Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Preventing Family Violence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women. The minister failed to answer the question yesterday, so I ask: does the minister agree with herself that this Liberal government is widely seen as 'homophobic, antiwomen climate change deniers'?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a concern with that question. I obviously haven't memorised every aspect of the Hansard, but I will flag my concern now. That question cannot be identical to the question from yesterday. The Manager of Opposition Business.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order—

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To those interjecting: the Manager of Opposition Business actually has a job, and he doesn't need your help.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You'll always help me, Christopher! Yes, point of order: two things. Firstly, the question is different to the question from yesterday. Secondly, the rule on the same question only applies if the question has been fully answered, which, yesterday, it clearly wasn't.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, that's just a matter of your judgement. The Manager of Opposition Business can resume his seat for a second. You don't get to score on your judgement on how answered a question was. I could detain the House for a lengthy period of time on this, but Practice makes it very, very clear that that would only apply if a minister simply didn't say a word. The whole history of this place is well-written. The Manager of Opposition Business.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was referring to the requirement in the standing orders that a question cannot be asked again if it has been fully answered; I was giving you a reference to that. In terms of the first part of it, the question yesterday included these words but had another section added to it, and today's question is different.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Rather than rule it out unilaterally, I just wanted to flag the concern. I will call the minister.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. It gives me an opportunity to explain again to the House how this government is the natural government for Australian women.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left!

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are the government that best represents the hopes—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause for a second.

Opposition members interjecting—

Members on my left will cease interjecting.

Opposition members interjecting—

If members don't cease interjecting, I will simply eject them one by one. Particularly with that level of interjection, members are really disrupting the House. If members can't contain themselves, I will take action. The minister has the call.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, we are the government that naturally represents Australian women. We represent their hopes and aspirations. Let me explain why. We are a government that believes in lower taxes, we are a government that believes in smaller government and we are a government—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume her seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the extension allowed under standing orders of time be given for this answer.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll pull out the standing order, but you can only move that motion once the period of time has concluded. You can't move it. Anyway, we've got two minutes and 20 seconds. Why don't we let the minister keep going and we'll work it out.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're saying you'll give me the opportunity, but the thing is that you actually don't want to listen to a woman who is at the despatch box, so I will not take a lesson from you on that. As I was saying, we are a government that believes in lower taxes, unlike those opposite. We believe in smaller government. We believe that people should be able to choose their own path, and that includes Australian women. We want to help them to build their financial security, and that is why we have delivered the first ever Women's Economic Security Statement. I know it is very inconvenient—

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause for a second. I'm not going to have anyone at the despatch box shouted at continuously.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why don't you go to the crossbench?

Ms O'Neil interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members for Brand and Hotham will leave under 94(a).

The members for Brand and Hotham then left the chamber.

Mr Khalil interjecting—

If the member for Wills wants to follow, he can start packing up.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know it is very inconvenient for those opposite to actually have to listen to the measures that we have delivered for Australian women. I really am very happy about this opportunity. We have measures to increase women's workforce participation: over $54.8 million over four years to reinstate the time use survey, which will actually measure women's economic security—something, by the way, that the Labor Party abolished when they were in government. We are going to recognise women's time, whether it's in the home or in the workforce—something that they abolished when they were in government. We are improving the Workplace Gender Equality Agency systems to make sure that we capture the right equality data, to reduce the cost for business that is reported so that around 70 per cent of workplaces will in fact be reporting their data. We are going to have a reducing barriers to work forum. This particular forum will ensure that we can have an even stronger focus on the gender pay gap, because, like I said, those opposite saw the gender pay gap increase under them to 17.2 per cent, and it has come down under us to 14.5 per cent. We are supporting regional employers through career revive, as I've said. We are providing scholarships to women to help them to be able to advance their careers and give them better earning potential. And I am happy to go on. (Time expired)

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just for the clarity of the Manager of Opposition Business in the House, page 528 of Practice outlines it very clearly. It says that after the maximum period allowed for a member's speech has expired it can be moved for an extension.