Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A Labor government is committed to properly funding working women's centres in every state and territory. These centres provide free, confidential assistance about workplace matters, free legal advice about sexual harassment, wage theft and discrimination, which are all problems for women in many workplaces. It's an essential advice service for all women in our community. But what has this government done to support working women's centres? They have almost entirely slashed their funding. This government has shown a complete disregard for these essential services that provide support and justice for working women. Each of the working women's centres in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland need a budget of some $700,000 a year to run. But in its recent budget, this government has set aside only $200,000. This leaves only South Australia as a service with secure funding. The Northern Territory is looking at closing, and Queensland is entirely reliant upon funding from the Palaszczuk Labor government.

This government only cares about itself, not about working women. They gave a limp and inadequate response to Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins's Respect@Work report. The Prime Minister has failed to listen to survivors of sexual harassment. He refused an independent inquiry into allegations around Minister Porter. He had to wait for his wife to urge him to take any action at all on the sexual harassment issue. Now this government is cutting funding to critical frontline services that ensure women are able to navigate the handling of sexual harassment at work. Only Labor will properly fund Australia's working women's centres and properly protect working women in our nation. (Time expired)