Pauline Hanson says parental leave will force small businesses to ‘fold’ – despite no law forcing employers to pay

One Nation leader says she isn’t suggesting Australia get rid of taxpayer-funded parental leave entitlements

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Pauline Hanson says small businesses will “fold” under the cost of providing paid parental leave, as Labor suggested the One Nation leader didn’t understand how the policy worked.

It is not compulsory for employers to pay parental leave entitlements in Australia, though most businesses do provide it and employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid leave.