Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The last day of sitting is a great opportunity to reflect on the record of the current government. Today I want to make some comments specifically on this government's record in its treatment of women.

When I heard that the Prime Minister had named himself the minister for women, I laughed. I thought, 'surely this has got to be a joke.' In truth, any man calling himself the minister for women is absurd. Men have been trying to speak for women for thousands of years and that is part of the problem. But this is the man who called abortion 'the easy way out'. This is the man who stood in front of signs that called our first female Prime Minister a 'bitch' and a 'witch'. This is a man who has referred to the role of women as 'doing the ironing' and told us that the best thing he has done for women is the carbon tax—because women are more inclined to manage the household budget. You could not make this stuff up if you tried.

Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member for Hotham just made a statement that was clearly incorrect and I would ask her to withdraw.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The member for Hotham has the call.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Think about the record of this government. This is a government that has cut maternity leave for half of all new parents. It is a government that has slashed funding for women's shelters and legal services. It is a government that has tried to raise the cost of education and cut pensions—all of which will hurt women. This is what we get when someone like this Prime Minister tries to stand up for women. He does not speak for me and he does not speak for us.