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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-03 Daily Xml
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CABINET MINISTERS

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER (15:26): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about discrimination.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.V. SCHAEFER: In the almost seven years of the Rann government, there have been five resignations/sackings from cabinet, one being a male Independent. However, of the other four female ministers, three are members of the Labor Party. As the Minister for the Status of Women, does the minister believe that these women are less talented or less committed than their male counterparts in cabinet, or does she believe that she is part of a misogynist cabinet and, if so, what does she intend to do about it?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:27): I thank the honourable member for her question, because it gives me an opportunity to place a number of very important facts on the record. One of the first things I want to point out is that the Rann government does, in fact, place enormous importance on women as decision-makers. That is why it has been included as one of our Strategic Plan targets, which is certainly more than—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: We will look at the results in a minute, and I am happy to compare them with the opposition's own results. This government has had the courage to set a target for itself—a target that is publicly acknowledged and publicly accountable. It is a target that we are monitored by and report to, and that takes courage. This government has had the courage to set itself a 50 per cent target by 2014. Some of these targets are very ambitious, but we are not afraid to have a go. It is something that members opposite have failed to do. They are too frightened to set a target or key directions for themselves, and it shows in their numbers.

It is timely to look at a few statistics. After five years, the Labor Party has a 46 per cent representation of women in the House of Assembly, which is in stark comparison to the Liberal Party's 20 per cent. Whichever way you care to look at it, the Liberal Party's record is absolutely appalling. Liberal Party members do not even try, and they do not even care that they do not try. Labor has 15 women in the South Australian Parliament to the Liberal's five. That is 15 women to Labor and five to the Liberal Party. Let us just cast around the chamber: the Democrats, zero per cent women; Family First, zero per cent; Greens, zero per cent. You do not have to go very far in this chamber to see how well we are doing.

We may not have achieved our 50 per cent; it is a challenging thing to do, but we have tried damn hard to do it and are far in advance towards achieving it of anyone else in this place. That is 42 per cent of state MPs elected under Labor compared with 23 per cent Liberal. It is the opposition that is letting us down here; it is an absolute disgrace. It appears that the Liberals are making no real effort to enhance their representation in future either, with only five women.

Let us a look at a few more things I would like to put on the record. I thank the Hon. Caroline Schaefer for drawing this to my attention and reminding me of the importance of putting this on the record. Five women amongst 22 candidates for the next state election are listed on the Liberal website. That is what the Liberals have: five women amongst 22 candidates for the next state election, compared with 10 Labor women amongst 25 candidates. That is a vast difference, so they should be ashamed. The Hon. Caroline Schaefer should be working her bejeebers off to make sure her position is replaced by a woman. That is what she should be concentrating on, not bagging the good work that this government has done, way in advance of anything members opposite have done. That is what she should be doing: making sure that she is replaced by a woman.

Speaking of Labor women, we are proud to have the specific group by the same name within the Labor Party that has specifically formed to help increase participation. We acknowledge it is not an easy thing—it is a very challenging thing to do—but we have got that group in place, and they help support the election of deserved female candidates.

I work hard for the promotion of women and the government's record. I work very hard towards our achieving that target, and the success speaks for itself. I know and am the first to accept that we still have a way to go, and I accept how difficult it is to reach these targets. It is challenging, and a lot of work needs to be done, but of all those sitting in this chamber it is Labor that has done the most for women by far—way in advance. To recap, 42 per cent of state women MPs are Labor; 23 per cent are Liberal; zero per cent are Democrats; zero per cent are Family First; and zero per cent are Greens. So, I rest my case.

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