Latest news with #federalparliament
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Liberal MP says women prefer hairdressing and men drawn to maths in debate over gender quotas
Liberal-National MP Terry Young has rubbished a push for gender quotas in the federal opposition, telling parliament that men and women are naturally drawn to different kinds of jobs and that professions such as hairdressing and nursing will always be dominated by women. The Longman MP said that men were more drawn to jobs involving maths or physical exertion, including construction or trades. Labor pounced on the comments in question time on Tuesday, with the infrastructure minister, Catherine King, likening them to statements by former prime minister Tony Abbott. 'A note to the Liberals and Nationals: it's 2025,' King said. 'Your gender never means a job is off-limits.' Young made the comments in a speech to Parliament's Federation Chamber. Describing himself as speaking on behalf of 'the forgotten Australians,' Young said 'crazy policies and ideologies' were damaging the country, insisting he would be 'filthy' if one of his three daughters did not get a job because of their gender. 'But I would be just as filthy if they got a job because of their gender,' he said. 'I simply cannot understand why we cannot accept that men and women have vocations that the majority of each gender is drawn to. Men tend to be more drawn to vocations that involve maths, physical exertion like construction and trades. 'Whereas women in the main tend to be drawn to careers that involve women and care and other people. Vocations like hairdressers, nursing, social workers and the like will always be more female-dominated. 'We need to ensure those who aren't wired this way from the opposite sex have the same opportunities as everyone else. That is only right. 'The days of posters of half-naked women in lunchrooms needs to be put away.' Young said in his business career, he had promoted and hired exclusively on merit. 'One of the other problems created by this well-meaning but deluded ideology [of quotas] is that many who achieve positions on their own merit have no respect from work colleagues, as many of them say they got the job because they are this gender, or this sexuality, or Indigenous. 'Quotas say women or Indigenous people or any other cohort that aren't good enough to get a position on merit … we'll create a quota for them. This is demeaning and it is insulting to these people and should never be. [Work positions] should always be based on merit.' Young labelled Labor a 'mental' government before canvassing vehicle emissions standards, housing shortages, immigration, criticism of the UN and opposition to large-scale renewables projects. Young even suggested Prime Minister Anthony Albanese might be suffering from Munchausen syndrome, a condition where individuals fake illnesses to receive attention or sympathy. King told question time that Young's comments ignored the many women of diverse backgrounds already in parliament. 'What an absolute crock,' she said. 'People used to think women were not drawn to this place.' The Liberal party is currently debating mechanisms to boost female representation in its parliamentary ranks. The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, said last month she was a 'zealot' on recruiting more women but stopped short of endorsing quotas.
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Cheaper medicines and HECS top parliamentary agenda as tax debate ramps up
The Albanese government will try to keep attention on its election promises as the new federal parliament returns for its second week, but will face further scrutiny about what new policies it plans to unveil at next month's economic roundtable. Labor will introduce legislation to cut the price of PBS medicines to $25 and will also seek to pass the HECS loan cuts introduced last week in what Anthony Albanese said was a deliberate prioritisation of cost-of-living measures. "What we've done very clearly in the first fortnight is concentrate on measures that make a difference to people's money in their pocket. We make no apology for that … That was the basis on which we were elected," he told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday. The $25-per-script price would start in the new year and reduce annual user costs by an estimated $200 million. The $7.70 script price for pension and concession card holders, frozen until 2030, would be unchanged. The policy was matched by the Coalition during the election campaign, so it is unlikely to be controversial, with the opposition also signalling it will likely support the HECS cuts. But there is no timeline for Labor to re-introduce its stalled proposal to double the earnings tax on superannuation balances for those with balances over $3 million, controversial because it would include the "unrealised" earnings of assets. Mr Albanese on Sunday dismissed the Treasury's advice that taxes would need to be raised to fix the budget, reported by the ABC earlier this month, and including an option identified by the department to "build on" the super tax. "Treasury, of course, will put forward advice to government from time to time. That's not government policy … Our starting point is the positions that we took to the election." But the government will face fresh questions this week about its plans to go beyond its election platform in the August roundtable led by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who has already declared openness to tax changes as part of a reform package. Unions, business groups, and economists are already jostling to propose ideas for the three-day discussion forum to be held in late August before the next parliamentary sitting, where Mr Chalmers and Mr Albanese say they are open to any ideas. The Business Council (BCA) has this week revealed one of its main proposals, to increase the generosity of the tax credit for research and development spending, with the greatest concessions for Australian research commercialised in Australia. In a joint report with Australian companies Atlassian and Cochlear, who are among the biggest users of the tax credit with a combined $316 million spend in the most recent year of data, the BCA has called for an 18.5 per cent flat-rate incentive. "Empowering businesses to make research and development investments is critical to making our economy more productive and innovative, and for delivering greater prosperity for all Australians," the lobby's chief executive, Bran Black, said. "If we don't act now, then we will keep losing innovators, capital, and ideas to other nations." Support for lower company taxes, which appeared to be echoed in Treasury advice, was also on display at a pre-roundtable roundtable convened last Friday by independent MP Allegra Spender. Former treasury secretary Ken Henry and ANU tax professor Bob Breunig, both of whom will attend Mr Chalmers's roundtable, told the forum that company taxes should be reconsidered to tax rents such as mining income more, but entrepreneurship less. Mr Breunig, a noted sceptic of tax incentives for research and development who has argued there is little evidence they spur on research that would not have occurred otherwise, instead proposed a tax deduction for investing in businesses. "If you invest in a company and you make a modest rate of return … that return would be tax-free … Kind of like a tax-free threshold for corporations," he suggested. The forum saw dozens of tax and budget proposals raised, with general agreement that budget sustainability would require some combination of spending cuts, higher taxes, and policies to support economic growth, consistent with Treasury advice. Suggested targets for raising taxes included the petroleum resources rent tax, further changes to super tax concessions, higher capital gains tax, and increasing the GST, although the treasurer and PM have appeared reluctant to consider that move. On the spending side, Michael Brennan of the e61 Institute identified what he called a "capital binge" on infrastructure projects, including at the state level. "There's a lot of value destruction going on in these mega-projects where the benefits are nothing like the value of the cash being [spent]," Mr Brennan said. Participants agreed the government should consider a large package doing multiple things at once, a "grand bargain" rather than "piecemeal" reform. "Tax reform cannot be done piecemeal," Mr Henry said. "This is the lesson that I take from Australia's tax reform adventures of the last 40 years. If it's going to be successful, it's going to have to be big." While Mr Chalmers has embraced suggestions he could pursue ambitious changes, Mr Albanese has seemed more reticent and on Sunday again emphasised the roundtable's focus on economic growth rather than tax changes, branding it a "productivity summit". "[It] is about how do we get that economic growth in the future? And what the productivity summit is about is identifying ways, including [industry investment program] Future Made in Australia. "How do we fix housing? How do we fix these issues in a way that is fiscally responsible?" The Coalition has sent early signals that it would likely oppose any tax reform package that increased the overall tax take, but is likely to be distracted again this week by internal disagreement about net zero. The WA Liberal Party's state council passed a motion calling to drop the net zero by 2050 target, effectively backed in the aftermath by the two most prominent federal frontbenchers from the state, conservatives Andrew Hastie and Michaelia Cash. "We recommitted to emissions reduction, but we will not do that like Mr Albanese legislating a net zero target by 2050," Senator Cash told Sky News on Sunday. "Let's be honest here, the WA Liberal Party have been very, very clear we will not crash the economy in doing so … And we will make sure we do not impose any unnecessary costs on them."
ABC News
23-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Penalty rates set to be secured
Sabra Lane: More than two million workers will have their penalty rates locked in under new laws being introduced into federal parliament today. The laws will stop an attempt by big retailers like supermarkets from negotiating to pay their workers a larger salary instead of penalty rates for overtime and weekend work. The major retailers lobby opposes the change, saying businesses want some certainty in what they pay their staff. Political reporter Isobel Roe. Isobel Roe: The Australian Retailers Association, which represents big supermarket chains such as Coles and Woolworths, wants to see less of a reliance on penalty rates. It's applied to the Fair Work Commission, proposing to allow some staff to opt out of penalty rates, overtime and some allowances in favour of a 35 per cent pay rise. But federal Labor will introduce legislation today to prevent that. That move is backed by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association. Their national secretary is Gerard Dwyer. Gerard Dwyer: The legislation will provide proper protection for lower paid workers working unsociable hours in the service sector like retail, like hospitality. Isobel Roe: The Retailers Association says it's not trying to remove penalty rates. It argues workers opting into an annual salary would gain financial stability. And businesses would have more certainty on worker wages, improving productivity. The shop union's Gerard Dwyer rejects that. Gerard Dwyer: It's got nothing to do with improving productivity. People are saying, oh, this will be simpler. But that's not the motivation. The motivation is to reduce the payment to lower paid workers who work unsociable hours. Isobel Roe: It's rare for the federal government to intervene in a Fair Work Commission matter. But in a statement, Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth says the government wants to protect the penalty rates of 2.6 million of the country's low paid workers. The legislation is likely to receive the support of the Greens, although there's been no decision made by the party yet. The Coalition's industrial relations spokesman, Tim Wilson, has been briefed on the bill and is not yet guaranteeing his party's support either. Tim Wilson: When the minister was asked whether it was going to have an impact on small business, she gave a very explicit firm commitment that it wouldn't. But we're not going to know that till we have a clear consultation with small business and hear that from them. No penalty rates are being paid on jobs that don't exist. Isobel Roe: Not all small businesses see it that way, like Nat Latter, who owns a bookstore in Perth. Nat Latter: We choose to stay closed on a public holiday because we don't make enough money on those days to cover penalty rates. However, we're happy to do that. We're happy to have the day off and for other organisations they might make a different choice. Isobel Roe: Labor's bill will be introduced to the lower house later today. Sabra Lane: Isobel Roe there.
ABC News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Underestimated, sexualised, conversation-changer: What it's like being the youngest person in parliament
Despite Millennials and Gen Zs being the largest voting bloc, young people are still hugely under-represented in federal parliament. The average age of politicians in the last parliament was 52, with fewer than one in four parliamentarians aged 45 or under. By contrast, the median age of the broader Australian population is around 38. That age disparity was something Senator Fatima Payman felt straight away. "Imagine walking into a place like Parliament House, where the average age is closer to my dad's than mine, and thinking, 'yeah, I belong here'," Senator Payman told triple j hack. Elected at 27, Senator Payman was the youngest member of the last session of parliament, otherwise known as the Baby of the House or Senate. She said there were moments when she felt out of place. "Like, when my colleagues would reference political events from the '80s or throw names around of people they knew, as if, you know, we all went to school together," Senator Payman said. Senator Payman's life experiences didn't always align with her colleagues' experiences. She said being young meant she wasn't afraid to ask tough questions, even of her own side of politics. "As somebody who wasn't a political 'nepo baby'… I wasn't weighed down by old alliances, old political baggage," she said Senator Payman left the Labor Party over its stance on the war in Gaza last year, and now represents a political party she founded, Australia's Voice. The WA senator said her former Labor colleagues constantly "underestimated" her. "Micromanagement, constant checking in … like, keeping tabs on me. It did feel like, at times, they did not see me as an equal." She said that feeling of being underestimated got worse when she travelled overseas on international delegations. "I knew that my presence as the first hijab-wearing young senator made people uncomfortable, and I thought that was OK, because change is meant to be uncomfortable. I wasn't going to dress or speak a certain way just to fit in," she said. Senator Payman said it was good that more young people were being elected, but she said that major parties must do better at listening to what younger MPs are telling them. "It's good for us to have a seat at the table, but we also need a microphone. We need our voices to be heard." Wyatt Roy was elected to the House of Representatives when he was just 20. He told triple j hack that his age was used against him by his Labor political opponents when he was running his campaign for the LNP in the Queensland seat of Longman in 2010. "They had a slogan, 'Don't trust a learner in Longman' and every single campaign poster was about my age and pretty horrific ageist abuse, to be honest with you," Mr Roy told hack. He said voters saw past his age. "People were very receptive to the idea of doing something differently, of having a long-term vision for the future." He said it took some time after his election for the gravity of it to sink in. Mr Roy said his parliamentary colleagues "embraced" him as the youngest person in the corridors of power and often sought out his opinion. "It gave me opportunities that I think if I was coming in in a more normal way, I would not have been given." "In some ways, it was an unfair advantage rather than a disadvantage, because my most senior colleagues, who had been around for a long time, recognised that maybe we did have to do things differently." He said his age made older colleagues realise that long-term problems and decisions had consequences. "There were many moments where people would look to me and say, 'well, you're the only person in the room who's going to be here when this decision is impacting the country'," Mr Roy said. Wyatt Roy remains the youngest person ever to be elected to the Australian parliament, breaking a record set by 22-year-old Edwin Corboy back in 1918. He said he doesn't think he'll hold that record for much longer. "There are lots of reasons to be pessimistic about politics, but on that, I am actually quite optimistic." When she was first elected in 2007, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young was the youngest woman ever to be voted in by the Australian public. That record was broken this year by Labor's Charlotte Walker, who turned 21 on election day; the new session of parliament is expected to be one of the youngest and most diverse ever. Senator Hanson-Young told triple j hack that being a young woman in parliament nearly 20 years ago meant she "had a target" on her back. Senator Hanson-Young said being the youngest member of parliament gave her the confidence to push boundaries and try new ways of representing her electorate. "I was the very first [Australian] politician ever on Twitter," Senator Hanson-Young said of the social media platform that is now known as X. The experience allowed her to talk to voters more freely, but she said it came with consequences. "[I was] very much on the frontline of those nasty trolling attacks … and at a time when no one else really recognised that was going on." Senator Hanson-Young said she experienced sexism and overt sexualisation in her own workplace, too. At first, she stayed silent. Older female colleagues advised her not to let "the bullies know it's affecting you". "As a young person, and you're really trying to prove yourself, in a new workplace, and you don't want to be the one who's complaining," Senator Hanson-Young said. "I learned the hard way that, actually, it doesn't stop … and ignoring it and pretending it's not there doesn't make it better. In 2018, Senator Hanson-Young sued Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm for defamation over comments he made implying she was a misandrist and hypocrite. The following year, Senator Hanson-Young was awarded $120,000 in damages, which she donated to two women's groups. She said the decision to call out bad behaviour sparked a broader conversation about culture in Parliament House. Reflecting on the early years of her parliamentary career and the situation facing incoming MPs today, Senator Hanson-Young said the culture in parliament had "started to change", and she was hopeful that having more young people in the building would accelerate the momentum. "My daughter is now 18, and I see how she and her peers speak up for themselves and know where their boundaries are. I think it's healthy for women and I think it's healthy for men and it makes us a better society."
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ken Henry says Australia's environmental laws are 'broken' and should be rewritten
Using a speech to the National Press Club as a rallying cry to federal parliament to finally agree on a rewrite of the quarter-century old Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, Ken Henry, now the chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, said that Australia's environmental protection laws are 'broken' and should be reformed. 'We have had all the reviews we need,' Henry said. 'All of us have had our say. It is now up to parliament. Let's just get this done'
