Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Since Labor was elected to government, we have seen significant steps forward in government policies that support economic prosperity for women. This comes after a decade of inaction and disregard for Australian women by the former coalition government. Labor's tax cut plan that passed the parliament last night will mean millions of Australian women will get a bigger tax cut than they would have seen under the former Morrison government's plan. Can the minister outline the policies that the Albanese Labor government has delivered that will benefit women across this country?

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

I thank Senator Grogan for the excellent question focusing on women. I'm surprised I don't get any questions about women from those opposite. I don't think I've had any, which is unsurprising. The tax plan that passed this parliament unanimously in the Senate last night will mean that every woman paying tax in Australia will get a tax cut. That's different from the previous plan, where a number of women taxpayers would have missed out. Ninety per cent of those women taxpayers will receive an average tax cut of $707—that's additional. This is for around 5.8 million women. When we look at those areas where we have lots of women working in industries—in child care, in disability, in aged care—more than 95 per cent of those taxpayers in those industries will receive a bigger tax cut compared to the former government's plan.

We know that women work hard across our economy. We want to ensure that they keep more of what they earn and that they're able to meet those daily challenges and cost-of-living pressures they face. Our government has made no secret, since we came into government, of being focused on the needs of women. We want to drive economic equality and gender equality across the economy, which is good for the economy as a whole, and we are seeing improving results. The gender pay gap is at a record low—Senator Canavan should enjoy that statistic. ABS data last week showed full-time wages dropped to 12 per cent. We don't see that as useless data, I have to say. We do think that flexibility in the workplace is actually a good thing. We don't think you have to be a full-time worker in order to have a high-paying job. (Time expired)

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

Senator Grogan, your first supplementary.

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for that answer. That was very informative. It's great to see such progress! In contrast to Labor's commitments, we often see our opponents make comments that remind the Australian community that they are not committed to providing women's economic security. As you have referenced, Minister, yesterday we saw clear data about the current gender pay gap. Can the minister explain how the government's suite of policies—

Opposition senators: Time!

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

Order.

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

for Australian women will help to relieve cost-of-living pressures and boost their economic prosperity?

Opposition senators: Time!

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

Thank you, Senator Grogan

Opposition senators interjecting—

I'm waiting for order, particularly on my left but also on my right, Senator Ciccone. Minister Gallagher.

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

It is interesting to see what wakes the opposition up every now and again, what really gets them going. It's always the big issues, isn't it?

Thank you, Senator Grogan. I got the vibe; I understand what it is.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

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

Minister Gallagher, please resume your seat. Order across the chamber. Minister Gallagher, please continue.

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

The question was around the suite of policies—

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

Minister Gallagher, please resume your seat. Senator O'Sullivan, I had just called order. It was not okay for you to then start shouting out again. Minister Gallagher, please continue.

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

The question was about the government's suite of policies for Australian women and how they help assist and relieve cost-of-living pressures and boost economic prosperity. We have made this a key priority of our government. We do believe the data that was released yesterday on the gender pay gap is useful data, unlike Senator Canavan who thought it was the most useless set of data—

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Gallagher, please resume your seat.

Order. I will come to you, Senator Canavan, in just a moment. I want order in the chamber before I do that.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order—

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

Senator Canavan, I haven't called you. I indicated I would come to you. I'm waiting for silence in the chamber. Senator Canavan.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order on relevance.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Back in the 1950s!

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

Sorry, Senator Canavan. Senator Watt, I had just restored order. It is not appropriate to then immediately call out again. Senator Canavan is on his feet and I want to give him the opportunity to make his point of order.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given there wasn't a question, it's a bit hard to know how this answer is actually relevant. How can an answer be relevant if no question was actually asked?

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

Senator Canavan, that is not a point of order but given—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! On a number of occasions in this place when senators haven't got to the end of their questions the minister has still been given the opportunity to answer it. Thank you, Minister.

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

Before I come to the last part of that, I did hear the question being asked; it was because those opposite were drowning it out that they didn't hear it, but there was a question asked.

Opposition senators interjecting—

I have lost all my time now.

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

Senator Grogan, a second supplementary question?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you have said many times that what's good for women's economic security is good for the broader economy. How will the investment this government has made in Australian women and Labor tax cuts plan help to strengthen the Australian economy and help women to meet the continuing cost-of-living pressures that they are facing at this time?

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

This government does believe that driving gender equality is good for the economy. We are focused on that. You'll see that in the decisions we took on tax and you'll also see that, by the changes we made to the tax system, that we believe the Treasury advice, which says it will boost 630 thousand additional hours per week worked by women because they will be keeping more of what they earn.

We do believe information being provided about what's happening in businesses is good. We reject Senator Canavan's claim that this data is useless. I think Senator Hughes called it 'identity politics' and Senator Hume said it was 'flawed', but otherwise the information apparently is okay. This is data that has been collected for 10 years. It's important data about driving change in workplaces to make sure that women get a fair crack at opportunity in this country.