Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

As the Senate would be aware, last week the government, with the applicant unions, filed a joint submission to Fair Work Australia in the current social and community sector equal pay case. The government has argued for rates of pay which fairly and properly value the work of social and community sector workers. We just do not talk about the value of their work; we are dedicated to trying to fix the undervaluation, trying to recognise the contribution they make and trying to provide financial security and fair pay for those workers. That is why we are very keen to build support for that application from state governments, both Labor and Liberal, and we look to the Liberal opposition to join us in arguing that, rather than just providing lip-service in support of these women workers, we actually support the case before Fair Work Australia to make equal pay a reality for some of those undervalued workers who are doing so much to help the vulnerable in our community.