2021-08-31
On Equal Pay Day the Greens have called on the PM to act immediately to close the gender pay gap, with the gulf between men’s and women’s earnings increasing during the pandemic.
Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:
“Today is Equal Pay Day, representing the 61 extra days that women have to work to earn the same average income as men in the last financial year.
“Workplace Gender Equality Agency data shows the gender pay gap has worsened by 0.8% in the last six months. There is now a national gender pay gap of 14.2% - and it’s even wider for First Nations women, women with a disability and women of colour.
“And yet we have not heard a peep from the PM or the relevant Minister in response to new data from its own agency. Usually it’s nothing but spin from this government. Now, silence.
“Six months ago the PM announced a confetti of new women’s Ministries and a Ministerial Women’s Taskforce. But when are we going to see some policies to actually close the gender pay gap, rather than treating this and other women’s issues as political problems to be managed?
“PBO costings show the stage 3 tax cuts rammed through by the Morrison Government - with support from Labor - will deliver twice the income benefits to men as to women, further worsening the gender pay gap. Why is Morrison still ignoring impacts on women and entrenching sexism in our tax system?
“Morrison’s pandemic recovery policy has favoured male-dominated industries, with uncapped support programs for construction, while female-dominated industries like childcare got only temporary support, and industries like the arts were entirely left out.
“Women have borne the brunt of COVID through work in the home and in health and aged care, retail and sanitation services. Why are women still an afterthought to the PM?”