Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator Cash: I refer to the government's failure to produce substantiated data that demonstrates the impact of the 2014 budget on women. Given the lack of data, can the minister confirm ANU modelling that has identified that unemployed single parents who are predominantly women will lose $54 a week as a result of the government's budget?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Moore for her question. In relation to women and the policies that this government has, I can inform the Senate of one thing: this government will deliver on policies for women. Unlike the former government, who, when it came to policies for women, liked to talk but failed to deliver.

Let me give you an example: under the former Howard government, the gender pay gap was 14.9 per cent—it was still too high, I assure you. What did it get to under the former Labor government and, in particular, former Prime Minister Gillard?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: the question was specifically about ANU modelling as to the budget impact on unemployed single parents. The minister should answer the question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Wong. The minister is not yet halfway through her time to answer the question and she is starting to address the question. Minister, I draw your attention to the question.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Order! Senator Wong. You have made your point of order.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am assuming that point of order was made to distract us from the fact that Senator Wong was called out of the chamber by a member of the House of Representatives to seek her instructions—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on direct relevance. I asked a particular question about data and also the impact of the budget on unemployed single parents.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have already addressed the point of order. I have reminded the minister. The minister has one minute and six seconds left to answer the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You want to talk about the impact of the budget on unemployed single parents. Let me tell you this. Our budget will do more for unemployed single parents than your budgets ever did. The worst thing that you can do for Australian people, whether they be men, whether they be women, whether they be employed, whether they be unemployed—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order, again on direct relevance. The question referred to the budget and the impact on unemployed single parents and whether the minister can confirm they will lose up to $54 a week under their budget, not ours.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister was directly relevant. She was answering the question. Minister, you have 45 seconds left to answer the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the impact on unemployed people, whether they be men or women, when you are paying $1 billion a month in interest, let me tell you, that has an economic impact. When you refuse to get rid of the carbon tax that has a direct economic impact on Australian families of $550 per week, when you fail to include superannuation on your Paid Parental Leave policy, that has a direct—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Loath as we are to interrupt the rant, the minister was asked about ANU modelling which identified that unemployed single parents, predominantly woman, would lose $54 a week as a result of the government's budget. That was the question. It is a serious question and it deserves a response. The standing orders do say: directly relevant.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you have 19 seconds left to answer the question. I remind you of the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am talking about budget impacts on women and, in particular, single parents. As I was saying, when you fail to include superannuation in your Paid Parental Leave policy, that is hardly delivering for women in this country. When you have a gender pay gap under a former Prime Minister— (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The minister has actually mentioned part of my question, on superannuation. I refer to the government's decision to abolish the low-income superannuation contribution, which we know assists 2.1 million women. Given that women currently retire with half the superannuation of men, won't abolishing the LISC further exacerbate the gender superannuation gap and leave women more vulnerable in their retirement?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are talking about the gender pay gap. Let me tell you this. Let me tell what a fact is under your government. Despite your rhetoric, despite the questions which you come in and put to this side of the chamber, under your government, under Prime Minister Gillard, the gender pay gap in this country reached an all-time high of 17.6—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on direct relevance. The question referred to the superannuation gap and vulnerability in retirement. It would be useful if that would be actually answered in the process.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister was only one-third into her answer. I draw the minister's attention to the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You want to talk about superannuation. Let me tell you about superannuation. You failed to include it in your Paid Parental Leave scheme. There you go. There is delivering on superannuation. You want to talk about the low-income superannuation guarantee, which you have asked before. You clearly did not hear my answer. That was based, Senator Cormann, on the promise of the revenue raised from the mining tax. How much did they promise? Billions upon billions. How much was actually raised? Next to nothing. Those on the other side can come in here and they can make all the claims they like. But I can tell you: the facts will stand up every single time. (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I assure the minister I am having no difficulty in hearing her answer. It has been proven that women are harder hit by debt and take longer to pay off interest charges, often due to their family responsibilities, which impacts on their access to education and career opportunities. Given this evidence, can the minister further confirm that women are likely to be more disproportionately impacted by the government's extreme higher education changes?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have to say: it is all about choice, it is all about diversity and it is all about everything that Senator Payne has been saying in answer to the questions that she has been asked this week by those on the other side. We cannot help it if you do not like the answers that we give. In relation to women and choices, let me tell you what this government is doing. It has had a Productivity Commission review into child care, because we understand that women are often unable to make choices because of the lack of proper child care in this country—unlike those on the other side, who promised the world in relation to child care and failed to deliver on anything. It is a little bit like, as Senator Cormann said, they had the pub with no beer—they had the mining tax with no money. Those on the other side, when it comes to women in this country, are all talk. But the 17.6 per cent gender pay gap under their government, the failure to include superannuation in a PPL scheme, says it all. (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.