Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. All Australian taxpayers will get a tax cut under the Albanese Labor government's tax cut plan. That's all 13.6 million taxpayers, not just some. Minister, you have often said in this place that Australian women are at the core of the decisions that this government takes. Can the minister please explain why the Labor government's tax cut plan is better for Australian women?

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

I thank Senator Stewart for the question and for all of her advocacy around the needs of women and improving economic equality for women, particularly in the state of Victoria. Labor's tax cuts will put more money back in the pockets of Australian women. The cuts will provide cost-of-living relief and will mean that women can be and are able to pick up an extra shift or an extra day of work if they want to and then keep a larger proportion of what they earn. Labor's plan will see a tax cut for every single woman who pays tax in Australia, and our plan will see women taxpayers receive a tax cut of, on average, $1,649 from 1 July. Nine out of 10 of those women will receive an additional average tax cut of $707 compared to the former plan. That's 5.8 million women receiving more than they would have.

Under our tax cuts, childcare workers, disability carers, aged-care workers, nurses and teachers are amongst those who will benefit the most, with more than 95 per cent of those taxpayers to receive a bigger tax cut compared to the Morrison plan. These are also those highly feminised industries, as all of us know in this chamber, with workforces that are over 80 per cent women. Of course they are vital industries that contribute to our economy and our quality of life. Labor's tax cuts—and the Treasury analysis shows this—will have a positive impact on women's workforce participation. As outlined in the Treasury advice, the plan is projected to support a boost of 630,000 additional hours per week worked by women. When we looked at these tax cuts, when we changed our position, we did so mindful of the impact they would have on women, because women are at the centre of government decision-making in this government and of the policy decisions that we make.

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

Senator Stewart, first supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I know that the women of Victoria are working hard. They are juggling work and family, with many of them working in critical sectors that support our whole community, and they're also facing cost-of-living pressures. Can you outline how many women in Victoria and across the nation more broadly will get a bigger tax cut under Labor's tax cut plan?

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

I thank Senator Stewart for the supplementary. I can confirm that every woman taxpayer in Victoria will get a tax cut from 1 July. Of those, 1½ million women, or 90 per cent, will get a bigger tax cut than they would under the Morrison proposal. In Tasmania, every woman taxpayer—140,000 of them—will get a tax cut and 94 per cent of them will get a bigger tax cut. In WA, every woman taxpayer will get a tax cut and, of those 600,000 women, 90 per cent will get a bigger tax cut. In South Australia, 93 per cent will get a bigger tax cut. In the ACT, every single woman will get a tax cut. Of those, 120,000 women, or 86 per cent, will get a bigger tax cut. In the Northern Territory, 83 per cent will get a bigger tax cut. In New South Wales, 1.8 million women, or 88 per cent, will get a bigger tax cut. And in Queensland, 1.2 million women, or 92 per cent, will get a bigger tax cut. (Time expired)

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

Senator Stewart, second supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for outlining those important statistics, Minister. Women's economic equality has been at the heart of the Albanese government's policy since day one. We can see this in the careful analysis of Labor's tax cuts and their impact on women. Can the minister outline how these tax reforms work with other Labor reforms for women?

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

I thank Senator Stewart for the supplementary question. As Senator Stewart knows, because she's part of the first majority women government in this country, and I work so closely with all of my colleagues from the status of women committee and more broadly, our decision-making has been focused on driving women's economic equality, whether it be in our policies around cheaper child care, whether it's around our modernised PPL, whether it's the work we've put into the women's safety front, or whether it's implementing the Respect@Work report and all 55 recommendations. It's about transparency and accountability on the gender pay gap. It's about making sure we address inequality where we see it, like in the single parenting payment and some of those interactions. There is more to do, but this tax plan, Labor's lower taxes plan, will significantly improve women's interaction with the tax system and return more money to their pockets. (Time expired)