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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-08 Daily Xml
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Women's Representation in Public Spheres

Mrs PEARCE (King) (15:22): My question is also to the Deputy Premier. Noting that International Women's Day is approaching on 8 March, can the Deputy Premier update the house on women's representation in public spheres?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water) (15:23): Thank you very much for the question from one of the seven women who won seats from the Liberal Party at the last election, on our side of the chamber. I start by noting that the UN International Women's Day theme for this year is 'Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future'.

As the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, I am well aware of the importance of STEM and of education generally in making sure that we are finding that gender-equal future emerging. It is concerning to note that there is a huge challenge for the participation of women and girls in the STEM workforce.

Nationally, as of 2020, only 13 per cent of Australians working in STEM fields were women, and that has only gone up by 2 percentage points in the last decade. So if we are to see women taking up more of these well-paid jobs, these more sophisticated, complex careers, then we do need to make sure that there are more education and pathway opportunities. The government has been investing in such initiatives such as the Workforce Innovative Projects pilot program, which included funding for Tech Start, which is a collaboration between global technology leaders Modis and Microsoft, which supports women aspiring to STEM careers in defence, space, cyber and delivering boot-camp style training designed to rapidly develop digital capabilities and lead to greater employment.

I do want to note that STEM industries are not the only high-profile work where women are struggling to achieve gender equity and where there needs to be conscious and deliberate effort and planning to deliver it. I have for a very long time introduced myself, when we are having these kinds of conversations, as working in a male-dominated industry. Women in male-dominated industries (WIMDI) are a class of women who can often feel alone and they need to make sure that they are supporting other women to come forward and to change the culture.

That has substantially changed on this side of the chamber thanks in no small part to the seven joining the original seven, which is just a remarkable achievement to be over 50 per cent here. Unfortunately, I can't say that about my workplace, because this is my workplace. I look over here and I am heartbroken to see two women sitting there in a sea of men.

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: You're very welcome. I am surprised you are not disappointed by the lack of women around you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: The Liberals had dealt with this themselves. The national Liberal Party's review of the 2022 federal election noticed, in the 12 months prior to the federal election, there was a loss of political capital and an accumulation of negative issues, which included allegations of poor treatment of and attitude toward women within the government and the party.

Feedback noted the party's standing with women was an important factor in the party's defeat. There was a question about why the party, the Liberal Party, was failing to attract female members. There was a sense that the Liberal Party is failing to adequately represent the values and priorities of women in modern Australia and a lack of confidence that women within the party would be encouraged to hold leadership positions or to be encouraged to run.

We have seen one vacancy down in our chamber and, very sadly, it was a woman who left and was replaced by a man—a missed opportunity. Now we have another opportunity in the upper house. Do we have a leader who is saying, 'I will not stand for this,' as Peter Malinauskas and I in opposition steadfastly insisted that we wanted to change the culture—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Deputy Premier, there is a point of order in the shadow of the clock. Member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I was about to say time has expired. I appear to have been bumped by about half a second.

The SPEAKER: Very well. Is the Deputy Premier seeking more time?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: I wouldn't mind the 10 seconds that that interruption chose to rob me of by standing up and interrupting me when it was still very clearly black.

The SPEAKER: Five seconds.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: What I want to know is whether this leader doesn't want women or isn't brave enough or strong enough to deliver them.

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