THE HON AMANDA RISHWORTH MP, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Well, it's been really wonderful this morning to be here, having a great play with some new babies and parents and it's been wonderful to be joined also by Minister Gallagher and of course, Steph, Kurt, and little Billy. Because we know that the arrival of a new baby can be sometimes a very exciting but also stressful occasion. We know that many parents need to take a step back from paid work, and that's why our expansion of Paid Parental Leave to 22 weeks, increasing to 26 weeks, is so important.

ROBBIE VON, HOST: G'day Patrick, how are you today, mate?

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: G'day Robbie, I'm pretty good on a cold Canberra morning. G'day to your listeners, too.

VON: Beautiful mate. What is happening in your neck of the woods today?

Australia’s Government Paid Parental Leave has been expanded by two weeks as we progress towards 26 weeks in 2026.

From July 1, parents will receive 22 weeks of Paid Parental Leave, up from 20 weeks, resulting in more support as parents take time out of work to care for their newborn.

The scheme will continue to expand each year until the Government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme reaches 26 weeks in July 2026. When fully rolled out to 26 weeks, families will receive around $24,000 in government-funded parental leave.

The Youpla Support Program phone line, designed to support First Nations people impacted by the collapse of funeral insurance provider the Youpla Group, is open for incoming calls from today.

The Youpla Group, also known as the Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund (ACBF), sold funeral insurance policies to First Nations people. When they collapsed in 2022, many people could no longer pay for funeral expenses and conduct Sorry Business.

89 First Nations-owned art centres, art fairs, regional hubs and industry service organisations across the country will receive a share of more than $21 million in funding through the Albanese Labor Government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support Program.

The program supports a professional, viable and ethical First Nations arts industry - enabling artists to create, earn income, develop professional skills and connect to the art market.

There has never been a year quite like this one. A psephologist’s democratic dream.

In 2024, up to four billion people worldwide will have the opportunity to vote. Of course, political choice is much freer in some countries than others.

There are pantomime democracies. Democracies under threat. And I hope there are new democracies to emerge in the years ahead.

Australian democracy

Of the many reasons to be proud of our country is our rich and stable democratic traditions. Australia has been a global champion for democracy.

Boarding providers are invited to apply for grants under the Australian Government’s Central Australia Boarding Response Fund to increase access to quality education for students from remote Northern Territory communities.

Funding is available for capital works projects in Central Australia to improve existing boarding facilities and build new ones to create additional places for First Nations young people who need to study away from home.

On the drive back from Collie last week it struck me just why Peter Dutton's nuclear plan is so concerning for West Australians.

Heading home on the Kwinana Freeway after a day of talking to energy workers and community leaders in Collie I saw our city skyline. The names of Australia's largest resources companies illuminate Perth.

It struck me that if the CEO of any of those companies had done what Peter Dutton did, they would be sacked before the day is out.

A statistical dashboard launched today will help drive our shared ambition to end violence against women and children in Australia in one generation by providing more timely reporting on female victims of intimate partner homicide.

We know that to end violence we must be able to measure it. Accurate, verified, closer to real-time data is crucial to achieving this aim.

ADAM SHIRLEY, HOST: Assistant Minister, thanks for your time. Good to see you.

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: Good to see you, Adam. Hello to your listeners.

SHIRLEY: It is talk topic of today and last night, obviously $700,000 for Sam Mostyn in the role as the new Governor General; over, under, or about right?