Any changes to paid parental leave need to be brought in over time, a key crossbench senator believes.
A move to stop new parents pocketing leave from both their employer and the government should at the very least be grandfathered, Nick Xenophon told ABC TV on Monday night.
"There are many women who in good faith negotiated an enterprise bargaining agreement for instance with their employers on the basis that they would be able to top it up with the Government's scheme," Senator Xenophon said.
The senator says there has been a lot of unnecessarily emotive language about the measure, which Labor will oppose, a sentiment also expressed by senior liberal Arthur Sinodinos.
"It's not a good look to be having a go at the young mothers or new mothers of Australia," Mr Sinodinos told Sky News.
"I think some of the language has been a bit unfortunate. We should be a bit more empathetic," he said.
The opposition rejected parents were "double-dipping", saying they came to the leave arrangement to stay with their child longer through an enterprise bargaining agreement.
"That undermines the negotiation when the employee has given away other things," Labor's finance spokesman Tony Burke told Sky News.
Mr Burke says Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will outline the party's plans for the future during his budget reply speech to parliament on Thursday night.
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