Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. I refer to the Prime Minister’s comment this week that working families in Australia have never been better off. Minister, does ABS employee earnings and hours data not tell us that Australian women on AWAs who work full time earn on average $2.30 less per hour, or $87.40 less per week, based on a standard 38-hour week than those on collective agreements? Minister, how does this make working families better off?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the member that the number of women who have entered the workforce over the last 12 months represents about 109,000, and there has been a significant infusion of women coming back into work for the first time in the last 10 years. The number of long-term unemployed coming in, particularly the number of women coming in, has meant that they have gone into low-paying jobs as a starting point—particularly in the hospitality and retail industries—whereas in industries such as the mining industry—where, overwhelmingly, the majority of workers are men—the wages have gone up.

I make this further point: there are more women today in the Australian workforce than ever before, and they have more choice. One of the areas that they consider to be very important is in relation to casual work.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Swan interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lilley is warned!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is why I wonder why the Labor Party is so opposed to casual work. That is why I wonder why the Labor Party is so opposed to women coming back into the workforce.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.