WOMEN’S ECONOMIC SECURITY

THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP.
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5 years ago
WOMEN’S ECONOMIC SECURITY
THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
After five years of Liberal governments, Kelly O’Dwyer’s announcements today are too little, too late.
We’ll take a look at the details and listen carefully to women and to what policy experts have to say, but this is a grab bag of measures that go nowhere near far enough. 

It’s time for Scott Morrison to back in Labor’s policies to close the gender pay gap and the superannuation gap.

Only Labor has a plan for working Australian women:
  • $400 million to boost women’s superannuation balances for a more secure financial future – including paying superannuation on Commonwealth paid parental leave.
  • In our first 100 days, restoring Sunday penalty rates for up to 700,000 workers – great news for hundreds of thousands of women.
  • Taking action to close the gender pay gap, including greater transparency and accountability for business and government – so if men and women are doing the same work, they get the same pay.
  • Introducing ten days paid domestic violence leave to the National Employment Standards.
  • Investing $88 million in emergency housing, including funding for safe housing options for women and children fleeing family violence.
  • Proper funding for health and education services that women, and all Australians rely on.
 
Scott Morrison and the Liberals have had five years to take action on women’s economic security but all they’ve delivered is policies that disadvantage women:
 
  • Trying five times to slash paid parental leave, calling working mums ‘rorters’ and ‘double dippers’.  (That’s why Labor will carefully examine the Liberals’ proposed changes to paid parental leave and take advice from families and policy experts).
  • Arguing against increases to the minimum wage that substantially benefit women.
  • Throwing their full support behind cuts to penalty rates that disproportionately impact women.
  • Introducing child care changes that leave 1 in 4 families worse off and mean some women working four days a week actually lose money if they increase their workforce participation.
  • Attempting to cut around $35 million from Community Legal Centres that provide crucial legal services to family violence victims.
  • Abolishing the annual Women’s Budget Statement to hide the harmful impacts their policies have on women.
 
Women’s economic security just isn’t a priority for the Liberals.