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

Thank you, Senator Rennick. I thank you for the question on women and super, and it is really important and I'm happy to have further discussions with you about what we can do to make it a fairer and better system for women.

Obviously, the passage of the super on paid parental leave bill that passed this place this morning is an important step, as is increasing wages in those highly feminised industries like aged care and early education and care and for workers on the minimum wage because those wage increases will actually flow through and contribute to higher superannuation balances as well. But I'm open to further discussions. Indeed, I met this morning with HESTA, whose membership is 80 per cent women, about improvements that can be made for women's superannuation, because you're right; women on average retire with 25 per cent less super, and women who are older are more economically vulnerable. We are looking at ways to strengthen that.