Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I first acknowledge that it's International Women's Day. Happy International Women's Day to all, and to Marie Coleman, who's no longer in the chamber but whose presence is felt, and will be for many years.

So, today is International Women's Day, and we don't want cupcakes; we want equality. We want investment in women's safety, health and economic security. The government says it would love to do more, if it wasn't for a tight budget.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, you haven't addressed your question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are so right—maybe I needed to eat some of those cupcakes after all! My question is to the Minister representing herself, the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Happy International Women's Day. The government says it would love to do more if it wasn't for a tight budget, yet you've refused to scrap the stage 3 tax cuts that would give the balance sheet an extra $254 billion. The women's safety sector has said that $1 billion a year is what's needed to meet demand for frontline services so that no women or children have to be turned away when they seek help. Will the government commit to that level of funding to keep women safe?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Waters for the question and acknowledge her work and interests in the area of women's policy over a number of years. Specifically in response to the question she raises with me, we are very conscious of the need to continue to invest in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children and the services and systems that support the implementation of that plan, including for First Nations women through their own action plan, which sits alongside that.

Since coming to government we have been, and are, putting our money where our mouth is on that. We made some investments in October. I'm working with the minister with the responsibility for women's safety and her assistant minister to look at further measures we can support in the upcoming budget. They are currently being considered by government. We are aware of the calls from the sector around the additional money that's required. These are some of the difficult decisions that I've been trying to school those opposite on, about how we make room for the services and supports we need in areas like ending violence against women and children. Meanwhile, they're arguing to maintain those high levels of concessionality for superannuation account holders with more than $3 million in their accounts.

These are the difficult choices before government. We're making those choices. I can guarantee that we are continuing to focus on making sure that we can make an actual difference in the lives of women in this country, particularly vulnerable women and women who experience violence as part of their family and how we can support children through that as well— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, your first supplementary question?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Paying superannuation on paid parental leave would cost around $200 million. Why won't the government prioritise closing the superannuation pay gap rather than turbocharging inequality by giving rich white men more in tax handouts?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters raises a very important issue, which is the inequity that exists in the superannuation system for women. We know that women retire with considerably less money than men, and we know that the average super balance for women in this country is $140,000. I can see those who were so interested in super a second ago, all of a sudden aren't interested anymore!

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Okay. Okay. There we are. Those opposite are awake now. They're awake now.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order!

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The average female super balance in this country is $140,000.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong!

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We don't hear you shouting about that.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, on both sides of the chamber!

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We've made it clear that we want to pay PPL.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong and Senator Payne!

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's something we want to find room in the budget to do. When we can afford it we will do it.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, your second supplementary?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Homelessness and housing insecurity are at crisis levels, and the fastest growing cohort of people at risk of homelessness is women over the age of 45. It's not over 55 anymore. Post-COVID it's over 45. How many new affordable homes could be built with the $254 billion that you're intending to give in tax cuts to rich white men?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We agree that more accommodation and a greater supply of social and affordable housing and crisis housing is required to address the needs of women across the country. We are negotiating with the states and territories under a new National Housing and Homelessness Agreement that's being led by Julie Collins, from the other place, and we are also determined to get our Housing Australia Future Fund up. That fund, if established, would be an enduring and ongoing fund that allocates 30,000 social and affordable houses, of which a proportion would be dedicated to women, including women with children who are escaping violence.

I would urge people in this place, if they care about that—even if it's not exactly the model that they would choose—to support it, because this is what we will use to get more housing on the ground for women in those categories. (Time expired)