My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Last year, the Fair Work Commission found workers in female dominated industries have been underpaid and undervalued. Since coming to government, the Albanese Labor government—

Senator Tyrrell, please resume your seat. I have Senator Tyrrell on her feet.

Minister Wong! I can't hear the question. We have moved on. We're on question No. 2. Senator Tyrrell, start at the beginning, please. Reset the clock.

Last year, the Fair Work Commission found workers in female dominated industries have been—

Senator Tyrrell, please resume your seat. Minister Wong, who is it that you're seeking to have withdraw?

It's Senator Hume. She knows.

Senator Hume, please withdraw.

I withdraw.

Thank you, Senator Hume.

There have been repeated slurs against Senator Wong, and Senator Ruston in particular should withdraw.

Senator Ruston, I did not hear a comment, but I know that, if you believe you've been unparliamentary, you'll withdraw.

I do not believe I've been unparliamentary, but, if any offence was taken by anything I said that wasn't unparliamentary, I withdraw.

No. If I've asked you to withdraw, that's what I want you to do. There are no ifs and buts about it. If you believe you were unparliamentary, I ask you to withdraw. There's no preamble to it. Either you're withdrawing or you're not. The choice is yours. I'm going to invite Senator Tyrrell to start her question from the beginning. Pease reset the clock.

Thank you, President—for the third time. My question is for the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Last year, the Fair Work Commission found workers in female dominated industries have been underpaid and undervalued. Since coming to government, the Albanese Labor government has made women's economic security a priority. Today, the government announced that it will fund significant wage rises for care sector workers. How will today's announcement make a difference to hundreds of thousands of Australian women?

I thank Senator Tyrrell for the question and for her advocacy both for women's economic security and, in particular, for those industries where this pay rise will make the most difference.

For too long, workers in female dominated industries have been undervalued and underpaid. The pay rise for 460,000 health, disability and community service workers will be welcomed across that sector. They deserve fair pay that reflects their skills and experience and the nature of the important work that they do across our communities right around Australia. There are frontline workers who help find housing for people facing homelessness, who support women and children escaping family and domestic violence, who deliver food to families in need or who help people with a disability find a job that they love.

The Fair Work Commission's findings recognise that work done by women has been undervalued for too long because of gender based assumptions. Our $630 million investment will support charities and not-for-profit organisations to meet the award wage increases without compromising services that Australians rely on. Over 128,000 organisations funded under 92 programs will receive extra funding. This includes legal assistance workers, housing workers, youth workers, community development workers and First Nations health and community services workers, and it follows on our investment in wage increases in aged care and early childhood education—again, workforces where the majority of workers are women. In total, the Albanese government has now invested over $25 billion to address gender undervaluation of wages in women dominated sectors.

Senator Tyrrell, first supplementary?

Improving women's economic security and safety are both critical to driving gender equality in Australia. Recently, Australia received its highest-ever ranking for gender equality—eighth in the world. What work is the Albanese Labor government doing to continue to close the gender gap, and why is this important?

I thank Senator Tyrrell for that supplementary. As Senator Tyrrell said, Australia is now ranked eighth in the world for gender equality, which is our highest-ever ranking. In 2021, we ranked 50th. In 2022, when we came to government, we ranked 43rd. We have climbed 42 places in five years.

Now, this didn't happen by accident. It happened because the Albanese Labor government has made women's equality a priority for our government. In addition to those wage increases that we're talking about today in aged care and early childhood education and care, we've also made record investments in women's health and in women's medicines and treatments, including for menopause and contraception. More than a million women have accessed cheaper medicines since 2025, saving over $150 million. Because of that program, more women are getting access to the treatments they need and the health care they need in a convenient and affordable way. There is more work to do, but we on this side of the chamber will keep doing it. (Time expired)

Senator Tyrrell, second supplementary?

We know an economy that works for women works for everyone. Minister, how does addressing pay and conditions in feminised industries deliver better outcomes for all Australians?

I thank Senator Tyrrell for that supplementary. I've always advocated that an economy that works for women works for everybody. New research by the Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion @ Work, in their recent report Goodflex, bad flex has made interesting findings: that flexible work arrangements are worst in feminised industries and that, where good flexible work arrangements operate, women are often able to stay in those jobs for longer and work through their career progression to higher levels.

So we know that, when we get flexibility, everyone wins. Women are healthier, they have more job security and employers have less turnover and skill shortages. This is an important work, and it will feed into other policy decisions the government will take over the coming year.