This year’s Budget has failed women by failing to address the key drivers of women’s economic insecurity, tackle the domestic violence crisis, or combat gender inequality, Greens Co-Deputy Leader and spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters said.
“The 2020 Budget is bad for women. It has no new money for childcare, housing or frontline domestic violence services, the tax cuts are worth twice as much for men as women, and the women’s economic security statement is a mere $18 per Australian woman.
“This Budget, just like this Government, continues to ignore women. Earlier this year they doled out $690 million for kitchen renovations, more than twice as much as women’s economic security was given last night.
“Last night’s mere $240 million for women’s economic security was the smallest amount of funding that got a mention in the Budget speech. Eighteen dollars per Australian woman doesn’t buy you a lot of economic security, Prime Minister.
“The best way to encourage women back into the workforce, and deliver women’s economic security, is with free childcare. But this Government wants women stuck at home in a renovated kitchen, rather than in the workforce.”
Senator Waters said she was appalled that the Government had, again, failed to address the country’s growing family and domestic violence emergency.
“The Government has committed $450million to intelligence and law enforcement agencies for ‘domestic threats’, but it has ignored the biggest domestic threat: violence against women.
“There is no new funding for frontline domestic violence services in this Budget, despite the massive spike in abuse during this pandemic.
“One in ten women in a relationship has experienced domestic violence since Covid – one third for the first time – and this sexist Government has failed them again.”
One bright spot in the Budget was the Government’s adoption of the Greens earlier proposal to retain paid parental leave for women who lost their job due to Covid-19.
“After voting against the Greens amendments to ensure PPL can still be paid to women who lost their jobs because of Covid, it’s good to see the Government has backflipped and adopted this sensible proposal which will actually help new parents,” concluded Senator Waters.
