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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-09-18 Daily Xml
Contents
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Motions

Gender Equality

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. C. Bonaros:

That this council—

1. Notes that South Australia has a proud history of advancing gender equality;

2. Recognises that despite this progress, significant challenges remain, including the gender pay gap and lower levels of workforce participation for women compared to men;

3. Acknowledges that, in opposition, the now Malinauskas Labor government supported the Gender Equality Bill 2021;

4. Notes that at the second reading of the Gender Equality Bill 2022, the government did not support the bill and confirmed its plans to introduce similar legislation;

5. Notes that this commitment formed part of Labor's pre-election policy platform;

6. Observes that the South Australian Women's Equality Blueprint 2023–2026 includes as a key action the introduction of an equality bill;

7. Notes the findings of the Gender Pay Gap Taskforce, including recommendation 3, which calls for action to reduce the gender pay gap in the public sector; and

8. Calls on the government to honour its commitment and introduce a gender equality bill without further delay.

(Continued from 3 September 2025.)

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (16:24): I rise to indicate support for this motion and just to recap on the history of this, there is a great deal of consistency from the Hon. Connie Bonaros in promoting these matters. In 2021, the Hon. Connie Bonaros introduced the Gender Equality Bill. I note the Liberal government at that stage did not support the bill. In fact, we do not support this particular concept because we believe that it is duplicating existing strategies and statutory roles and that is a position that we often take.

I note some of the comments in the previous bill moved by the Hon. Mr Simms, who loves a bit of duplication all over the place. What that leads to is extremely messy governance and tying everybody up to the point where different levels of governance cannot make decisions because they are always accountable to some other obscure, strange way and it limits their own decision-making, which in practice makes life very difficult. We are very consistent in our approach to the concept of this legislation.

The bill in 2021 moved by the Hon. Ms Bonaros passed the Legislative Council with Labor support, but it did not progress through the House of Assembly before the end of sittings, ahead of the 2022 state election. That bill was reintroduced in 2022 and the government did not support it, so the Labor Party supported it in opposition and did not support it in government. That is a bit of a theme for today, I think. They said they would bring forward their own model. That was over three years ago. We continued to be consistent and did not support the 2022 bill for the same reasons. The government talked about its Women's Equality Blueprint 2023-2026 and said it would introduce its own gender equality bill and has failed to do so.

This motion, I would put forward, rather than necessarily advocating for a gender equality bill per se, makes a number of points and is largely statements of fact and it does draw attention to South Australia's long history of gender equality reform and ongoing challenges. I think it is important to remember that, if we are going to look at history, the first sexual discrimination act, which was the forerunner of the equal opportunity legislation, the first type of legislation in Australia, was actually introduced by the Hon. David Tonkin. It is in the DNA of the Liberal Party to recognise when particular groups in our community are being unnecessarily disadvantaged and/or oppressed.

The Gender Pay Gap Taskforce, which was initially chaired by the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos, has recommended specific action to close the gap in the public sector, and the Women's Equality Blueprint commits the government to legislative reform. I think it is important when we do look at the Gender Pay Gap Taskforce to comment on how the pay gap has altered in recent years. The Gender Pay Gap Taskforce, in its 2024 final report, shows that it is approximately 9.8 per cent, which is an increase of 1.8 percentage points since the taskforce was established in 2022. The lowest pay gap ever in the history of South Australia took place in the years of the Marshall Liberal government, at 7.1 per cent, compared to 9.8 per cent now. The Labor Party like to talk the talk. In fact, they do a lot of talking. They do not do a lot of walking.

While in opposition, Labor supported the 2021 Gender Equality Bill. Our previous government delivered a lot of initiatives to advance diversity and gender equality in the public sector. I remember standing on my feet talking about a number of them, so they are on the record. These included the diversity and inclusion strategy, the workplace equality and respect project, and support for gender equality action planning within agencies. I helped to launch the public sector gender equality plan.

This motion is essentially to highlight Labor's inconsistency: in opposition doing one thing and in government failing to deliver. The Liberal Party's position has not changed. We certainly support equality measures, and our record speaks for itself. We will hold this government to account when they break their promises and they fail. For these reasons, we support this motion.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (16:30): I rise to indicate that I will be supporting this motion, and I want to recognise the Hon. Connie Bonaros's leadership in this regard. This is an important issue, and it is one on which this parliament should adopt a clear position. I also acknowledge that this is looking very much like a broken promise from the Malinauskas Labor government. They made this commitment when they were in opposition. They are now in government, and the window is closing on action in this parliamentary term, so why have they not delivered this commitment?

They have a Premier's Delivery Unit that has been tasked with delivering their election promises. This is one of those important promises that has not yet come to fruition. It is important because, as the honourable member notes within her motion, South Australia does have a proud history of advancing gender equality, but there are still significant challenges, including within the gender pay gap and lower levels of workplace participation for women compared to men.

It is for this reason that SA Unions, among others, have been advocating for the government to satisfy this commitment. Why have they not done so? We are running out of time. Unfortunately, I think there is a pattern from this Labor government: they say one thing when they are in opposition, but then, when they get their opportunity to sit on the government benches, they do something very different.

I often say in this place, do not listen to what comes out of their mouths, look at what they do with their feet. Look at how they vote and look at what they do in the parliament. This is an important issue and it should be taken seriously by the Malinauskas government. I urge them to move quickly and to satisfy and deliver this election commitment.

It is something they said they would do during the last election. We have literally a few months left of this parliamentary term. The window is closing for action. I support the motion, I hope it is supported by this house, and I hope that it sends a strong message to the Malinauskas government that we need to see legislation. Indeed, I am very happy to cooperate with them to ensure that that is progressed through the parliament.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (16:33): I rise very briefly to support this motion and, in doing so, I also acknowledge the work of the Hon. Connie Bonaros over many years on this matter. I similarly observe that the now Labor government, when in opposition, supported and committed to introduce an equality bill within their Women's Equality Blueprint dated 2023-26.

The Labor Party do not have a speaker listed for this debate, and so I am eager to know whether or not the government is intending to keep this commitment at all, or whether there is some nuance here that they would like to share—not just with this council but, of course, with the community. It is indeed a promise, and there is a Premier's Delivery Unit, and we have been told time and time again that the promises will be kept. Is it a matter of we still have to wait a few more years, or is it a matter of it is about to come, or is it a matter of this will not be done at all? They are questions that the Malinauskas government need to answer right now. It is quite extraordinary that they are not listed for debate.

Two days ago, in a conversation between myself and the Hon. Connie Bonaros, the whip indicated that the Labor government is supporting this motion. We would like some clarity on whether that was a misreading of what number was what, or whether they do support this motion and, if so, when will we see an equality bill for this state.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (16:34): I rise today in strong support of this motion, which calls on the government to honour its commitment and introduce a gender equality bill. I also acknowledge the strong leadership of the Hon. Connie Bonaros, as many other honourable members have also mentioned and recognised that leadership.

South Australia has long been a pioneer in advancing gender equality. We were torchbearers, from granting women the right to vote and stand for parliament in 1894 to the trailblazing leadership of Dame Roma Mitchell—our state has led the way. Yet, despite this proud legacy, the reality for many women today tells a different story. Women continue to face barriers to workforce participation, leadership and economic security. These are not just abstract statements, they are lived realities for thousands of South Australian women.

As someone who migrated to South Australia in 1979 and proudly became the first Malaysian-born member of the South Australian parliament, I know firsthand the importance of inclusive policy and representation. My own journey, from a first-generation migrant to holding senior positions, including that of serving as deputy leader of the opposition, has been shaped by the values of respect, integrity and equal opportunity. These are the same values that must underpin our approach to gender equality.

I thank the honourable member for bringing this motion forward: it is both timely and necessary. The government's previous support for the Gender Equality Bill 2021, followed by its rejection of the 2022 version, calls into question the consistency of the government's commitment. The Gender Equality Bill that passed in this chamber in 2021 was about fairness. It sought to ensure that public institutions lead by example by assessing their impact, setting targets and reporting progress. The South Australian Women's Equality Blueprint 2023-26 clearly identifies the introduction of an equality bill as a key action.

The Gender Pay Gap Taskforce has also made it clear that action is still needed. The national gender pay gap is closing, but is still close to 12 per cent. In the private sector the CEO and head of business gender pay gap is 27.1 per cent. These figures show that, while we have made progress, structural inequality remains. A gender equality bill would help close these gaps by embedding accountability and transparency into public institutions.

Of course, this is not just a local issue, it is part of a global challenge with global consequences. The UN Gender Snapshot 2025 report shows that closing the gender digital divide alone could benefit close to 345 million women and girls. It would lift 30 million out of poverty by 2050 and generate an estimated $US1.5 trillion boost to global GDP by 2030. This is why legislation like the gender equality bill is not just symbolic, it is an investment in productivity, innovation and equity.

Throughout my career, I have championed inclusion and equity for multicultural communities, small businesses and people of all industries. In my work with multicultural communities I have seen how gender inequality intersects with cultural and economic disadvantage. Culturally and linguistically diverse women in Australia have significantly lower workforce participation rates and are over-represented in insecure, low-paid jobs. Their realities remind us that equality must be more than just a principle, it must be in practice—policies that reflect women's lived experience and their contributions to our society. A gender equality bill is our opportunity to turn commitment into action. I am proud to stand with the Hon. Connie Bonaros and many honourable members in this chamber to support this motion.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (16:39): I take this opportunity to thank those speakers who have contributed and for their kind words. I thank the Hon. Michelle Lensink, the Hon. Rob Simms, the Hon. Tammy Franks and the Hon. Jing Lee—not just for your kind words, of course, but for your ongoing support in relation to this regardless of where you sit on this issue.

At the time that I first introduced this bill, the Hon. Vickie Chapman was still Attorney-General and I appreciated having those same discussions with her at the time. I think at that time it was fair to say that from her perspective it was a cost-prohibitive proposal more than anything else. I was very grateful for her frankness in those discussions.

I would like to thank the Hon. Tammy Franks for pointing out the very notable absence of a government speaker on this bill. I made it clear in my speech that I am not asking for much. I do not think any member in this place is asking for much. I ended my speech by saying that I am really hopeful that the minister will take this opportunity to share with us some positive updates about a piece of legislation that was meant to be, and is meant to be central to this government's commitments to gender equality. I am very disappointed that the government has not taken this opportunity to update this chamber on its own commitments, as has been referred to by other honourable members across the floor.

I have a theory. I think there is a pattern, as the Hon. Rob Simms has alluded to, and I think human rights might fit into that same pattern, something the Hon. Rob Simms, the Hon. Tammy Franks and the Hon. Mark Parnell have pushed for very hard in this place previously. I might be completely wrong about my theory, but I am willing to go with it. Given the absence of a reasonable response from the government about an update on this issue, something that SA Unions, amongst others, have been campaigning for and I think it is fair to say have been asking for the same, tell us where we are at.

Here is my theory: I think the government knows it has a dilemma on its hands when it comes to gender equality. I think they know they have a dilemma on their hands when it comes to the human rights bill. I am thinking that this government, because they do not like an idea unless it is theirs, are thinking, 'Maybe we will kill two birds with one stone. Maybe, just maybe, we could roll a gender equality, a human rights and an equal opportunity commission into one and do one big shiny new announcement that is owned by us.'

I might be completely wrong, but I really hope I am not now. I really, really hope I am right. In the event that they do that, I am sure it will get the support of members in this place who have supported equal opportunity, who have supported gender equality and who have supported the establishment of a human rights bill and commission. If I am wrong, I am happy to be wrong too. The bottom line is we just want an answer. That is all we want. It is not a big ask.

I was given those commitments by this government. I sat down one on one with Minister Hildyard the second time this bill went down and was told point blank, 'I promise this will be done before the next election.' My words to the minister at the time were that I did not think that this would rank highly enough on her government's agenda. I think that is the only thing that has stood between us having a gender equality bill and not having a gender equality bill.

I am extremely disappointed that we have not taken this opportunity to set the record straight and at least come in here and say, 'Yes, we still are doing this', or, 'No, we have scrapped it.' Be honest and frank about it. But if they are doing it, come in here and say, 'It's taking us longer than we anticipated because of our other seven million commitments that we have to meet,' or whatever the case may be.

The Hon. Michelle Lensink is right. This is a very factual motion. We are not asking for anything. There is no opinion in here. There is nothing in here that can be distorted. We just want an update and the public of South Australia deserves that update.

Motion carried.

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