My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. The World Economic Forum's Global gender gapreport has ranked Australia eighth in the world for gender equality, our highest ever result. In 2021 Australia ranked 50th. Can the minister outline the actions the Albanese Labor government has taken to drive this improvement and what it means for Australia's women and girls?

I thank Senator Darmanin for that question and acknowledge all those in the Labor government who have worked hard to make sure gender equality is at the centre of our decision-making. We can see, as a result of those decisions, of the policies we have developed over a long period of time—including in opposition and then implemented in government, off the back of the work of many on this side of the chamber and indeed those in the government in the other place—that we have now, for the first time, entered the top 10 in the global gender equality rankings.

We on this side of the chamber think that gender equality is important for the economy—

Sorry, Minister. Please resume your seat. Senator Mckenzie, I would ask you to stop the yelling. Minister Gallagher, please continue.

Thank you. In 2021 we ranked 50th in the world. When we came to government it was 43rd in the world. We have consistently, both through our representation of women in leadership and decision-making across the parliament and in the policies we've enacted, ensured that the ranking continues to improve year on year, and this year we have come in at No. 8. That is because of a range of things. Of course women's representation in parliament is important and has assisted in that, but also our policies include the wages policy that we've implemented in those feminised industries of aged care and early education and care, extending paid parental leave and putting super on it, ensuring that super works for women with reforms to payday super and the LISTO—the low-income super tax offset—the three-day guarantee in child care to make sure the childcare system works better for women, free TAFE, paid prac and, of course, publishing the gender pay gaps of Australia's largest companies to really flush out what is happening when it comes to pay and women. And we can see those results reflected in this global ranking news.

Senator Darmanin, first supplementary?

This result reflects real progress on pay, participation and representation. Improving women's economic security and safety are both critical to driving gender equality in Australia. What work is the Albanese Labor government doing to continue to close the gender gap, and why is this important?

I thank Senator Darmanin for that question too, because the job isn't done. We know that in too many areas of our civic and economic life women and girls are not treated equally, so we are looking at each area where we can make a difference. One of those areas is women's health, where we have had a historic investment in a women's health package, and just today the Minister for Health and Ageing announced a new breast cancer drug has been listed on the PBS. Instead of costing $1,300 a script, it will now cost just $25. And we know that hundreds of thousands of women across the country have benefited from our listing of new contraceptives and new menopause treatments, saving them hundreds of millions of dollars in those scripts that have already been taken up in just over a year.

Senator Darmanin, second supplementary?

Violence against women and girls is a key contributor to gender inequality. Today, the Albanese Labor government introduced legislation to end financial abuse in the child support system. Can the minister outline what these reforms will mean for children and for families?

I thank Senator Darmanin for that question. This is an area that the Minister for Social Services and I have been working on together, but, again, it comes from all of the assistance across our caucus in areas where constituents have raised issues with members of parliament, we have seen a problem, have identified a problem and are determined to act on it. There is almost $2 billion in unpaid child support across Australia. Too many children are missing out on that support. I have met some of those children who, when they've become adults, have come and lobbied me to say that, because of their parents' breakdown in relationship, one parent decided to keep them in poverty for their entire childhood as a result of that relationship breakdown. That is not good enough and the Commonwealth will amend our systems to make sure, as much as we can, that, when parents have a marriage breakdown or a relationship breakdown, they don't do it in a way that causes further harm to the parents and children.