Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to celebrate a milestone. It's not just a moment in our party's history but a testament to the ongoing fight for gender equity in Australia. Thirty years ago, the Australian Labor Party made a bold and transformative decision and committed to affirmative action for women. The decision to introduce quotas for women for preselection was not just about increasing the numbers and not just about a percentage; it was about ensuring that women's voices were heard and that women's voices, perspectives and leadership were central to the decisions shaping our nation. It was about capturing the best and the brightest of our party and putting them forward into those positions.

Our society has changed and developed, and the Labor Party has changed and developed alongside it. When we reflect on the past three decades, we can see what a profound impact this policy has had. The leadership shown by the Labor Party has made a fundamental difference to our democracy and our representation. Thirty years ago, women in politics were rarities, and almost invisible, even though they were in those positions. But today women are at the forefront of our party. They are driving the change. They are leading with vision, integrity and courage.

This didn't happen by chance. It wasn't just a whim. It happened because our party understood true representation and the true power, courage and intelligence of the women within the party whom we needed to bring to the fore. The affirmative action policy was a recognition of the historical structural barriers that women had faced whereby they were excluded from power and from decision-making. The first federal government to have a majority of women in it is the one we are standing in now, and that is a huge development. It is a huge leap forward. It is a huge advantage for our society to have our community represented appropriately at the highest points of decision-making.

We know that being in government is about choices, and the Albanese government chooses to back women. In our time in government, in the last 2½ years, we have put economic gender equity at the centre of our government's work. We've made child care cheaper, we've extended paid parental leave, we've extended the single parenting payments, we've delivered tax cuts that are better and fairer for women, we've delivered wage increases to feminised industries, and the gender pay gap is at an all-time low. But we still see underrepresentation of women in some key areas and we continue to face challenges in achieving true equality. Our commitment must remain strong and it must evolve to meet the new challenges that we see as our society continues to change.

We must also acknowledge that, by fostering a culture of inclusivity and diversity, the benefits of affirmative action go beyond gender equity. We strengthened our party's democracy by making these changes, and that flows on to the country. We ensure that the voices of all Australians, regardless of their gender, their race or their background, are heard and respected.

In celebrating 30 years of affirmative action, we honour those women who fought for this policy, and we honour those women who are now in leadership positions by the nature of this policy and their pathway. We recommit ourselves to the principles of fairness, equity and justice that underpin our party's values.

This is a momentous week. It's been 30 years since that policy was brought to bear, and it has shown us what is possible when we dare to take bold action. Let the next 30 years be defined by even greater progress, by even more courageous steps towards equality and by a Labor Party that continues to lead the way in building a fairer and more just Australian society for all.