Question Time

Women in Leadership

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:24): On this auspicious day when we welcome a female MLC into this chamber in the Hon. Heidi Girolamo, my question to the Minister for Human Services is regarding women.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable member will resume her seat.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The honourable member has been around long enough to know that if she is going to enter into a diatribe, she needs to seek leave to make a contribution.

The PRESIDENT: I was about to remind the honourable member that she is either asking a question or seeking leave to make an explanation. I am sure the Hon. Ms Lee will do one or the other.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: I am launching into the question, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: Are you seeking leave to make an explanation?

The Hon. J.S. LEE: No.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I can't actually hear. The Hon. Ms Lee, if she is making an explanation, needs to seek leave to do so, or ask the question.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: How long have you been here?

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: You know better than that.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.S. LEE: I am launching into the question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: If the honourable member is going to make an explanation before asking a question, then she does need to seek leave to do so.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: I would like to ask a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding women on this day. Can the minister outline to the council how the Marshall Liberal government's new women's strategy will support women's employment, economic security and leadership opportunities when we also support women in parliament?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:26): I thank the honourable member for her question and I do wish to also acknowledge our newest member of the Legislative Council, Mrs Heidi Girolamo—hopefully I have pronounced it correctly—in responding to this and indeed we do welcome women into leadership.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: You don't know your colleague's name?

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. Maher: What's your name again?

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I was just trying to pronounce it right. What's wrong with you people today?

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: That's it, keep going. Keep going.

The PRESIDENT: Proceed, minister.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: They are still laughing, Mr President.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am listening to the minister.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Indeed, it has been our great pleasure to launch the advancing women's leadership and economic participation strategy in South Australia, which was one of our election commitments coming into 2018 and has unfortunately been delayed by COVID. As honourable members would well know from the many times that I have addressed question time in relation to domestic and family violence, there has also been a range of things that we took to the election which we have implemented.

I think it's important, in terms of women's participation and leadership and financial wellbeing, that we note that when women have independence they have choices. That is very important and a number of us know experiences from our mothers who went before us about choices that they didn't have, which we now have, and we still have some way to go.

This strategy is front and centre in that space. It has three pillars, one being employment and entrepreneurship. The second pillar is leadership and recognition and the third pillar is financial wellbeing, which I think are all self-evident as to why those are important. Together with the refreshed Premier's Council for Women, one of the tasks is to consult and advise government about how we can take the strategy forward and move things forward.

We have heard a lot during COVID about the disproportionate impact on women. I think it is very pleasing, actually, in South Australia that we know that women's participation in employment is at very good levels. The minister for employment is always lauding to me. He likes to tap me on the shoulder at cabinet and tell me how well women are doing and the initiatives in his space, particularly in non-traditional areas where he is promoting women's participation in those areas. There is a focus on STEM, of course, and we are working on an action plan that we hope to release in coming weeks that will work to the next level.

On 31 August, there is an action day on the gender pay gap. In South Australia, the gender pay gap is 8.3 per cent, which is obviously something we are looking to close, but I do note that it is lower than the national level, which is in the order of some 14 per cent. There are many actions that we will be taking through this strategy. We will be releasing a grants round to support it, and we look forward to many of the items arising from it.