Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ator URQUHART (—) (): My question is for the Minister for Finance, Minister for Women and Minister for the Public Service, Senator Gallagher. Could the minister update the Senate on the government's achievements across her three portfolios over the past six months?

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

Thank you very much, Senator Urquhart, for your interest in my three portfolios and for the question. It has certainly been a very busy time since the Albanese government was elected six months ago. We've spent every single day focused on implementing our plan for a better economy, better budget and better future. We've begun the work of budget repair, restoring fiscal discipline to reverse the decade of economic mismanagement.

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

Senator Hume.

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

In October we delivered a responsible budget that is right for the times and readies us for the future.

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

Senator Hume.

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

It puts to an end the record rorts and waste that riddled the budgets under those opposite.

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

Senator Hume!

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

Investments in services and programs that—

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

Senator Hume, I called you at least three times, and you just chose to continue. That is incredibly disrespectful. I ask you to listen in silence.

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

Sorry, I didn't hear the interjections. I've got a coping mechanism where I block them out. Investments in services and programs that matter to the Australian people, like child care, like aged care, like cheaper medicines, like housing, like climate—

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about cheaper power?

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

There were billions of dollars in our Powering Australia plan—I take that interjection from you, Senator McGrath—to fix the energy mess that we inherited. The negligence of those opposite, when they were in government, to put their heads in the sand and pretend that most significant economic transformation and challenge facing the country just wasn't going to happen, that they didn't need to deal with it—we're dealing with it in our first budget. We've also begun implementing the Buy Australian Plan, which is our plan to use the government's purchasing power to help grow Australian businesses, create jobs, develop sovereign capability and back Australian businesses. Our spending review identified $22 billion in savings over four years. (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

When there's quiet, I'm going to call Senator Urquhart for her first supplementary.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister provide further information about how the government has begun meaningful reform to shift the dial on gender equality and reduce the barriers faced by women in this country?

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

I thank Senator Urquhart for the question. As Minister for Women I'm very proud to say that gender equality has been at the core of this government from day one, because gender equality is a core Labor value. I don't need to convince my colleagues, men or women, that we need to get moving on gender equality. We just get on with it. The Albanese government is putting gender equality front and centre of our economic policy. We're giving women more choices through modernising and expanding PPL and making child care cheaper. We released the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Childrenunder the leadership—

Well, it was a very different plan, Senator Ruston, by the time it got signed off, let me tell you that, by the time the states and territories signed up to it. We've got our housing agenda. We're implementing the Respect@Work recommendations, including a positive duty for workplaces to prevent sexual harassment. We're beginning work on the national strategy for gender equality, guided by the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce, and there is more to do. (Time expired)

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

Senator Urquhart, second supplementary?

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister provide further information about how the government has begun making the institution of the Australian Public Service stronger, more enduring and more aligned to the community that we are all here to serve?

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

I thank Senator Urquhart for the question, again. Our government is building a stronger Public Service to better serve all Australians. We abolished the Liberal and National Party's arbitrary and damaging staffing cap that diminished the capability and capacity of the Public Service and led to an excessive and reflective reliance on wasteful external labour. We are reinvesting in the NDIA, in Services Australia and in the Department of Veterans' Affairs to improve service delivery for Australians. We've appointed a dedicated secretary for public sector reform to deliver on our agenda and have commenced an audit of employment to improve job security and save taxpayers' money. We have also restored the ability of workers and their representatives to bargain in good faith and be consulted. What about that? How radical is that! I want to take this opportunity to thank the 160,000 public servants who have worked so hard to support the government to deliver on our commitments to the Australian people.