Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

SMITH () (): My question is to the Minister for Finance and Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Can the minister update the Senate on the outcomes of last week's Jobs and Skills Summit and how the outcomes will benefit Australians?

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

I thank Senator Smith for the question and for all the work she did in the lead-up to the Jobs and Skills Summit. Right across the government, our caucus, more than 100 round tables were held in various locations. I did one with Senator Urquhart in northern Tasmania, which was very well represented, with more than 70 people—businesses and NGOs, everyone coming together to work with us to talk about the challenges they want to see addressed. The summit brought people together to agree on key actions to build the stronger economy that we all want to see and help set a clear direction for future work, putting full employment and productivity—remember that word, 'productivity'? You didn't see much of it when you were in government—at the centre of our economic strategy and recognising that equal participation and opportunities for women are critical to that.

We agreed to 36 immediate initiatives, including extra money for fee-free TAFE and fast-tracking of those fee-free places; more and better investment in social and affordable housing; an extra $4,000 in income credit so that age pensioners can work and earn more before it affects their pension; responsibly increasing the permanent migration target to address those crippling labour shortages that small business is telling us about; beginning the work to repair the broken bargaining system; and strengthening flexible working arrangements.

After a decade of division and delay, conflict and complacency, this is what can be achieved by a government that is inclusive, collaborative and consensus seeking. By refusing to participate—not one of you attended; Mr Littleproud did, all credit it to him—the opposition made it clear that it wants nothing but a decade of flat real wages, falling productivity and falling living standards. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a supplementary question?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline the areas of policy that were discussed at the Jobs and Skills Summit and update the Senate on where there was broad agreement among those who were represented at the summit?

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

I will, and I can tell you, from being at that summit for two days, how many people who attended the summit came up to me and said how refreshing it was to have a government who is prepared to sit down with them for two days and talk to them about all the issues affecting them. It was a broad range of people right across the community. They wanted a better skilled and better trained workforce; addressing skills shortages and strengthening the migration system; boosting job security and wages; promoting equal opportunities and reducing barriers to employment; and maximising jobs and opportunities in our industry and our community. This is what the summit determined to be the priorities, as was making gender equality a core economic priority. There were significant agreements reached. It is shame that those opposite couldn't be bothered coming.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Marielle Smith, a second supplementary.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister explain what progress was made at the Jobs and Skills Summit on restoring national leadership on gender equality?

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

Thank you; I can. This was a very serious part of the summit. It was kicked off by an all-women panel on equal opportunity and pay, in a room where women made up the majority of participants. At the 1983 economic summit there was only one woman in the room, Labor Senator Susan Ryan.

We know that women's equality is good economic policy, something that was recognised unanimously at the Jobs and Skills Summit. We also talked about our $5 billion commitment to make childcare cheaper for more Australian parents and allow more women to work more hours if they wished. We announced the Chair of the Women's Economic Equality Task, Sam Mostyn, to maintain momentum on the ideas raised at the summit and advise the government on the national gender equality strategy. Also, as Minister for the Public Service, I committed to expect that the APS should take a leadership position on gender equality, including through reporting to WGEA, setting targets to address gender equality and gathering data. (Time expired)