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

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) on International Women's Day 2021, more than 30 prominent women wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for the upcoming Federal Budget to 'make the lives of Australian women easier, not harder',

(ii) the Workplace Gender Equality Agency data shows the gender pay gap in Australia is currently 13.4%,

(iii) KPMG estimates that halving the gender pay gap would increase annual GDP by $60 billion over the next two decades,

(iv) the cost, quality and availability of early childhood education and childcare remains a significant barrier to women's workforce participation, and

(v) domestic, family and sexual violence disproportionately impacts women and children; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) reintroduce the Women's Budget Impact Statement to assess the gendered impacts of budget decisions and inform the Government's reform agenda,

(ii) adequately fund frontline domestic, family and sexual violence and crisis housing services to ensure that all women and children can access services when and where they need them,

(iii) deliver affordable, accessible early childhood education and childcare,

(iv) introduce more equitable parental leave arrangements to encourage shared care, and

(v) properly fund measures to address the gender pay gap, value the care economy, and support women's workforce participation.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The 2021-22 budget will build on the 2018 and 2020 women's economic security statements demonstrating the government's comprehensive and sustained commitment to continue improving opportunities and outcomes for Australian women and girls while ensuring that their safety, economic security and health and wellbeing remain paramount. The budget will build upon the already record commitment of this government of over $1 billion for women's safety.

Question agreed to.