Budget 2015: Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg admits wife 'double dipped' on paid parental leave
Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has revealed his wife claimed paid parental leave payments from her employer and the Government, as Labor steps up its attacks on the Coalition's plan to stop women benefiting from two schemes.
"We accessed both schemes as my wife was entitled to and there are many people I'm sure on both sides of the House who have done that," Mr Frydenberg told Sky News.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, who is also on cabinet's Expenditure Review Committee, has deflected questions about whether his wife claimed money from two schemes.
Earlier today Senator Cormann described the Coalition's push to stop women getting two payments as a "fairness measure" and defended the Government calling it "double dipping".
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But this afternoon, under questioning from Labor senator Sam Dastyari, Senator Cormann did not deny his wife Hayley, a Perth lawyer, received benefits from her employer, Clayton Utz, and the Government PPL scheme.
"Let me confirm for him that I have indeed had a little child in 2013 and that our family of course worked within a system that was available at the time like any other family and that my family will work within whatever system is in place in the future," Senator Cormann said.
The Clayton Utz website specifies that: "Staff with five years' continuous service or more will receive 18 weeks' leave at full pay, with maximum non-primary carer benefits increasing to three weeks' leave at full pay".
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"The firm's parental pay policy offering is in addition to the Government's Paid Parental Leave scheme."
Malcolm Turnbull earlier refused to back the language his frontbench colleagues Joe Hockey and Scott Morrison have used to criticise the existing paid parental leave arrangements.
On Sunday, Mr Hockey agreed with Channel Nine journalist Laurie Oakes that getting money from both schemes was "basically fraud".
The next day, Mr Morrison told Sky News being able to benefit from both schemes was "in many cases... a rort".
Mr Turnbull said he agrees with the policy change but will not back his colleagues' language.
"I don't agree that ministers have used that language," Mr Turnbull said.
"Let's not have an argument about semantics.
"I'm not using that language and I don't agree.
"I think it's very important that we always respect and show due empathy and concern and consideration for families and particularly mothers."
More at
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-14/budget-2-15-josh-frydenberg-ppl-wife-double-dipped/6469578
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