Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think Minister Gallagher has responded to the matter at hand. I am sick and tired of having to defend industry superannuation against constant attacks from the coalition. Senator Bragg should focus on the fact that Australian women retire with less in their superannuation balances than men, and that is just not fair. The coalition continually use superannuation as a political football for their own means. That is what this is about.

Just last night we heard the ridiculous suggestions from the coalition that women and families can make choices that suit them when it comes to draining their superannuation balances. At a time when they are having to look after a new family, they can make a very difficult choice and decide whether or not they take some money out of their superannuation account now, at the expense of a decent retirement later. This is outrageous. How is it a choice for women and families to drain their superannuation accounts, when we know that women over 50—