I would have double-dipped: Nats senator

A Nationals senator says his family didn't double dip on paid parental leave, but would have if they could.

A day after Treasurer Joe Hockey defended two of his ministerial colleagues for accessing leave from both the commonwealth and their employer - a practice the coalition wants to stop - Matt Canavan admitted he wished he could have.

"I haven't been in a position to do it, but I'll say upfront if I had have been, we probably sure would have taken advantage of both," he told ABC TV on Tuesday, while supporting the move to better target spending to those who need it.