Senate debates

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

Statements by Senators

Morrison Government: Women Workers

1:56 pm

Photo of Jess WalshJess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to talk about the five ways in which this government is sidelining the women workers of Australia during the COVID-19 crisis. This is a government that has had a problem with women workers for a long time, and it's doubled down on that problem in its unequal response to the COVID-19 crisis. Let's see if I can get through my list of the five ways that the government is letting down Australia's women in the few minutes that I have for this statement.

No. 1 is the government's backflip on aged-care workers. Eighty-seven per cent of aged-care workers are women. Minister Colbeck promised a retention bonus, which would be paid after tax, to support the low-paid, hardworking aged-care women of Australia. But the government and Senator Colbeck have backflipped and decided that this would be before tax, meaning less going to the aged-care workers, who have been on the front line for so long as essential workers during this crisis.

No. 2 is the government's choice to exclude over a million casual workers from JobKeeper in the first place. We know women are over-represented both in casual jobs and in the sectors that have been hit hard by the shutdown—retail, hospitality, food and accommodation. Women make up 60 per cent of the people who've been excluded due to the government's decision to stop casuals with less than 12 months service from being able to apply for JobKeeper.

No. 3 is kicking early-childhood educators off JobKeeper. Straight after announcing that JobKeeper would be maintained for Australia's workers, the government decided to target a group of 120,000 women workers and kick them off JobKeeper. These are women who have been working hard and doing everything that the government has asked of them—going to work, performing essential work and keeping the rest of Australia at work. How does the government reward them? By making them the first people it kicks off the JobKeeper program. What an absolute disgrace. What a way to reward that absolutely essential workforce.

No. 4 is ending free child care while this crisis continues. While the government are busy making women's jobs more uncertain, they're also making it harder for women with families to even be able to return to work. We know that the government's decision to end free child care will have a much larger impact on women, compared to men, and their ability to work.

No. 5 is the lack of a jobs package for women workers. What a stand-out record this government already has on supporting women workers! Let's add to that the government's decision to make grants for $150,000 bathroom renovations, with golden toilets and platinum bidets and absolutely no support for the industries that women work in.

This government has a problem with women workers. Those opposite broke their promise to aged-care workers, who are mostly women. They excluded over a million casuals from JobKeeper, who are mostly women. They kicked educators off JobKeeper early, who are mostly women. They're ending free child care at an absolutely critical time for the working women of Australia, and, in the meantime, they've announced no real support for the working women of Australia during this crisis.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

It being 2 pm, we will move to questions without notice.