Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, representing the Minister for Women. Why is it important to have women in the room where decisions are made and what are the consequences when women are not?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I thank very much the member for Boothby for what is a really important question to reflect on just how important it is to have women in the room where decisions are being made. Of course, this government is very deeply focused on delivering for women. We want to make sure that happens all the way across the economy, increasing women's economic participation. We want to make sure women have greater opportunities to participate in the economic and social life of this country. That just doesn't happen by accident.

We are the first federal government to have a party room with women in the majority. This week, we welcomed a new woman into our ranks, the fabulous member for Dunkley, who has spent all of her working life championing some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged women in the Dunkley community. It is so fabulous to have her here. Having women in the room matters. It matters for the way in which you make policies. It's why I'm so proud to be part of a government that has been concentrating on improving access to child care and making sure that child care is affordable, because it's not just about the importance of education for children; it is also a good economic policy. It's also why I am so proud that we not only introduced paid parental leave but have increased paid parental leave this week, as well as extending superannuation to paid parental leave, which will be absolutely critical for the retirement incomes of women.

But this stands, I'd have to say, in contrast to those opposite. Having women in the room matters. Having women on this side of the House absolutely has mattered when it comes to policy. In recent days, we've seen those opposite knock their most senior woman in South Australia off the top of their Senate ticket, in favour of a man who's a COVID conspiracist and, frankly, is also a Putin apologist. No wonder they're backing Russia on fuel efficiency standards. They've refused to preselect a woman for the seat of Cook. They've refused to preselect a woman for the seat of Fadden. I've lost track of what's happened in the preselection in McPherson. I very much admire the terrific woman they have over there as the member for McPherson, someone who is a good friend of mine. I'm not sure what's happening there, but so far I don't think any women have put their hands up. We've also seen that they didn't preselect a woman in Dunkley either. Actions like that actually matter. They matter for the decisions that are made around the cabinet table and they matter for the decisions that are made in the party room. I am very proud to be part of a government that is promoting the economic and social interests of women. Those opposite have got a lot to learn.