Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] I will make a brief contribution on opposition amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 1432. We again support these amendments, which in fact address recommendation 16(c) of the Respect@Work report—that same report that the government claimed that they would accept all the recommendations of. And yet they seem to have put forward a bill that resembles Swiss cheese, but, with so many holes in it, it is more hole than cheese. We support recommendation 16(c) and we support these amendments, which would create a prohibition on creating or facilitating a hostile working environment.

In many ways, this creation of a positive duty to maintain a safe workplace could have obviated the need for this prohibition on creating a hostile workplace. But, since the government would not come at a positive duty to create a safe workspace, we're trying again, with this prohibition on creating a hostile working environment. But, sadly, it seems that once again the government will not be actually taking these recommendations seriously and will try to claim credit for doing a job that, in fact, they have barely scratched the surface of.

But, unlike Senator McAllister, I'm confident that they won't fool anyone at the Women's Safety Summit next Monday. I don't think anyone will buy any of the words that come out of the Prime Minister's mouth when he is talking about women's safety. I'm not sure whether he'll have to check with his wife before he makes that speech. She seems to be the moral barometer when it comes to things pertaining to women. And, of course, I'm sure he won't mention the fact that the front-line services that deal with domestic and family violence are still drastically underfunded. Even after the small increase that was given in the budget, it is still one-quarter of the funding that is needed to meet demand.

So it's yet more spin from this government. It's either spin or complete silence. We got complete silence on Equal Pay Day from the Prime Minister and from the relevant minister, and now we'll get spin overdrive when it comes to what they are doing for women—but, I'm sorry, you're not fooling anybody.