Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. I note the minister recently launched Working for women: a strategy for gender equality, which identified a number of areas of focus, including women's safety, sharing and valuing paid and unpaid care work, women's leadership and women's economic equality. I also understand that the Albanese Labor government will make a submission to the Fair Work Commission's 2023-24 annual wage review recommending that wages don't go backwards. Given that women are disproportionately represented in low-paid and award-reliant jobs, how will the government's submission advocate for these women workers in our economy?

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

I thank Senator Payman for the question and for the amount of work she's already done, in her career as a young senator, in advocating on behalf of low-paid and women workers across Australia, particularly in WA. Women are disproportionately represented in low-paid and award-reliant jobs, and we don't want to see women go backwards in what they earn. Despite the recent improvement in the gender pay gap, there remains a substantial disparity in earnings between men and women, and we are committed to continuing to work to close this gap.

The government is doing its job in making structural reforms that allow women to get a better deal out of the economy. Our submission to the annual wage review sticks up for the millions of Australian women who want a better deal in their pay packet each week. Analysis in our submission shows that there is still work to do to lift women's labour force participation; that increases in the minimum wage are likely to decrease gender pay gaps and increase the incentive for women to enter the workforce or to work more hours than they currently do; and that increases to minimum and award wages provide income boosts for those most likely to be in less secure employment, such as casual employees and multiple job holders—that's also where a lot of women find their employment.

Labor's secure jobs, better pay reforms put gender equality front and centre in the Fair Work Commission's considerations, and, through those reforms, gender equality has been added to minimum wage and modern award objectives. As everyone in this place knows, women's economic equality is a core priority for this government. We'll continue to advocate for women's economic equality in all that we do, in all of the policy work and decisions that we take through the budget process.

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

Senator Payman, a first supplementary?

Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note the Albanese Labor government has announced several measures to deliver structural reform to the economy to help women get a better deal. How does the government's Working for Women strategy, released earlier this month, set the scene for the submission that the government will make to the Fair Work Commission later this week?

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

I thank Senator Payman for the question. Working for Women does build on the work that we've already done, as Senator Payman points out. It tells us that we won't achieve equality for women without structural changes across multiple policy areas, because we know that women's experiences aren't siloed: women's safety is not disconnected from economic security and equality; the gender pay and earnings gaps are not separate from the significant caring role that women play in our community; the low pay of feminised industries, especially in the care sector, links to how we as a community value care work and value and respect women and the work that they do; and women's leadership and representation in decision-making is directly connected to designing and implementing policies that work for women. This is serious and important work for which Labor has a clear plan and a clear and ongoing commitment.

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

Senator Payman, a second supplementary?

Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is clear that the Albanese Labor government is working hard for all Australians, including Australian women. How will the upcoming budget and the initiatives the government has already announced deliver a better deal for Australian women? And why is it so important to have women in positions of leadership to deliver these important reforms?

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

I thank Senator Payman for that question. We do have a plan. We here are proud members of the first federal government to have a majority of women members, and that does ensure that gender equality is not a fight that we have in our party room.

Everybody understands that there is work to be done and that we need to address it using the levers of government. We've been doing that by publishing employer gender pay gaps; by expanding PPL to 26 weeks; through our tax cuts, whereby 90 per cent of women will get a bigger tax cut; through the $4.7 billion for our cheaper childcare plan; by expanding parenting payment single; by reforming our workplace relations system to make it work better for women; through our plan to end violence against women and children; through all the work we're doing in the health space; through our gender-responsive budgeting; and, of course, through our gender-equal cabinet and government, in which we have women sitting around the table, listening to women and being united in getting on with working for women. (Time expired)