Women in Local Government Elections

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (14:51): Thank you, Mr President. I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question regarding the percentage of women nominating to stand in local government elections.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN: South Australia's Strategic Plan No. 29 seeks to increase the percentage of women nominating to stand in local, state and federal government elections in South Australia to 50 per cent by 2014. A statistical summary of nomination details was recently published by the Local Government Association of South Australia in respect of the up-and-coming local government elections, which take place in November of this year.

The statistical summary reveals that the number of female nominees comprises only 28.56 per cent of total nominations. What is even more disturbing is that there has been a percentage increase of only about 0.15 per cent of females nominating to stand since the last local government election in 2010, at which time the number of female nominees comprised only 28.41 per cent. Will the minister provide an explanation as to why the proportion of women nominating to stand for local government elections since 2010 has only increased by a small margin and what, if any, initiatives the government has in mind to improve this?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for his important question. Indeed, I think it is a very important question to be directing towards the local councils and their peak organisation, the LGA. This is one of those targets where, although the state government offers considerable energy and effort to assist and encourage women to nominate for local government, the primary responsibility for that really does rest at the feet of local government. But certainly wherever I have an opportunity and wherever I go, I certainly encourage not only those people currently in local council to think about mentoring and encouraging women to nominate for local council and office but also women generally in the public to consider that. We continue those efforts.

It has been very slow, unlike in a previous question where, in relation to the representation of women on government boards and committees, a target over which we have much more control and input, we have reached a 48 per cent level of representation of women on government boards and committees. Organisations setting themselves specific targets for which they are publicly accountable is a very important way to achieve that sort of change needed to improve the representation of women in organisations here in South Australia. I would certainly be encouraging the LGA and other local councils to set targets for their elections.