The Parenthood welcomes the Nationals’ call to extend Paid Parental Leave

MEDIA STATEMENT

March 11,  2026

The Parenthood welcomes the Nationals’ call to extend Paid Parental Leave

The Parenthood welcomes the Nationals' call to extend Paid Parental Leave to up to 18 months, including their proposal for HECS relief for mothers. It recognises something families have known for a long time. Having children still carries a significant and lasting financial cost for women. And more broadly, families across Australia are feeling the  reality that in 2026 it is harder than ever for households to both care for and provide for a family.

It should not be this hard to start a family in Australia. We are currently lagging well behind comparable countries on paid parental leave. With the OECD average sitting at 54.1 weeks, it is clear Australia still has work to do.

The Nationals’ position is particularly significant for families in rural and regional Australia. Many of our members in these communities are living with the reality of childcare deserts, where there simply are not enough places available. Longer paid parental leave can help ease the pressure families face when they are forced to return to work before care is even available.

At The Parenthood we are advocating for Australia to become the best place in the world to be a parent and raise a child. A crucial step toward that goal is extending paid parental leave to at least 52 weeks, ultimately paid at a replacement wage, and designing the scheme so fathers and partners are genuinely able and expected to take meaningful time as caregivers.

When men take leave it strengthens families. Babies and children benefit. It supports women’s workforce participation and begins to shift the entrenched inequality that still sees women carrying the overwhelming majority of care. That is not a nice-to-have. It is central to making this policy work.

Extending paid parental leave to 52 weeks is evidence-based economic and social policy. It supports early childhood development, protects parents' financial security and allows families to care for their babies without being forced into impossible trade-offs.

Paid parental leave and a strong early childhood education and care system go hand in hand. Expanding paid parental leave to 52 weeks would give babies the best start in life while also easing pressure on an overstretched childcare system and helping create a more sustainable ecosystem of support for families in the early years.

Georgie Dent
CEO, The Parenthood

The Parenthood is Australia’s leading parent advocacy organisation, representing families nationwide and working to make early childhood education and care safer, more affordable and accessible for every child.