Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I would like to speak on the Morrison government's ongoing commitment to Australian women. As a woman who has worked hard to succeed while raising two beautiful and wonderful children, I want to teach my children the rewards that come from working hard. This led me beyond my original career as a speech pathologist into owning a small business and then working as an adviser to the Premier of Victoria 10 years ago before eventually becoming the member for Chisholm. This journey taught me the unique challenges that accompany being a woman in the workforce, especially the challenges faced by migrant women.

I admit that it was no easy task juggling all these responsibilities, but I am grateful that I had the support of both my family and the government to help me succeed in my professional pursuits while still raising a family. That's why I'm glad that the Morrison government continues to champion women's success in the Australian workforce. Australian women often struggle to balance or maintain their work life due to a number of challenges, whether that is inflexible workplace arrangements, difficulty in taking time off their careers to take care of the children, curtailing future career advancement or not having the support of extended family. As many Australian families are aware, the cost of child care is a significant factor in Australian women's decision to put their careers on hold to raise their children. As a single mother with an immigrant background, I would not be where I am without child care.

The Morrison government recognises this challenge and is committed to reducing the cost of child care to Australian families. We have demonstrated this commitment by providing record funding for child care. This means $9.2 billion will be delivered to families over the 2020-21 period, growing to more than $10 billion in years to come. As a migrant who couldn't rely on the support of my extended family, child care was essential. This package will support many migrant women in their pursuit of a family and a career.

Over one million Australian families who are balancing their work and parental responsibilities are benefitting from the package. Of these families, 71 per cent pay no more than $5 per hour in day care centres, and, within that subset, 24 per cent pay no more than $2 per hour. This support makes an enormous difference to each and every one of those families and empowers women to take control of their careers and their lives, while still allowing them to raise a family. Our childcare subsidy supported families and helped to deliver all-time high women's workforce participation, at 61.5 per cent in January 2020. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the number of Australians in the workforce. I can proudly say that 61.8 per cent of the jobs created since May have been filled by women, and the number of Australian women in the workforce will continue to rise through the Morrison government's commitment to jobs for women by supporting women in STEM and those who wish to develop a start-up.

As a member of the government that helped achieve resounding results in supporting women in the workplace, I can confidently speak on behalf of all of my colleagues when I say that the Morrison government has proudly supported and will continue to proudly support women in the workplace. It always has been and always will be a priority of our government.

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