Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and on behalf Senator Waters, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the 2020 Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Scorecard found that:

(i) gender pay gaps continue to favour men across all industries and occupations, with men earning 20.1% ($25,534) more than women each year on average,

(ii) while more companies are reporting their gender pay gap, fewer companies are acting to reduce the gap,

(iii) more than 50% of employers now offer paid parental leave,

(iv) more than 66% of employers have domestic and family violence policies, and 35% offer paid leave, and

(v) 75.9% of workplaces have flexible working policies, but only 2.2% set targets for men's engagement in flexible work;

(b) further notes that, on current rates, gender pay equity will not be achieved for 29 years; and

(c) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) expand WGEA's coverage to include the public sector,

(ii) strengthen WGEA's powers to sanction employers who fail to report or address pay gaps, including by making companies ineligible for government grants and tenders,

(iii) require superannuation contributions to continue during paid parental leave,

(iv) set gender pay equality as an objective of awards and the Fair Work Act 2009, and

(v) legislate for 10 days paid domestic and family violence leave for employees.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before the coronavirus pandemic the government had reduced the gender pay gap to the lowest level on record. In December 2018, the government legislated five days unpaid family and domestic violence leave as the new minimum entitlement for employees in the National Employment Standards. On 6 October 2020, the government released the 2020 Women's Economic Security Statement. In addition to significant community-wide measures in the budget, this $240.4 million package provides targeted support for women to strengthen their employment opportunities, paid participation and flexibility. There's more work to do and the government is committed to improving women's economic security and closing the gender pay gap.

Question agreed to.