Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand on the shoulders of my sisters, and I would like to thank the member for Lalor for bringing this important motion to the House. It is important to celebrate the wins and the significant progress we have made. On 26 September 2024, we will celebrate 30 years since the Australian Labor Party implemented affirmative action quotas for women in winnable seats. In my mind, people see quotas as a dirty word but I see it as setting a smart goal—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. That is clearly what we have done.

In 1994 we set a target of 35 per cent women candidates and we met that target, so, in 2002, the target was raised to 40 per cent by 2012 and again we met the target. Then in 2015, we set the ambitious target of 50 per cent by 2025 and we smashed that glass ceiling ahead of time. I am proud to be part of a women-majority government. For the first time in Australian history, 50.2 per cent of all Labor members in the Australian parliament are women. And I am also proud to stand here as the first female member for Swan in 101 years.

As I said, we stand on the shoulders of our sisters, and we owe so much to trailblazers like Jenny Macklin, the first woman to become the deputy leader of a majority party, and Julia Gillard, who made history not only as the first female deputy prime minister but as Australia's first female prime minister in 2010. I'd also like to recognise Senator Penny Wong, who, in 2013, became the first woman to serve as Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and the first female Leader of the Government in the Senate. These women not only broke barriers but continue to inspire and lead the next generation of women in politics.

Recently, I had the privilege of hosting a round table of women in my electorate with Senator Penny Wong. She met with local leaders who were recognised at the 2024 Swan International Women's Day Awards. As the first female member for Swan, I wanted to recognise the amazing women in the seat of Swan, and this included Michele Burton from the Perth Football Club; Dr Parwinder Kaur, a DNA scientist; Chloe Perez, a high school student; Maryann Tsai from Reach Her; Sobia Shah from Professional Migrant Women's Network; Joan Sutherland from the Haven; and Alicia Curtis from 100 Women. Senator Wong spoke about quiet courage, the behind-the-scenes work that often goes unnoticed yet is essential for change, and that's why I wanted to recognise these amazing women on International Women's Day—for their quiet courage and relentless work to make our community a better place.

Today, I also want to acknowledge the quiet courage in the context of affirmative action. I want to recognise the rank-and-file women—the women in Labor branches and on conference floors—who fought for these changes when I was 14 years old so that, 30 years later at the age of 44, I'd get to stand here and be a part of this majority female caucus. They had difficult conversations, they showed up when it mattered and they found talented women to run. It wasn't easy; it was hard, but they fought the good fight. Men and women worked together with quiet courage to lay the foundation of where we stand today.

I remember when I ran for preselection for the first time and I met a woman called Sue Bowers. She had known me for 10 minutes, but her support for me was astounding, and it left a profound effect on me. What it made me realise is that there are people that will use their power to raise your voice and to elevate you, and that's what we are doing here as members of the government. We want to raise the voices of women to make sure that we make meaningful change for all the women in our electorate. Standing alongside our allies in the Labor Party, we will continue to raise the voices of women and work towards a more equal and just society, and this will be reflected in every decision that we make.

As we celebrate this 30-year milestone, let us honour the pioneering women who led the charge of affirmative action and recommit our belief that a woman's place, without question, is in the House, in the Senate and in the cabinet. I fully support this motion, and I encourage every member of the House to do so.

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