Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion by the member for Higgins. In principle, I support any moves that will help to address the gender inequity issues that we currently have in our country. It is important that we shine a floodlight on the barriers that might limit women building their financial security, and focus on practical measures to help change that—because, when Australian women do well, their families do well, our economy does well and our nation prospers.

One of the largest barriers to women earning an income equal to men is the predominant responsibility for family and caring duties which falls largely to women. As a first-time mum, I temporarily stepped away from my legal career in order to raise our twin sons, James and Nicholas, full time. Even in 2006, when my sons were born, I battled against the perception in my own workplace that it was not appropriate for me, as a senior lawyer and a partner in a national law firm, to work in a part-time capacity. Unfortunately, this story was all too common amongst my peers at that time. Women in 2022—or even back in 2006—should not have to choose between a family and a career.

Today marks six months since the election. And I ask: what meaningful practical change has the government actually brought about to help address the social, economic and health disadvantages still experienced by Australian women? The recent budget was a missed opportunity for the Albanese government to deliver a road map—a strategic plan—to demonstrate how it will address the issues relevant to contemporary Australian women.

The motion moved by the member for Higgins speaks about the government's purported record in bringing about cheaper child care and gender pay equity and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. However, if I turn first of all to the government's cheaper child care bill, it was touted as a win for families in allowing more women to re-enter the workforce. However, the bill did not go nearly far enough. The government, in fact, voted against very sensible amendments put forward by the member for Moncrieff which would have provided real, positive change for women and their families accessing childcare places. The bill, for example, was silent on salient details. It had no plan to address the current workplace shortages and the pressures that have been raised by childcare educators themselves. There was no plan to address access to care and, in particular, no plan to address the chronic shortage of places in rural and regional Australia. The bill simply did not address the supply issues. Demand for childcare places around Australia is still well outstripping supply. The child care bill and the budget did nothing to alleviate that problem or to set out a road map as to how this matter would be dealt with by the government.

It is certainly appropriate that subsidies are available for parents to enable them to make choices appropriate for their particular circumstances. However, if we don't address the supply concerns raised by our childcare workers, Australian mothers wanting to return to the workplace simply won't be able to.

I now turn to the government's record on sexual harassment within the workplace. The government's proposed dismantling of the Australian Building and Construction Commission in the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 is a disgrace. We are well aware of the reports of bullying and harassment against the 150,000 Australian women who work on construction sites throughout Australia. As at March of this year, the CFMMEU was in the courts and was found to have contravened existing workplace laws on no less than 1,663 separate occasions. It is hard, then, to see how the dismantling of the ABCC can be considered to be anything other than the Labor Party rewarding its CFMMEU friends.

I conclude: when Australian women do well, their families do well and the economy and nation prosper.

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