In a speech to the NSW state Labor conference in Sydney on Saturday, Mr Albanese is to announce - ahead of the October 25 budget - Labor's plan to expand paid parental leave (PPL) from 18 to 26 weeks as a productivity, cost-of-living, gender equity and baby bonding measure.

In what is a strengthened reboot of an opposition paid parental leave plan, which almost, but did not quite get off the ground as Labor policy last year, passed federal cabinet late on Friday. Many participants of last month's jobs and skills summit called for PPL expansion.

In excerpts of the speech seen by The Canberra Times, Mr Albanese is expected to reveal that, by 2026, every family with a new baby will be able to access a total of six months' paid leave as a "modern policy, for modern families".

"Equality for women is at the heart of our vision for a fair go at work," the Prime Minister is expected to say.

"And equality for women will be at the centre of our budget.

"Because the full and equal and respectful participation of women in our economy is our nation's greatest untapped resource."

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Taxpayer-funded parental leave costs more than $2.2 billion a year and is currently paid at the minimum wage for up to 18 weeks for people earning less than $150,000 a year.

The Labor proposal - to be detailed in the budget - is for a flexible scheme that offers a total of six months' paid leave, shared between the two parents, while single parents would be able to access all 26 weeks.

The government will also maintain "use it or lose it" weeks to encourage and facilitate more dads and partners to access paid parental leave.

"Our plan will mean more families take up this leave, share in that precious time - and share the caring responsibilities more equally," Mr Albanese is expected to say.

"This plan will support dads who want to take time off work to be more involved in those early months.

"It's a modern policy, for modern families."

The plan resurrects and adds to a Labor plan which almost formed part of Mr Albanese's budget reply in 2021 but ended up being placed on hold.

It also did not emerge during the 2022 federal election campaign with the ALP at pains to present it as a small target, although Mr Albanese insists he has long championed doing more with paid parental leave.

It also featured prominently at the recent Jobs and Skills Summit in Parliament House, while Mr Albanese on Friday described boosting parental leave as "low-hanging fruit" to supporting women and backing the economy.

"Let me be clear: the government views this as the foundation, the baseline, a national minimum standard," the Prime Minister is expected to say at the Labor conference.

"We are encouraged that there are already employers across Australia competing to offer working parents the best possible deal. And we want to see more of it.

"Because a parental leave system that empowers the full and equal participation of women will be good for business, good for families and good for the economy."

Advocacy group The Parenthood has been calling on the federal government to expand paid parental leave to 52 weeks, along with allowing for universal access to early childhood education.