Liberal Broadbent calls on Abbott to divert maternity pay to disability scheme TONY Abbott has been tackled by his own side over the Coalition's $6.3 billion paid parental leave scheme, with one of his MPs urging the money go instead to a national disability insurance scheme.
In the Coalition party room today, Victorian Liberal Russell Broadbent called for a re-think of the generous plan, which would deliver wealthy mums up to $75,000 in parental leave payments.
Mr Broadbent a passionate advocate for people with disabilities said if the Coalition could find the money, it should be directed towards an NDIS.
He was slapped down by Mr Abbott, who re-affirmed the Coalition commitment to his paid parental leave policy, saying it was not a welfare measure but a "workplace entitlement".
Mr Abbott criticised Julia Gillard for "playing politics" with disability insurance by claiming it as a Labor reform when it had bipartisan support, and when Labor was yet to commit funding for it.
...Several other MPs backed the Opposition Leader's commitment to the paid parental leave scheme, including Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey, who warned the Coalition could not keep imposing taxes on Australians.
Mr Hockey stressed to colleagues the Coalition had to get the budget bottom line right before allocating money to schemes like the NDIS.
He said the Coalition's paid parental leave scheme would be covered by a 1.5 per cent levy on about 3000 companies.
Labor has only committed $10 million from existing programs towards the $6.5 billion National Disability Insurance scheme, and is at war with the states over how it will be funded.
Coalition disabilities spokesman Mitch Fifield accused Ms Gillard earlier this week of unfairly dragging disabled people into Labor's leadership debate after she claimed the scheme as one of her key reforms as Prime Minister.
Full story here.....
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/liberal-broadbent-calls-on-abbo...So the Liberal party can find $6.3 billion for the rich to have babies in what is a reverse means tested policy of greed but cannot find any money to fund the most disadvantaged in our society.....I guess silver spoons cost a lot when you already make $150 000 a year???