Tuesday, 8 March 2022

Ministers statements: women’s employment

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:37): I was delighted this morning on this International Women’s Day to make some announcements in—

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: Everything is a joke, apparently, to some. International Women’s Day is not a joke to everyone on this side of the house. That is why today, together with my honourable friend the Minister for Employment, Minister Pulford, I was able to make really significant announcements about supporting single parents, 80 per cent of whom are single mums, back into the workforce.

It was an honour and a privilege to meet with Chelsea from the Latrobe Valley, who in December 2020 was laid off in her third year of a carpentry apprenticeship. Because of Jobs Victoria and a subsidy of some $20 000 paid to small and medium-sized employers, she has been able to not only begin work to complete her carpentry apprenticeship but she is taking on a joinery apprenticeship as well and will be double qualified in just a couple of years time. Why is she able to do that? Because her employer has that $20 000 grant from the Victorian government to promote women getting back into the workforce and having every opportunity that they are fundamentally entitled to. Particularly for single women, who often have that disproportionate burden of care, that extra money means that there can be more flexible work arrangements and there can be additional payments made in terms of gaps around child care.

Essentially this is a great story of women coming back into the workforce only because there is a government in place that has provided that targeted support. Why might our government provide those sorts of targeted supports? Could it maybe have something to do with the fact that more than half the cabinet are women? Could it maybe have something to do with the fact that nearly 50 per cent of all of our combined numbers are women? We are a better government because we represent the community we serve, unlike some other rabble outfits.

Mr Wells: Speaker, a number of unanswered questions are my point of order: 5885—can you believe that I asked that in June last year?—5945, 6000, 6100 and 6174, and I would appreciate if you were able to follow those up.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. I will follow those matters up.

Mr McCurdy: On a point of order, Speaker, I can beat the member for Rowville there. I have got a question outstanding for 455 days for the Minister for Water; also questions 5843, 6110—and obviously that first one was 4649. I would like you to follow those up, please.

The SPEAKER: I will follow those matters up.

Ms Sandell: On a point of order, Speaker, I have eight outstanding questions. I am happy to forward the numbers to your office, if that is easier.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Melbourne.

Mr D O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, I have actually just got the one, constituency question 6136, to the Minister for Ambulance Services, which remains outstanding.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. I will follow that matter up.

Ms Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, constituency question 5994 to the Minister for Health was asked 180 days ago, on 9 September 2021, and I have raised this point of order five times before. This is the sixth time I am raising this point of order and still no response from the Minister for Health, which is completely unacceptable for the members of my constituency.

The SPEAKER: Thank you to the member for raising that point of order.