Ms Pauline O'Hare:

I thank the Chair. We have highlighted the cost impact, which cannot be ignored. In the current climate, businesses have many challenges. It is not that we are saying we are against a particular thing; it is that there is a need to look at the overall context of every situation and every new leave that is introduced. The Sick Leave Act is complex in terms of the leave for which it provides. We engaged comprehensively with the Department on it. We made a number of submissions. It is a complex issue. One cannot ignore the complete impact on businesses of all these initiatives at a time when they are dealing with a number of challenges, particularly in the case of small and medium-sized businesses.