Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Henderson for her question and her ongoing support for the future prosperity of Australia's women. On this day, where we recognise the importance of protecting Australia's women from violence, we should also acknowledge that the Morrison government is very much backing Australia's women to reach their full potential. We know that when women succeed, Australia succeeds. When women participate fully in the economy, it's not just good for us; it's good for all Australians. The Morrison government has put money where our mouths are, investing $3.4 billion of new funding through this year's Women's Budget Statement, including investments in women's safety, economic security and health and wellbeing.

Women are at the forefront of supporting the economic recovery from COVID-19. Under this government, the women's workforce participation rate is on an upwards trajectory, even in the face of the short-term impacts of lockdowns and the pandemic. We are achieving this by creating more choices and more chances for more Australian women. The Morrison government has invested $1.7 billion to improve the affordability of child care by increasing the childcare subsidy for families with multiple children. We know that these are the parents, the majority of whom are women, who face the greatest challenges and disincentives on returning to work.

We have also removed the annual subsidy to support the choices of Australian families when it comes to making the decision about balancing work and care. These changes are estimated to directly benefit around 250,000 Australian families, adding up to around 300,000 additional hours of work per week. That figure is the equivalent of around 40,000 individuals working an extra day per week, with a boost to GDP of around $1.5 billion every single year. Our focus is always on practical outcomes that make a real difference to women's lives—not thought bubbles, not headlines. (Time expired)