Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In this week of the women for justice march, it's appropriate I recognise Higgins constituent and former member for Higgins the Hon. Kelly O'Dwyer for her groundbreaking legacy work. It was the Hon. Kelly O'Dwyer who, as Minister for Women and the first female member for Higgins, established the inaugural Women's Economic Security Statement, designed to empower women through economic participation and address the traditional barriers women have faced in accessing the workforce. The five aims of the Women's Economic Security Statement include initiatives to repair and rebuild women's workforce participation and further close the gender pay gap, through traineeship and entrepreneurship programs; allow greater choice and flexibility for families to manage work and care; support women as leaders and positive role models; respond to the diverse needs of women; and, importantly, support women to be safe at work and home.

Alongside the Women's Economic Security Statement, Kelly also called for the Respect@Work inquiry, led by Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins. She delivered the largest funding package for domestic violence—$384 million including $78 million for emergency housing for women fleeing unsafe situations—an Australian record. She's also helped women grow inside the party through mentoring and I thank her for her support and mentorship of me. I'm proud to build on Kelly's legacy by successfully calling for an increase in funding to the Women's Economic Security Statement or WESS at the last budget. It's more than doubled from $100 million $240 million. There needs to be more.

You cannot be what you cannot see. That's why I have initiated an inaugural Higgins Women in Business forum, attended by both the Premier and Treasurer last year; a women in politics school forum, to role model and inspire our future leaders; and a superstar women in STEM forum in Higgins award for the three inaugural recipients of the STEM superstars award—Crystal Forrester, Grace Lethlean and Dr Maria del Mar Quiroga. I have also initiated regular Go Girl policy discussions to help bring a women and girls perspective to Parliament House. To my constituents, I say: please contact my office if you want to be part of any of these local initiatives.

I look forward to the government's formal response to the 55 recommendations resulting from the Respect@Work inquiry initiated by Kelly, and I welcome the further inquiry into parliamentary workplace culture, led by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins. I'm pleased that the federal government has already committed $2 million to the Respect@Work report implementation but more needs to be committed. I remain a receptor site for the voices and views of Australian women inside the tent that is the heart of our democracy. In my first speech, I spoke of the warm winds of change for women but they're now howling through the corridors of power. I am your voice in this place.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 11:01