Parental leave tax 'better than ETS'

10 Mar 2010, 10:57 am   -   Source: AAP
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Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has been criticised for making an announcement on paid parental leave without consulting his party (AP)

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has been criticised for making an announcement on paid parental leave without consulting his party (AP)

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says his tax to fund paid parental leave is better than an emissions trading scheme, after being admonished by his party for making decisions unilaterally.

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Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says his tax to fund paid parental leave is better than an emissions trading scheme because it delivers a "practical direct benefit".

Despite describing the ETS as a "great big tax", Mr Abbott plans to introduce a levy on big business to fund his scheme of six months parental leave on full pay.

Big business is not happy about the levy, which will put a 1.7 per cent tax on firms with company tax above $5 million.

ETS 'bigger'

Mr Abbott said there were a number of important differences between his tax and an ETS.

"It's much smaller," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"It's a much more comprehensible benefit, which is going to be delivered, a practical direct benefit to hundreds and thousands of families.

"(And) I would like to ensure that as soon as possible the overall tax burden."

It's looking increasingly likely the opposition will reject Labor's planned maternity leave plan, which is yet to be introduced into the parliament.

'Mickey Mouse scheme'

"What you can expect is that as far as is possible in the parliament we will be supporting our policy and not the government's policy," Mr Abbott said.

"I think the interesting challenge for the government is whether they will vote down our parental leave scheme in favour of their Mickey Mouse scheme."

Dennis Jensen and Wilson Tuckey are prepared to be more forgiving of Tony Abbott than his predecessor for overlooking the federal coalition party room.

Dr Jensen, a persistent critic of former leader Malcolm Turnbull, said he believed Mr Abbott accepted that was not the way to do things.

"However, with Malcolm Turnbull it was a consistent sequence of actions where the lack of partyroom consultation was evident," he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

"It wasn't just a oncer."

Lining up to 'slap' Abbott

Mr Abbott, on the other hand, had told the party room he did not see that "sort of thing" happening again.

"If he does sort of pre-emptively introduce a policy again I think that there will be quite a few people lining up to give him a smack."

Fellow WA Liberal Wilson Tuckey said Mr Abbott got the message from the party room and it was fortuitous that it had come early in his term as opposition leader.

Mr Turnbull consistently set out to override established party policy, he said.

But on this occasion there was no policy and Mr Abbott was entitled to fill the gap.

'Amicable meeting'

"I made it very clear to him that I didn't accept his excuse," Mr Tuckey told reporters.

"His excuse was that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission on some occasions.

"I think he would have got permission."

Mr Tuckey said the partyroom meeting was very amicable and Mr Abbott handled it well.

"But the fact of life is that we have made it clear how we would like him to proceed in future and I expect he will."

 

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