Wednesday, 8 March 2023

Motions

International Women’s Day

Debate resumed.

Bronwyn HALFPENNY (Thomastown) (18:02): Next, my great-aunt Gina, an active member of the railways union working on the interstate buffet cars and later in the railway workers canteen, was the first woman, they say, to march under the railways workers banner. She was a member of the railways union, and the first involved in an industrial action that was taken by women at the railways to increase the number of staff in the canteen. I also was told that she saved the stale pies for anyone that broke strikes. She was also active in the Union of Australian Women, and we heard yesterday of the sad passing of another Labor stalwart woman, Amy Duncan, who was also active in the UAW campaigning for child care and established some of the first kindergartens decades ago. As with many people that are part of the labour movement or part of socially progressive movements, we will never know them all or how much they as individuals have done, so I pay tribute to the countless women who were part of all those struggles to make a better world, a more equal and just world, but whose story may never be told.

Alison MARCHANT (Bellarine) (18:03): It is with great pleasure that I rise to speak on this motion today in regard to International Women’s Day. In speaking to this motion I do want to note the motion’s objective really is to mark that (1) this year is a hundred years since women had the right to stand for election to the Victorian Parliament and (2) for many years First Nations women did not have the same political rights as other Victorians. Globally, National Women’s Day was celebrated in the USA in 1909 to honour women who had protested against working conditions in the garment industry, and they marched for better working conditions and the right to vote. From this workers movement International Women’s Day has grown to become a bit of a rallying point around the world to fight for women’s equality, and over the years International Women’s Day has meant different things for different people.

It is an important marker in gender equity awareness and change, but the pursuit of gender equality does go far beyond one day of the year. It is a time to reflect, a time to celebrate how far we have come but also an opportunity to remind us all of how far we have to go, and I thank all those women and their male supporters, who have secured tremendous advancements over the past century.

As I mentioned, it is now 100 years since women could stand for election to the Victorian Parliament. Lady Millie Peacock was the first woman elected to Parliament. Although women had won the right to stand, she was not successful until 1933, when she made history. However, for every successful woman that has been elected to Parliament since, there have been many who have not been rewarded with that opportunity. Women have stood, fighting for equality and fighting for their communities, and their stories are remarkable. Their efforts and achievements are no less admirable than those of their victorious sisters. They came to politics driven by their values and the importance of community involvement in that political process.

When I was doing a little bit of research I did learn that Alicia Katz, the first woman to actually stand at a state election, in 1924 in the seat of Barwon, reportedly said to audiences and her voters that she would like to do something besides playing the part of a wife and a mother. That was something that resonated with me. And of course over the years we have seen more women stand. I think that those who have run before or considered politics would agree that we need strong democracies around the world, but it has never been more important to have our own Parliament be an exemplar. Here in Victoria the Andrews Labor government has led on equality. Decades of action, including affirmative action and quotas, have meant that we have walked the talk. As statistics that have been shared today show, 54 per cent of our Labor Party members in Parliament are women, and in the Andrews Labor government cabinet 64 per cent of ministers are women. All are the result of women so powerful and dedicated to the cause. With previous generations of women fighting for the right to vote and to run in Parliament, today here we stand on the shoulders of these giants, and I know that the opportunity that I have had to stand here today is because of the women who have come before me.

It is important here to note, though, that for many years First Nations women did not have the same political rights as other Victorians. While white Australian women were given the vote nationally in 1902, Indigenous women had to wait until 1962 for the same right, although it was not compulsory. That unusual situation of it being optional really remained in effect until 1984, when voting was made compulsory for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults in line with the rest of the nation. I would like to take this opportunity, though, to acknowledge two First Nations women who are leading in our region, the Bellarine and Geelong community, Corrina Eccles and Danae Coots, who I am in a very fortunate position to learn so much from.

The Andrews Labor government has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving gender equality here in Victoria and to improving outcomes for women at all stages of their lives. It is not just words, but it is being guided by the work in the gender equality strategy. As this government has worked on those reforms from the gender equality strategy the investment and the outcomes have followed. We have supported women in leadership through the funding of numerous leadership programs such as the Joan Kirner Emerging Leaders Program and the Women of Colour Executive Leadership Program, and one that I was really pleased to be involved in was the re-establishment of the Rural Women’s Network. We invested $3.7 billion in helping implement every recommendation by the Royal Commission into Family Violence. There is investment of approximately $940 million in the 2022–23 state budget initiatives primarily aimed at improving all outcomes for women. I spoke about this today – delivering an ambitious once-in-a-lifetime generational reform in early childhood education with free kinder. These are only some examples, and the list is very long and exhaustive.

I will take this opportunity to acknowledge some women from the Bellarine who have made some significant contributions. There are many women who are doing extraordinary things on the Bellarine and I wish I could list them all. I do not have time to do that, but I would like to highlight a few women and organisations that have impacted the Bellarine community. Firstly, I must acknowledge the former member for Bellarine, Lisa Neville, a formidable minister and a hardworking local member. When I drive around the Bellarine I literally can point out the investments that she has made across the Bellarine. She was the first female police minister and the state’s first Minister for Mental Health. She has paved the way for many in politics, and her support and mentorship have been very much appreciated.

Secondly, as I was exploring politics before coming to this place and my desire to get more involved, I found a group called WILD. It stands for Women in Local Democracy, and yes, they are wild women. But what they are very wild about is gender equality and the fact that we still do not yet have parity at a local government level. WILD plays a really important part in the Geelong community in mentoring and training women who are considering getting involved in politics at a local government level and may like to consider running as a candidate. This sort of leadership by women for women does lead to greater outcomes. Jenny Wills is one of those women who has continued to provide support for many others, and she should be congratulated for her tireless work for the benefit of our community.

Another group that I would like to mention is the Bellarine Women’s Workshop group. This group started with a Facebook post during COVID, where a woman asked whether there were any women’s groups like a men’s shed for women on the Bellarine. When it was discovered that there was a bit of a gap in that service, as wonderful women do, they sprang into action and created their own group. They gather weekly and they do all sorts of activities like a men’s shed would do. It is a wonderful organisation. One of the women quoted: ‘We needed a village, so we created one.’ I had Mel Rogers and Jules Merrifield here as guests today for International Women’s Day. They have created a positive workshop and space for women to go to, and it is improving their wellbeing and their connection to community. I cannot wait to see what is next for this group, and I will do all that I can to support their goals going forward.

If the house will indulge me for just a moment, I would like to shout out to my mothers group. Wow, what an eclectic group of women. I have so much to thank them for – their support and the support they give to each other as we navigate motherhood. I know many women enjoy having the company of their mothers group, but it gets us through some very tireless and sleepless nights.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge Lorraine Stokes OAM. She is a local historian and a wonderful woman who has just published a book. She tells the names and stories of the 100 women that were on the Bellarine when they signed the 1891 suffrage petition – very significant. She has captured all their stories. There were many very brave women who played an important role in giving us all a better future on the Bellarine. We must not forget that, and we must continue with their legacy. On that note, I do support this motion, and I will end with saying happy International Women’s Day to everyone.

Chris COUZENS (Geelong) (18:13): I am pleased to rise to contribute to this motion because it gives us an opportunity to talk about all the huge differences we are making for women in Victoria. Of course we have had great representation across my region of Geelong, which I want to focus on today. But I do want to shout out to the member for Lara, the member for Bellarine and the federal member for Corangamite Libby Coker for the work that they do and thank them for their contribution to our Geelong community.

At some point going forward I would love to see the day when we see more women with disability, First Nations women and women from the CALD community sitting in this chamber. I think it is something that all of us recognise as being an important area that we need to focus on as a Labor government or a Labor party. With 54 per cent women MPs, I think that is a huge achievement, and I am really proud to be part of a government that has an agenda to focus on women and focus on the issues impacting on women. Clearly, with so many women sitting around the table, it does make a huge difference in good government policy, which is what we are all about.

But I do want to acknowledge and say how proud I am of this government’s agenda to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart – voice, treaty, truth, justice and self-determination – because that is what we are on about. I want to acknowledge First Nations women and in particular women such as Aunty Jill Gallagher, who was appointed as the Victorian treaty commissioner and who began the significant work towards building the framework for the First Peoples’ Assembly. We owe a lot to Aunty Jill for her work.

We are thankful for the hard work of Aunty Geraldine Atkinson, co-chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly, the independent and democratically elected body to represent traditional owners of country and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here in Victoria; and of course Aunty Eleanor Bourke, who is one of the Yoorrook commissioners looking into the past and ongoing injustices experienced by traditional owners and First Peoples in Victoria.

On a local level I want to mention Wadawurrung woman Corrina Eccles, who leads the way in supporting First Nations women and girls in our community. She plays a significant role as a role model not just for First Nations women but for women across the community, and she is known very well in the Geelong area. Just this morning Corrina was awarded the Frank Costa Leadership Award at the Committee for Geelong’s International Women’s Day breakfast. So a huge shout-out to Corrina, and I thank her for everything she does in our community.

But we are also lucky to have Wakaya woman Bek Lasky heading up the Ngarrimili First Nations business centre that will mentor and support First Nations businesses. I am really proud that as a Labor government we have been able to support Ngarrimili, and right as we speak now their new centre is being fitted out, which will include a retail space, a gallery, a meeting space and a mentoring space for First Nations businesses, so we should all be very proud of that.

Later this year we will have the opportunity to vote in the referendum on the Voice to Parliament, and from my perspective we have to recognise First Nations people in our constitution if we are ever going to close the gap and really listen to First Nations people about how they want to address the many issues impacting on First Nations women in particular. I think we all have a responsibility to promote a yes vote in that Voice to Parliament.

We also have women like Tracey Slatter heading up Barwon Water; Frances Diver heading up Barwon Health, Tracy Carter heading up Geelong and Bellarine tourism, Vanessa Schernickau heading up the Geelong Regional Library Corporation, Jennifer Conley heading up the Geelong Manufacturing Council, and amazing women like Linda Blake and Lynne Foreman who are leading the charge on accessibility and inclusion.

Women in my community very clearly support this government’s agenda. There is absolutely no doubt about that. When you have women at the table putting forward what impacts on women, that is what drives good policy. It was clear throughout the election campaign that women were coming more and more towards the Labor Party because of what we are doing in addressing the issues that women have faced forever – actually doing something about them and putting good policy in place.

We of course are now completely changing the way women’s health is treated in Victoria, with 20 women’s health clinics, one-stop shops for women. There will also be dedicated First Nations women’s health clinics. This was so welcomed in my community. The day this announcement was made leading into the election the Premier came to Geelong, and we had a number of health professionals, women who were there on the day, who were virtually in tears over the announcement, because it was something that they had been working towards for so long but could not quite get there because of the funding required to do that. The fact that the Premier announced it that day was an incredible experience for them, along with me. I wish that had been around when I was a younger woman.

A member: You’re still young.

Chris COUZENS: Thanks. I think it is important that we continue down that track of ensuring that we are covering off on the serious health issues that women face, whether it be heart disease, whether it be endometriosis, period pain – all those things that I would suggest most of us in this chamber right now would have experienced at some point in time – and that they are being addressed in the right way.

I have to give a shout-out to older women, who become invisible and who are not recognised for their contributions. I thank them for everything they do in our community. Unfortunately there is this assumption that the older you get, the more brain you lose and that you are not capable of contributing any longer. As an older woman I experience that, and many women in my community often talk about the fact that because they are older they are not seen as being able to make a good contribution to the community. I want to shout out to them because I know the experiences they have.

One of the great things that I have experienced since we introduced free TAFE is meeting women, whether they be young women or older women, who for the first time are able to go to TAFE because it is free and retrain, or who may never have really finished any education. What that is doing is leading to a real pathway to employment. We know employment and education are key factors of poverty. What we are doing in terms of that whole education space around TAFE is just so important for women in my community and I am sure for women right across this state.

The Geelong Tech School, which was built in our first term of government, has made a significant difference to the thinking of young women, young students, in the Geelong community, particularly around those male-dominated industries. They now have the opportunity to experience some of those male-dominated industries at the tech school and we are starting to see a significant change in young women thinking about what their career path might be. That has been fantastic for my community. We also are producing the young women leaders of the future, which is just fantastic, whether it be through TAFE or the tech school or any of the other amazing opportunities that this government is offering.

The early parenting centre is another one that is supporting women and their families who may be struggling with a new baby or a toddler, and that building is underway right now. What that will mean for those women is just extraordinary. To get the professional support that they need is just so important.

We are focused on real change for women; there is no doubt about that. If we look at the achievements – and I am going to run out of time to talk about everything – I see the reality of that playing out in my community, which is why I wanted to talk about that today, because that is just so important. Happy International Women’s Day.

Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (18:23): I am delighted to rise to speak on this motion, being:

That this house notes that today is International Women’s Day and –

(1) this year marks 100 years since women won the right to stand for election to the Victorian Parliament;

(2) for many years First Nations women did not have the same political rights as other Victorians.

One hundred years on women are changing this place for the better, and it is about damn time. International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect and acknowledge the contributions and achievements of Victorian women MPs. It has been a century since some Victorian women won the right to be candidates for election – and I very deliberately say ‘some’ because it is also important to remember and recognise that First Nations women did not have the same political rights as other Victorian women for far too long, 60 years in fact. The women of Australia who were not Torres Strait Islander women and who were not Aboriginal women, the women of Australia who were not those people – the rest of us – were among the first in the world to obtain the right to vote and to stand for federal Parliament, which was granted in 1902. It is important to recognise that our First Nations sisters did not have the same rights as non-Indigenous women. The 1902 Commonwealth Franchise Act removed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s right to vote in federal elections. This right was not reinstated until 1962, in the Commonwealth Electoral Act. It is important to acknowledge the hurt, the shame and the disrespect of the disenfranchising of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the racism, discrimination and disempowerment they experienced.

Between 1908 and 1962 First Nations women did not have the same political rights as other Victorians. In Victoria some women gained the right to vote in state elections, and subsequently it was legislated in 1908 after being defeated as a private members bill 18 times. So a private members bill came 18 times to this house before we finally got the right to vote.

But it was not for another 15 years, in 1923, that some Victorian women won the long-fought right to be candidates for this Parliament, the Parliament of Victoria, shamefully making Victoria the last state to grant both these rights to some women. It is really interesting to reflect that 100 years ago we were the least progressive state and now proudly we are the most progressive state. It was the Parliamentary Elections (Women Candidates) Act 1923 that enabled women to become candidates in parliamentary elections, stating:

… no woman shall by reason only of sex or marriage be disqualified or disabled from … being a candidate at any election …

However, this right to stand as a candidate did not translate to the increase in parliamentary representation of women that many women would have hoped for and that many women would have fought for. The first woman elected to the Victorian Parliament was Lady Millie Peacock, 10 years after women won the right to run for election. In 1933 Lady Millie Peacock became the first female member of the Parliament of Victoria. She won the seat of Allandale in the Legislative Assembly, this place, in a by-election caused by the death of the sitting member Sir Alexander Peacock, her husband. At the age of 63 Lady Millie Peacock was sworn into this place as a member.

Disappointingly, our first woman MP was not the champion Victorian women needed. The member for Allandale declared that as a widow in mourning she would not make speeches in the Parliament. However, she did make a speech, just one. Further, Lady Peacock made her views on electing women to the Parliament of Victoria very well known. Leaving Parliament after a short time she declared, ‘This is not a place for women.’ However – here comes the hero of the story – Labor’s Fanny Brownbill was not deterred, being elected as the member for Geelong in 1938. Well done to the member for Lara on her contribution about Fanny Brownbill. It was really great to hear the member for Lara talking so passionately about the member for Geelong.

This house is now a place for women – Lady Peacock got that wrong – and it is thanks to the many women who have broken down barriers and forged a path for women MPs like me and others sitting in the chamber right now. Women MPs today are indebted to Ivy Weber, to Joan Coxsedge, to Val Callister, to Pauline Toner, to Joan Kirner and to my dear friend Caroline Hogg, Minister for Health and Minister for Education in the Cain government. In 1977 Pauline Toner won the seat of Greensborough in the Legislative Assembly for Labor, and in 1982 she was appointed as Victoria’s first female cabinet minister. From this important breakthrough came many more wins for women. When Pauline Toner resigned in 1989, after 11 years in Parliament, women representatives had increased from two to 10 in this place and seven in the other place. Two years later a woman was appointed Premier of Victoria, the great Joan Kirner. Other great trailblazing Labor women made other breakthroughs that made this place a house for women. In 2003 Judy Maddigan became the first woman Speaker of this place and Monica Gould became the first woman President of the other place.

The now Deputy Premier, the member for Bendigo East, became the youngest woman to become a minister in 2002, and she is the longest serving woman MP in Victorian history. I also want to recognise Sheena Watt for becoming the first Labor Aboriginal woman MP in the Victorian Parliament. The number of women MPs continues to increase, as does women’s representation in the cabinet. Significantly, women now comprise 48 per cent of all parliamentarians, and Labor is making important progress, with the highest number of women ever on the government benches and in the cabinet in Victoria. A record 54 per cent of Labor Party members of Parliament are women.

This extends to the cabinet where 64 per cent of ministers are women; unfortunately the same cannot be said for the Liberal Party. I am proud to be a member of the Australian Labor Party that has worked towards affirmative action targets and quotas for decades. We know that gender equality and diversity strengthen our democracy. We know that these quotas work, and the quality of women MPs elected at the 2022 state election is proof of that. I will not be drawn into any ridiculous arguments about merit, because all of our women are meritorious – unlike some of the men throughout the history of this place who have been more than mediocre, becoming preselected based on the old school tie, on family connections and membership of the boys club. Our women MPs are here because they deserve to be here – they work hard, and I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the member for Albert Park earlier today who made the very same points.

Having more women in Parliament and positions of power means that our policies reflect women’s needs. This was highlighted through the introduction of the Gender Equality Act 2020 which requires public sector organisations from local councils to universities to demonstrate progress towards gender equality and report their progress every two years. We know there is more to do. That is why a new gender equality strategy will be launched later this year to build on the strong foundation and ensure that we do not lose momentum.

We are also making sure that we celebrate women’s achievements equally, and in doing so offer inspiration to the next generation of girls. It is why we invest in programs like the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Each year the Victorian Honour Roll of Women recognises women who have demonstrated remarkable leadership and excellence in their field of expertise, interest, endeavour or through their commitment to the community. Since 2001 more than 700 women have been recognised for their incredible efforts in Victoria, Australia and beyond. I had the privilege of chairing the nomination process for inductees in 2022, and I congratulate all inductees. Inductees to the honour roll are recognised for their achievements in a broad range of fields, including science, arts, environment, law, social justice, family violence prevention, research, health, media and education. They each represent the courage and determination of women across Victoria, using their unique skills, experiences and insights to forge a brighter path for all women. I am proud that we have a strong focus on recognising and honouring First Nations and multicultural women.

Looking forward to the next century, one can only imagine what it might be like for women in Victoria. My youngest daughter will be 112 – perhaps she will even still be alive. The decisions we make and the actions we take will contribute to the lives of our grand-daughters and our great-grand-daughters. Will the progress of rights for women continue, or will we see the winding back of reproductive rights, women’s workplace participation and anti-discrimination laws? I will fight for our women and fight for our future.

Motion agreed to.