Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to continue my remarks on the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Setting Gender Equality Targets) Bill 2024. The Greens welcome this bill. It is a step in the right direction. We want to see this bill passed without further delay. We were ready to pass it the last time we were here. I'm grateful that it's listed today. Let's hope we can get it done.

For years we have been calling for an obligation to not just identify a gender pay gap but to actually close it, particularly for large employers. So it's disappointing that today's bill requires only employers with over 500 workers to take action. In our view, that number should be reduced to 100 workers, and that's one of the amendments that I'll be moving. The reporting obligations at the moment apply to companies that have 100 or more workers, so why shouldn't this new obligation to act on that data apply to the same cohort?

I'll also be moving an amendment that requires employers to have a target to close the gender pay gap by a certain amount. There are lots of other good, positive targets that employers can choose from, but the fact that they don't have to pick one that will actually close the gender pay gap is a problem. My amendment would fix that.

The government could also stop giving contracts to employers who maintain a gender pay gap and are doing nothing to close it. Unfortunately, though, this bill makes complying with gender pay rules a mere consideration when awarding government contracts. That's not good enough; it should be an absolute barrier. Labor should not be subsidising discrimination. If you're not closing your gender pay gap, you shouldn't get a government contract. That's what my third amendment will do.

Sadly, I'm not expecting support for the three amendments that I'll move, on behalf of the Greens, to strengthen gender pay gap action. In fact, I don't believe the Liberal and National parties are supporting the bill at all. The bare minimum is being asked of them, but they're not even able to come up to that. I'm not surprised, though; this is from a party that has an abysmal record on women's rights, a party that's railed against a woman's right to choose and a party that's repeatedly allowed hateful and misogynistic behaviour within these very walls. The coalition's contempt for women is clear. In recent preselections they've chosen just one woman and six blokes to contest the seats their sitting MPs are leaving—so they clearly still have a women problem. And they're now backing in Trump's antidiversity moves. In January Mr Dutton said, 'Positions like culture, diversity and inclusion advisers, change managers and internal communications specialists could be cut because such positions do nothing to improve the lives of everyday Australians.' Senator Price said:

There's so much within the space (of DEI) that takes away from the actual day to day work of getting things done.

Perhaps that's why they are voting against this bill today. They're being overt about their anti-equality agenda and they're trying to emulate Trump as much as possible, and I think they'll suffer the electoral consequences of that. I don't think Australians want Trumpism here, and they are scared to their teeth that that's what they're seeing from the opposition.

Not only that, they do a lot of damage to people. Let's think about the last time the coalition were in government. They cut millions of dollars in funding to frontline services supporting women fleeing violence. They presided over a decade of inaction on gender based violence and economic inequality. Under their watch, the gender pay gap stagnated and access to affordable child care remained out of reach for all but a privileged few—a problem that, sadly, we still have today. Let's be clear; the Liberal and National parties have repeatedly shown their disdain for women. Australian women cannot risk going backwards. If elected, Mr Dutton—he hasn't stopped there; he's gone on his anti-DEI rant, but he's also vowed to repeal working from home for public servants, which would undoubtedly make working life harder for women and workers who might be juggling caring responsibilities or health challenges. We cannot risk another decade of Liberal-National inaction, ever. Women are absolutely over it and women are tired of waiting for fairness.

I'm pleased this bill has been listed on the Notice Paper today. I'm hoping the coalition doesn't just talk it out so that we can't get to a vote to pass these improvements. They're not as strong as the Greens want, but they are a step in the right direction, and we will keep pushing for real action to close the gap not in 15 years but now. Women need to be paid what they deserve across every industry, at every level and in every role. It's the last sitting week of parliament and this is our last chance to get action on the gender pay gap. Let's do it by passing this legislation now.

Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Setting Gender Equality Targets) Bill 2024. Labor believes equality for women is not just an add-on or afterthought but absolutely fundamental to our economy and to our society. This is what happens when your government reflects the society that it serves. We are very proud to be the first gender-equal government in Australia's national history—

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time has expired. We will now move to two-minute statements.