Trish Cook (Bullwinkel, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak in support of the Women's Budget Statement and, importantly, to speak about what this budget means in the real lives of Australian women, in the home, in the workplace, in the doctor's waiting room and in the safety of their own homes. Labor introduced the world's first Women's Budget Statement back in the 1980s, and, in 2022, the Albanese Labor government brought it back. We did that because budgets are not gender neutral and neither is the economy. This statement shines a light on how budget decisions land differently for women and girls, and it embeds a simple discipline into the government whereby every budget proposal is tested for its impact on women as part of the process. That is gender-responsive budgeting, and it ensures that gender equality sits at the core of our economic agenda. This year's Women's Budget Statement shows a budget that is delivering for women in three practical ways: helping women keep more of what they earn; making systems safer and fairer, especially after separation; and strengthening the services that women rely on, from Medicare to housing in a crisis. Let's talk through that.

First is cost-of-living relief and fairness in the tax system. From 1 July this year, every Australian taxpayer gets more tax cuts. The already legislated changes reduce the 16 per cent marginal rate to 15 per cent as of 1 July this year, and to 14 per cent the following year. Alongside that, this budget introduces a new $1,000 instant tax deduction for work related expenses from the 2026-27 income year, making it simpler for millions of people to claim what they're entitled to without chasing receipts for every small expense. From the 2027-28 income year, it adds a permanent working Australians tax offset of up to $250 for income that's earned from work. Taken together, these measures mean the average worker will be better off by around $3,000 over the forward years. For many women in Bullwinkel, my electorate, and across the country, that is money that goes straight to the rent, the mortgage, to school costs and groceries. It is relief that backs women's participation in the workforce.

We can see the progress that we've made since 2022 when you put women at the centre of economic policy. Women's average weekly earnings have grown by almost $300 a week, more than one million families have benefited from cheaper child care and Australia has recorded its highest ever international ranking for gender equality—13th this year, up from 43rd when we came to government. We were 43rd when we came to government, and now we're 13th. We're making progress. Women have saved more than $647 million across almost 139 million prescriptions, including through expanded access to contraceptives and menopausal therapies.

Second is safety and fairness for women, including safety in our systems. This budget invests almost $183 million over four years to make the child support system safer and more effective. Right now, around $2 billion in child support debt is unpaid, and women make up around 83 per cent of the recipients. The average debt is nearly $8,700. For many families, $8,700 could be used for braces for children, sporting club fees, school excursions or the chance for a child to learn a musical instrument. That's astounding—$2 billion of debt, mainly owed to women. We know that the scheme can be weaponised after separation and used as a tool of coercion and control. These reforms will crack down on financial abuse, strengthen assessment and compliance and ensure more children and families receive the support that they are owed. These are the most significant changes to the child support system in nearly 20 years. They send a clear message: the Commonwealth will not allow systems to be exploited to extend harm.

Third is housing security for women and girls in crisis. Everyone should have a safe place to call home, especially women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. This budget invests $59.4 million over four years for community housing providers supporting young people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness. Girls and young women make up around 66 per cent of homelessness service users. Far too many young people who are homeless, or at risk, have been affected by gender based violence as the reason they had to leave home.

This budget also continues a record investment in women's health. For too long, women's health has not been taken seriously enough, and, when women's health is neglected, families and communities pay the price. Millions of women have already accessed cheaper medicines and better care through the Albanese Labor government's landmark women's health package, including new access to contraception and menopause treatments on the PBS system. This budget adds a further $2 billion to strengthen Medicare, making it easier and cheaper for women to see a GP to get the care that they need. It also invests $2.7 million to make it easier for women to access and afford long-acting reversible contraceptives like IUDs and implants. Despite their efficacy, uptake in Australia has been comparatively low, and often this has been because of the cost and barriers to access. This investment will help remove those barriers, particularly for women in regional and rural areas.

In my electorate of Bullwinkel, I meet women who are working hard, caring for their families, studying, running small businesses and volunteering in our community. But they tell me the same thing—that the cost of living has tightened, that services can be hard to reach and that, too often, the systems that should support families can add stress instead. This budget responds to those realities with practical help and structural reform.

As the first majority-women federal government, we are determined to keep delivering better outcomes for women and girls, not just as an add-on, not as a footnote, but as a core test of whether our economic plan is working. When women have more financial security, when children receive the support that they are owed, when health care is accessible and when safety is strengthened, the whole country benefits. This is what the Women's Budget Statement is for—to make visible what too often goes unseen and to hold ourselves accountable for progress. This budget helps women keep more of what they earn, builds safer and fairer systems and invests in the services that matter. I commend the Women's Budget Statement to the House.

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