Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The word 'care' is undervalued, and, by extension, women's work is undervalued, because historically women have been the caregivers and men the breadwinners, and social norms are hard to shift. But the good news is that this is changing. The word 'care' is finally getting the attention and respect it deserves. Australia's new Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, is leading the way. At her swearing-in she said:

If I can capture in a few words my aspirations for our country, I believe that these testing times call for an unstinting focus on kindness, on care and on respect.

…   …   …

Care is the gentle thought and the outstretched hand that Australians have always been ready to share when great challenges present themselves. Care is the quieter, better part of ourselves. And it is that sense of care that Simeon and I will seek to depict and amplify as we take on this role.

The binary system of women as caregivers and men as breadwinners, and the value we give each, is reflected in the type of work women and men do. The Australian labour market is highly gender segregated by industry and occupation, a pattern that has persisted for decades. According to UNSW's Social Policy Research Centre, Australia's most feminised jobs are those of midwives, early childhood teachers, dental assistants, child carers, beauty therapists and vet nurses. In the early childhood education and care sector 92 per cent of workers are women, and this is reflected in my electorate of Goldstein. Of the 1,500 early childhood educators in Goldstein, 95 per cent are women. Men are more likely to work as childcare centre managers than in any other type of ECEC role. The segregation of women and men into different occupations and industries is a key driver of pay inequity. Female concentrated industries and occupations tend to be on the lower end of the pay spectrum, while many male concentrated jobs sit at the upper end. This inequality accumulates across a woman's life course.

But the undervaluing of women's work isn't just about money. The care sector itself is undervalued, because it's an area of the economy that we tend not to think of as being productive or about investment. This is also changing—and it must, for the sake of the country. Economists are at the forefront of this change. They've come up with the term 'care economy'. This consists of all those services that provide care in one way or another to people of various ages and abilities. It includes aged care, disability services, and early childhood education and care. It's not well understood, but the care economy is the single largest employer in Australia: more than 1.8 million people, 80 per cent of whom are women, currently work in care economy jobs. It's also our fastest-growing industry, as measured by job growth, by a long stretch. This growth has far eclipsed the growth in traditional industries, such as manufacturing. And it offers an unprecedented opportunity to innovate at scale while generating meaningful jobs and fulfilling careers.

La Trobe University in Melbourne is seizing on this opportunity. Its vision is to transform the Australian care economy from a fragmented welfare and consumption industry to a global leader driving economic growth and productivity. I support La Trobe uni's mission 100 per cent, and I've spoke to the industry minister about the importance of this transformation. It requires a shedding of outdated views about the care sector and a willingness to embrace a new way of thinking.

The Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Bill 2024 represents a shift in thinking—a shift towards respect. A valued and respected workforce underpins everything. This is why I was among those who fought tooth and nail for a pay increase for early childhood educators. In a sector that nurtures children, the educators have been left un-nurtured for years. These mostly female workers have been victims of a discriminatory system that has devalued women's work and the care economy. As a result, they've left the sector in their droves to seek higher wages elsewhere—and who could blame them?

This bill provides a legal framework for the establishment and operation of a special account which will be used to administer the pay rise. The 15 per cent pay increase will support women and families with cost-of-living pressures and help attract and retain workers in the early childhood education sector. It's also a critical step in achieving equal pay for workers in occupations that historically have been undervalued on the basis of gender. Importantly, the bill also limits increases to fees charged by providers.

Support for the early childhood workforce is a win for gender equality in the female dominated early childhood sector, and it's a critical step towards universal early childhood education and care in Australia. Now is the time to start shaping the system that we want for our children. Every child should have access to a minimum of three days of free or low-cost early childhood education in a week. It would give all children the start they need by increasing attendance, especially for those experiencing disadvantage; it would help alleviate cost-of-living stress for families by reducing out-of-pocket expenses; and it would get women back in the workforce. I've said it many times in this place; affordable and accessible child care is good for children, families, women and the economy. This policy ticks all the boxes.

I promised the women of Goldstein I would fight for their economic security, especially for those who are not in the room, and I will continue to do so. I commend this bill to the House.

See this speech in context