Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Women, Senator Wong. The Prime Minister, the Treasurer and the Minister for Finance—who is helpfully also the Minister for Women—have told us that this budget will have a focus on addressing the cost of living. We have also heard the Minister for Women tell us many times that women's economic equality is a core economic imperative and a central focus of the Albanese Labor government. Ahead of tonight's budget, can the minister tell us how the Albanese government has so far supported women's economic security and helped them manage the cost of living?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Stewart for her question. We are fortunate on this side to have so many women gracing the Labor ranks and in this chamber. We are also fortunate to have the Minister for Women and the Minister for Finance, Senator Katy Gallagher, who has made clear the importance of ensuring women's economic security. That is what our government has been doing—working to ensure women have economic security through both our policies and our investments.

Our tax cuts will provide greater relief to low- and middle-income taxpayers, who are disproportionally women. From 1 July, women will receive—

The senator opposite might like to know that the women who perhaps voted for her will receive bigger tax cuts under the tax cuts we proposed. Women will receive an average tax cut of $1,649, nearly $400 more than they would have received under those opposite. Treasury modelling suggests Labor's tax cuts will also boost participation, which is an important thing for women across this country and the economy.

Opposition senators interjecting—

They don't like that either. We are investing $4.7 billion to make child care cheaper and more accessible—

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

Order, Senator McKenzie!

And Senator Hughes!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, you don't like that. What it does is it gives more families more choice about how they balance work and care. We are investing $1.9 billion over five years to expand the eligibility—

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat.

Order, Senator Hughes! I called you on at least four occasions, and you kept being disorderly. That is incredibly disrespectful to the President. When I call you to order, that is exactly what I expect you to do—to come to order and to cease interjecting. Minister, do you wish to continue?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do wish to continue, and I would hope Senator Hughes would be happy at the improved economic position of women as a consequence of the government's policies. I would hope that she would think it is a good thing to increase paid parental leave. I would hope she thinks it is a good thing to make paid parental leave flexible and accessible. I would also hope—it is a good thing—that all of us would support the government's work to tackle gender based violence. The strategy for gender equality which was set out last year had this as one of its key priorities. (Time expired)

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

Senator Stewart, first supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that there is not one simple solution that will deliver women's economic equality. While the gender pay gap in Australia is at its lowest since recording began, at 12 per cent, there is a persistent gender pay gap and much work to do. Can the minister outline how the government is working to close gender pay gaps?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In February the Workplace Gender Equality Agency published employer gender pay gaps for the first time. I know Senator Canavan was not particularly supportive of the fact that the gender pay gap data was released, but it is important for greater transparency. That is in part what helps reduce the gender pay gap. In every industry in Australia, the median of what a woman is paid is less than the median of what a man is paid, both for base salary and for total remuneration. That is why it is so important that we continue to press for greater transparency to help close the gender pay gap.

The data and findings released by the WGEA demonstrate that continued action is required to close gender pay gaps and advance gender equality in our workplaces. Key to this is valuing the feminised sectors. That is why we are committed to funding increased wages for aged-care workers, child education workers and early childhood workers.

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

Senator Hughes, you are seriously out of order. Senator Stewart, second supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is clear the Albanese government is working in multiple areas to create real change to improve women's economic equality. We know that safe and secure jobs are the cornerstone of economic security and independence. Can the minister outline how the government's key workplace relations reforms are supporting women at work and driving women's economic equality?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government has put gender equality at the heart of the workplace relations system through its reforms. This includes adding gender equality and job security into the objectives of the Fair Work Act. It's quite interesting, isn't it, that, after all those years of coalition government, gender equality and job security were never in the objectives of the act. We've prohibited pay secrecy, implemented recommendation 28 of Respect@Work to expressly prohibit sexual harassment in the Fair Work Act and provided appropriate dispute resolution avenues. We're providing greater access to unpaid leave.

Senator Hughes, why do you have so much difficulty with policies that are about supporting women in this country? Why do you get so angry when we do things on this side, as a government, to improve the position of women? Why would you object to the implementation of the Respect@Work recommendations? We have provided changes in the workplace system to improve the position of women in paid work. That is a good thing for women in this country, and it is a good thing for our daughters. (Time expired)

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