Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Women. How is the Albanese Labor government ensuring better economic and social outcomes for Australian women, including by increasing opportunities in traditionally male-dominated spaces, and how does this compare with other approaches?

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

I thank the member for Newcastle for the question. You couldn't get a prouder advocate for the advancement of women in this country. Thank you. Our government is taking real action to deliver cost-of-living relief for millions of women, along with significant investments in women's safety. We're investing over a billion dollars to pay superannuation on paid parental leave so women aren't penalised for taking time out to care. We're investing over $3 billion to reduce student debt and fix the indexation of HELP loans, with women holding the majority of these loans. Our tax cuts, which came into effect on 1 July this year, have delivered Australian women taxpayers an average tax cut of $1,649. This all comes on top of our work to close the gender pay gap and support fair wages for those in our critical care industries, like aged care and of course early childhood education.

Delivering for women is in the DNA of the Labor Party. We're the first government in Australia's history where women make up more than 50 per cent of our party room, reflective of Australian society. We know having women around the table matters, whether it is in the board rooms of this country or whether it is in the cabinet room. Across the country there are very, very few places, I'm glad to say, where women are not involved and are not allowed.

But one such place, as those of us in Victoria would know, is a place called the Athenaeum Club. It's at the top end of Collins Street, and it stands as a bastion to a long, long gone age. It's a place that neither I nor any single woman in this country could become a member of. It's a club that describes itself as a place for gentlemen of good character. In other words, it's a place that prohibits the membership of women. People like Graeme Samuel, Terry Moran and even the former Liberal Party state director John Ridley have walked away from the club over this issue, with Ridley describing the situation of not allowing women members as pathetic. Yet, just last week, who decided to not only attend this club but actually hold a fundraiser in this club? It was none other than the Leader of the Opposition. What a lack of character this shows—the Leader of the Opposition holding a fundraiser at this club that prohibits women's membership.

On this side, we want women around the cabinet table, we want women around the board table and we don't want women excluded anywhere. We want to make sure that women are involved because, when they are, it matters. On this side of the House, that's what we want. On that side of the House, they don't even want them involved at all.