Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. What steps has the Albanese Labor government taken to improve women's economic and financial security in Australia, and what impact is this happening?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. Indeed, under the former government, one of the groups that were left behind was Australia's women. Australia fell to 70th in the world for women's economic participation and opportunity—70th in the world. We're the world's 12th-largest economy. We have put economic opportunity for women at the heart of our agenda, and last week we learnt that Australia has jumped some 17 places on the World Economic Forum's gender equality ranking, from 43rd to 26th. There is more to do, but that's a direct result of the policies and programs that we have put in place.

Of course, those opposite are stuck in the past when it comes to policies for women, for Indigenous Australians and for an inclusive society. In the lead up to the 2007 election, the then acting Treasurer, the member for Dickson, when we said what we were going to have a maternity leave policy, said:

Labor's policy will force up unemployment and drive employers away from employing women of child bearing age.

That was not said in 1950. It was said in 2007 by the now Leader of the Opposition. He went on to say more:

Labor's plan on maternity leave will do little more than hurt the employment prospects of women and cripple small business … It will backfire on women in particular, wreck small business and ultimately undermine the strength of the Australian economy.

That was just one of the scare campaigns that was out there—in this case, a scare campaign against maternity leave.

Under our government, the gender pay gap has fallen to its lowest level on record. More women than ever before are in full-time work. We've established 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave. We've given a 15 per cent pay rise for aged-care workers, overwhelmingly women. We've got cheaper child care. We've expanded paid parental leave and we're implementing all 55 of the Respect@Work recommendations. This week, we passed the strengthening the safety net bill that they threatened to oppose and block on Monday morning—but by Monday lunchtime they had changed their position. That will expand the single parenting payment for some 52,000 single mums. It will increase rental assistance to the majority of recipients who are women. It will increase help for unemployed people over 55, the majority of whom are women as well.

We understand that one way in which you improve the economic performance of Australia is to be inclusive and make sure that all Australians, men and women, are able to contribute and benefit from a growing economy.

On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.