously, it depends on a range of factors, but it would certainly– you know, you'd expect it to be at least in the 2000s, but hard to know, obviously, in terms of the figures that we've got today.
MARTIN: Okay. Now, I’ll just get you to repeat, If people want information about this, is it Services Australia the website to go to?
KING: Yeah, Services– the Department of Social Services, so the Services Australia website will have all of the eligibility requirements for paid parental leave. So if you're pregnant at the moment, you're expecting a baby, hop online and make sure that you've registered for paid parental leave in this financial year.
MARTIN: All right. Can I get you to put one of your ministerial hats on just for a moment …
KING: Of course.
MARTIN: … because you are the Federal Minister for Local Government. We've got this situation at the Hepburn Shire where five out of seven councillors are stood down while they face private criminal charges. First up, as a parliamentarian, what’s your take on this?
KING: Well, I just think it's untenable for council to function in that way. I don't know or understand the merits of various claims that have been made, et cetera, so I won't sort of delve into that. But my experience with Hepburn Shire Council is, you know, it's a pretty hard task being a councillor. It's not great. It's not remunerated particularly highly, but you've got big responsibilities. And particularly in councils that are really small with low rate raising capacity, it's a really difficult job to balance budgets, and it's a hard task. I know that a lot of people think twice about putting their hand up for local government, and we want really people from all walks of life to be involved in it. And I think when things like this happen, it really puts people off. And I think it doesn't mean you always get the best candidates coming forward in those circumstances.
So I think it's pretty untenable for Hepburn Shire to only be operating on a minimum of councillors. And I think that the State Government, I think I understand, is certainly looking at it. I mean, I haven't heard anything like this happen before anywhere else, so it seems to be a pretty unusual situation that has arisen.
MARTIN: Okay. My understanding is there is a move to end this provision or at least amend the provision from a private prosecution that will stop this happening again, but it's rolled into a larger bill. The council groups like MAV and RCV are asking for that particular bit to be taken out and treated as an individual thing and to be done quickly. Is that an unreasonable request that we actually get this particular instance sorted quickly by the Victorian Parliament?
KING: Well, I think that's really a matter for the Victorian Parliament. I wouldn't make commentary on the decisions that are before them, but I certainly think it is pretty untenable for Hepburn Shire to continue to operate with only a couple of councillors that can't make decisions. There's contracts they've got to be able to enter into in terms of roads that people desperately want fixed at the moment, if they've got recommendations of that before them, a range of matters that really do need to have continuing decisions, and it’s a bit untenable for them to operate in the way that they have.
MARTIN: Any room for federal intervention in this or not?
KING: It's not really– there's no legislation that covers local government. They're really creatures of state and state governments. They're set up under state legislation. We don't have– the main role the Federal Government has is through payments through financial assistance grants, and Roads to Recovery is the big bulk of what the Federal Government does in trying to help local governments and sort of build leadership capacity through some of the programs that we've got, that's our main role. But they’re established under state government.
MARTIN: Righty-o. We're talking to Catherine King, Federal Member for Ballarat. Catherine, I'll get you to go back to your Member for Ballarat hat for this next question. It is about national affairs and international affairs, but I wonder your reaction and what you're hearing back locally, because it's about Pauline Hanson. So when I think about some of the commentary, and she's been in the news again saying she doesn't regret meeting Tommy Robinson in the UK and doesn't back away from anything she's said. When I think about the last couple of decades locally, there's been a lot of work in the Central Highlands and in Ballarat to increase the multicultural aspect of our local community. It's very different today than it was a couple of decades ago when I first arrived. As the local member, how do you think some of these comments and the commentary around the comments in support are being received by our local multicultural community?
KING: Well, I think they're incredibly hurtful. To be told that you and your family don't belong, particularly– if you’ve been here a long period of time. My husband's second generation, his dad's Croatian, came here after World War Two. Basically, that's what she's saying, is you don't belong here, you have no place in this country. And I just think it's really hurtful to people from Greek, Italian, Croatian backgrounds, but also obviously we've got a lot of new migrants. And I think our community has been enriched by that. I get the opportunity to go to lots of multicultural festivals and events, and they're beautiful. And I listen to the contribution that people are making, they're our doctors, they're our physiotherapists, they're working in our mental health units, they're teaching, they're working in our factories. And I think that if you get the opportunity to learn about a new culture, it enriches you and enriches them as well. You only have to go, and I again encourage people, if you get the opportunity to go to a citizenship ceremony, it's the most joyous occasion that you can possibly go to. And people are so excited about becoming Australian and sharing their culture but learning ours as well. And so I just think her comments are hurtful, but they're not new. I mean, she's been doing this for a long period of time. It's her stick, it's what she's been doing, and it's not the first time she's made racist or bigoted comments and sought to divide Australia. And my job, and I think the job of most fair-minded Australians is to say that's not the country we want to be, thanks very much. And we'll just get on with our lives and embrace people in our community.
MARTIN: Does it worry you that it seems to be sticking with people a bit more this time around?
KING: I think it certainly worries me that, obviously with social media, there's a lot spread of disinformation, a lot of opportunity for people to say hurtful things, which is often easier to do when you're behind a keyboard than to someone's face. And I think that whether you're entering something into a keyboard or making a comment on my posts, for example, or anyone's, they hurt people and they do harm. And I'd really get people to have a think about what sort of country do you want to live in? Do you want one that's full of kindness and compassion and care for people and that embraces change and diversity? Or do you want a vision of Australia that just is small and narrow and hurtful and filled with hate? And I don't think the vast majority of people, it isn't a vision for Australia that we share. And so it does– it worries me that there's a lot more capacity to spread some of this information than there has been in times past, and to spread that sort of discourse. And it's easy to get caught in some of that. But open your minds a little bit and have a think about what you're saying is what I'd ask people to do, because it does hurt and does cause harm.
MARTIN: Catherine King, thanks for your time this morning.
KING: Good to be with you.
MARTIN: That is the Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King.
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