Michael Sukkar MP

COALITION CALLS ON LABOR TO REMOVE PPL PAY-CLERK BURDEN ON SMALL BUSINESS

The Hon SUSSAN LEY MP

Deputy Leader of the Opposition

Shadow Minister for Industry, Skills and Training

Shadow Minister for Small and Family Business

Shadow Minister for Women

The Hon Michael Sukkar MP

Shadow Minister for Social Services

Shadow Minister for NDIS

Shadow Minister for Housing

Shadow Minister for Homelessness

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

28 November 2023

COALITION CALLS ON LABOR TO REMOVE PPL PAY-CLERK BURDEN ON SMALL BUSINESS

The Coalition is once again calling on the Albanese Government to have Services Australia administer Paid Parental leave payments directly to small business employees.

The Commonwealth’s paid parental leave scheme unfairly imposes an additional red-tape burden on small businesses by making them the pay-clerk for the Government’s paid parental leave scheme.

Small businesses with no human resource departments to rely on are drowning in red-tape and are often ill-equipped to administer these payments.

Administering these payments increases the administrative burden on resource poor small businesses, adds to payroll processing times and in some cases creates cashflow problems.

Under the Coalition’s proposal, small businesses could opt-in to administer the scheme or have Services Australia administer the scheme to small business employees, reducing the regulatory burden on the sector.

With many small business employers finding no benefit to their relationship with their employees while administering the scheme, it is time this unnecessary burden is lifted from small businesses, the engine room of our economy.

While supporting the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (More Support for Working Families) Bill 2023, the Coalition will move amendments seeking to remove this red-tape burden from small business when this legislation reaches the Senate.

Ends