Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Payman for the question and for all the work she does supporting women, particularly women in WA and particularly young women, with all of the hard work that she does.

We've made it clear since day one that women's safety, women's economic equality and women's equality more generally were at the centre of this government's thinking and its decision-making. In relation to women's safety, there are additional investments towards funding the national plan, including the leaving violence payment and some smaller investments looking at preventing violence. We are building on the 10 days paid domestic and family leave, and we are implementing all the recommendations of Respect@Work. In relation to housing for safety, there are some important announcements in the budget for new investments directed to housing for women and children who are leaving domestic violence and for young people. Of course, some of the national agreements on housing that we have been making with the states will have an impact there.

Our tax cuts will benefit every woman taxpayer, with 90 per cent of women better off. Women, unsurprisingly, are the largest group receiving Commonwealth rent assistance, so they will benefit from those additional investments as well. We're also building on our effort to close the gender pay gap, and we are seeing progress there. The gender pay gap is the smallest it has been on record. We're really pleased with that. That of course comes with recognising the economic value and the investment made in aged care and some of those other care workforces where we know it is predominantly a female workforce.

Importantly, we have $1.1 billion going into super on PPL. Those opposite are trying to undermine super constantly; we are trying to improve it and improve it for women, making sure that women don't retire with the gap— (Time expired)