The Albanese government is at loggerheads with key crossbencher David Pocock after the independent senator demanded it reduce red tape for small business by streamlining the payment of parental leave to employees.
Services Australia administers 37 per cent of parental leave payments under a range of exemptions, which includes workers who have been employed fewer than 12 months.There is no breakdown as to what percentage of these exempt workers belong to small businesses, as defined by having fewer than 20 employees, but Senator Pocock believes all small business operators should be exempt from having to administer the payment, unless they choose to opt in.
“Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave is a fantastic initiative and I fully support plans to further extend it. “The committee heard evidence about the appropriateness of the employer role given PPL is designed as a workplace entitlement, not a welfare payment,” they said in their dissenting report. One of those supporting Senator Pocock was the small business lobby, the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia.