Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that International Women's Day:

(a) was celebrated on Thursday 8 March, with this year's theme being Be Bold for Change; and

(b) is an important time to reflect on Australia's achievements in advancing gender equality, but also recommit to action to break through remaining barriers, including:

  (i) gender pay inequity, which has remained unbalanced for two decades and currently sits at 17 per cent;

  (ii) representation of women in leadership, with gender equality in the Federal Parliament not likely to be achieved until 2046 on the current trajectory; and

  (iii) violence against women, which results in one Australian woman being killed by a partner or former partner on average every week; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) stand up for female workers and oppose cuts to penalty rates that will exacerbate the existing gender pay gap;

(b) abandon plans to cut Paid Parental Leave which will see 70,000 new mothers worse off each year;

(c) rule out cuts to women's refuges currently funded through the National Affordable Housing Agreement; and

(d) abandon cuts to community legal centres that assist women and children escaping family violence.

It is a great pleasure to rise today in acknowledgement that International Women's Day was held during the parliamentary break, on 8 March this year. International Women's Day is, of course, an important day for all of us, wherever we might live across the globe, and a chance to take stock of where we are and where we have come from. It is a day to take note of the advances that have been made and pay tribute to those incredibly committed people across the globe who fought so hard to achieve them. It is also a day to acknowledge, however, that gender equality is something which still eludes us in too many areas of Australian life. It is a day to stand in solidarity with those who fight relentlessly to make sure that injustices are rectified and equality is achieved.

As noted in the motion, there is, however, much work to be done. There are more men named John than there are women running large Australian companies. In fact, captains of business are 40 per cent more likely to be named Peter or John than they are to be women. Women still earn significantly less than their male counterparts, with the gender pay gap sitting stubbornly now at around 17 per cent, where it has hovered for the last two decades. This means that, over the course of a lifetime, a woman is earning $400,000 less than a male doing the same job. As a result, she is more likely to finish her working life with nowhere near enough money to retire on. Women are more likely to live in poverty than men. One in three women will experience violence across her lifetime and, shamefully, one woman every week in this country dies at the hands of an intimate partner or former partner.

We need to banish complacency and double down on our efforts to bring about real change. We need to recognise that, without vigilance and commitment, we not only risk the hard-won gains but can actually go backwards. Regrettably, there is evidence that this is exactly what is happening under this government. Young women and girls looking at the front bench on the government side of this chamber and seeing only two female faces might start thinking this is not a place for them.

Until our parliament actually reflects the diversity of Australian society, it can never be truly representative, and, until women have a fair share of representatives voting for their interests, bad decisions will continue to be made—decisions that continue to disadvantaged women, like the looming cuts to penalty rates, which will disproportionately affect women as they are much more likely to be working part time or in the industries covered by the national awards affected; or the plan to cut paid parental leave, which is going to impact 70,000 women; or the reported plan to slash the National Affordable Housing Agreement, forcing women's refuges across the country to close their doors; or the massive 30 per cent cut to community legal centres, which are a vital lifeline to assist women escaping family violence.

What kind of government is willing to splash $50 billion on a tax cut for big business but levies vicious cuts against vital life-saving services for women suffering domestic violence? It is time to recognise that something needs to change and that this change is not going to happen by accident. Platitudes and rhetoric will not get us there; we need a plan for concrete action. Quite simply, it is now time to put gender back on the agenda. This is exactly what the Labor Party is doing. Recently we launched Setting the Agenda, a series of national conversations designed to develop concrete solutions to break down gender barriers. Labor has a strong legacy of advancing women's rights and Setting the Agenda is the next step. It will be driven by the shadow minister for women, Tanya Plibersek, and Labor's Status of Women Committee, which I chair. Setting the Agenda will be an integral part of shaping Labor's comprehensive blueprint for gender equality. We know what the problems are and we now want to talk to Australian women everywhere about the best solutions. We will be conducting a wide range of consultations with women working in front-line services in the regions and in the cities, and with businesses, unions, legal services and refuges. The committee will also be taking a listening tour on the road and will be visiting communities across the country to talk to women from all walks of life. I encourage all Australians who care about a fair and more equal society to join the conversation and visit Setting the Agenda at www.settingtheagenda.com.au. (Time expired)

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