Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My apologies, Member for McPherson—thank you. I hope that they are sitting in their offices reflecting on how this looks and how this shows their lack of commitment to gender equity—present company excepted.

Labor's commitment has led to a history of firsts for women: the first woman to be deputy leader of a major party, former member for Jagajaga Jenny Macklin; the first woman to be Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister and leader of a major party, former member for Lalor Julia Gillard; the first woman to be Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and Leader of the Government in the Senate, and the longest-serving female cabinet minister, Senator Penny Wong; the longest-serving woman elected to federal parliament, the member for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek; the first Indigenous woman elected to the Senate, former senator Nova Peris; the first Indigenous woman elected to the House of Representatives, the member for Barton, Linda Burney; and the first female Attorney-General, former member for Gellibrand Nicola Roxon.

In the Labor Party, I'm pleased to say that the debate about whether and how to include women is done. Around our table, over 50 per cent of us are women, and there is 100 per cent support for making sure we continue to include talented, experienced women in every aspect of life and in all of our policies. The key to this change over time has been affirmative action applying to all positions within the party: conferences, administrative committees, party office positions and candidates for public office. It is a broad culture change across the party that has delivered a better outcome. You won't achieve more women in public office without giving women more opportunity, experience and exposure at those other positions within the party.

Arguably, better representation at the parliamentary level has delivered better outcomes for women, who make up 51 per cent of the population across the country. We have a record low gender pay gap of 11.5 per cent. Of course, the correct gender pay gap is zero, but the downward trend is as a result of deliberate policies implemented by this government, and they've delivered some welcome results: cheaper child care, paid domestic violence leave, pay rises for minimum-wage workers and low-paid feminised industries, the expansion of paid parental leave, fairer tax cuts that left 90 per cent of women better off and prac payments for nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students, the majority of whom are female. We've opened 22 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics across Australia for the one in seven women who suffer from this debilitating condition, and, of course, we have a gender lens on the entire budget.

As we recognise the amazing gains that the commitment to affirmative action in the Labor Party has delivered, we recognise that we still have a long way to go in the broader society. But I'd like to thank those members from 30 years ago who recognised the problem—representation—and did something about it. Women belong in the House, in the Senate and in the cabinet, and I'd encourage those opposite to do the same.

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