Pauline Hanson Claims Paid Parental Leave Will Bankrupt Small Businesses

Australian politician Pauline Hanson has asserted that mandatory paid parental leave would lead to the collapse of small businesses, despite current laws not requiring employers to pay such entitlements. Her comments have drawn criticism from Labor, who accuse her of misunderstanding the policy.

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There are businesses that cannot afford it. It’s OK for government, taxpayers pay for it. You put another pressure on the small businesses, pay for maternity leave, they’ll actually fold.

Hanson stated that while government-funded parental leave is acceptable, the burden on small businesses is too great. "There are businesses that cannot afford it. It’s OK for government, taxpayers pay for it. You put another pressure on the small businesses, pay for maternity leave, they’ll actually fold," she told Seven Network. She clarified that she is not advocating for the elimination of parental leave, which she believes is beneficial for women returning to the workforce, but insisted her comments were taken out of context.

However, under Australia's National Employment Standards, employers are not legally obligated to provide paid parental leave. Employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid leave. Data indicates that approximately 70% of businesses voluntarily offer paid parental leave benefits. The federal government's paid parental leave scheme, set to expand from 24 to 26 weeks starting July 1, is funded by taxpayers.

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So there’s no way, shape, or form that I am actually saying to get rid of it. I think it’s been very beneficial to women to get back into the workforce. So that was totally taken completely out of context.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek criticized Hanson's stance, calling her latest statement "disingenuous." Plibersek argued that Hanson has consistently opposed paid parental leave over the past decade and is now attempting to reframe her position. "One Nation doesn’t even understand how the policy works," Plibersek stated, adding that Hanson's "only solution is to pit people against each other, instead of delivering policy."

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One Nation doesn’t even understand how the policy works.

Last week, Hanson suggested at the National Press Club that parents taking time off for newborns should not be paid by employers, linking it to the gender pay gap. She argued that if women are not working, their wages should not be paid, attributing the pay gap to this dynamic. Nationals leader Matt Canavan questioned the apparent shift in One Nation's position within days of Hanson's Press Club speech.

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Senator Hanson has said multiple times over almost a decade she doesn’t support paid parental leave. Obviously, Australian families have told her they want it and now she’s claiming she was taken out of context.