CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
ANNIVERSARY OF
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ALP WOMEN'S POLICY COMMITTEE
ADELAIDE 21 MAY 1989
South Australian women have always held a special place in
the history of women's struggle for equality of opportunity
in this country.
In 1894 ninety five years ago the women of South
Australia became the first in this nation and, after New
Zealanders,. the first in the world, to win the right to
vote. Today we celebrate a more recent anniversary, but one which
in its way is also of great significance to the women of
this State: the tenth anniversary of the establishement of
the South Australian ALP Women's Policy Committee.
For the last decade this Committee has encouraged women to
voice their concerns to exercise their rights to get
involved in policy development to work for the enhanced
status of all women and to achieve their legitimate
expectations for social justice and for equality of
opportunity.
No one looking at South Australia today no one looking at
this audience today could deny the outstanding
contributions to political life being made by South
Australian women.
With three women in the Cabinet, one of them having been the
first woman President of the Legislative Council, and a
dynamic contingent of women in the Party, South Australia
provides a model of what can be achieved where there is the
will and the capacity to do so.
I take this opportunity to pay tribute to all those women
who have worked towards these goals over the last decade on
the South Australian ALP Women's Policy Committee and in
particular I recognise Rosemary Crowley for her major role
over the years both as a member of the Committee and, more
recently but no less effectively, as a member of the
Australian Senate,.
Labor of course has a proud record of encouraging the
aspirations of individual women to contribute to the
political process.
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We can all be proud that when, last Thursday, Premiers and
Chief Ministers from around Australia gathered in Canberra
for the annual Premiers, Conference, there was for the first
time a woman among them Rosemary Follett, Labor's Chief
Minister in the new ACT Government.
In Victoria, the Cain Government is the first in Australia
to have appointed a women as its deputy leader Joan
Ki rner.
And in Canberra, the Government I have the honour of leading
has been immeasurably strengthened by the contribution of
women serving at Cabinet and Ministry level Susan Ryan,
and now Ros Kelly and Margaret Reynolds, who is my Minister
Assisting on the Status of Women.
Indeed throughout the Labor Party, at Government level and
right through to the branches, women are actively and
constructively involved in every aspect of policy making.
But in a sense more important than the role in the Labor
party of individual women is the commitment of the Labor
Party to all women to their equality of opportunity and to
their economic security.
The progress we have made at a Federal level over the past
six years in raising the economic and social status of women
has been unprecedented.
We have striven to create an Australia which offers social
justice for all.
we have improved the status of women by enhancing economic
security and independence, social justice, freedom from
discrimination and equality of opportunity in all spheres of
activity. Most of all, we have recognised that the best way towards
improving the lot of women begins by listening to them.
We have based our policies and programs on the needs which
have been expressed to us from women around the country
the young and the elderly, the healthy and the disabled,
urban women, rural women, women in the paid workforce and
women at home, women of Aboriginal and immigrant
backgrounds. The Government's National Agenda for Women -our blueprint
for raising the status of Australian women to the year 2000
has been based on more than two years of consultation with
some 25,000 women around the country. The National Agenda
is by far the most comprehensive and progressive strategy
for women ever produced by an Australian Goverriment or
political party. 69 53
Indeed, because we are the first Government to have
developed a comprehensive policy document based on the
United Nations' Forward Looking Strategies for Women, we can
claim our National Agenda puts us in the first rank of
nations acting on the status of women.
This Government has had to face difficult economic times.
That's a fact. And we have been prepared to make the tough
decisions necessary to start turning that situation around.
It is not surprising that during such a period of economic
adjustment, Australian women have taken an increasing
interest in economic issues.
I am pleased to be able to say that in spite of the
difficulties of our times, the position of women has
improved considerably under this Government.
Let me give you the proof of that.
First, over the six years we have been in office we have
created some 1.4 million new jobs, and we have cut the
unemployment rate to a seven-year low of 6.1 per cent.
Around 60 per cent of those 1.4 million new jobs created
under Labor have gone to women that means around 750,000
jobs.
Women's unemployment rate has dropped from 10.4 per cent to
6.7 per cent over the same period.
The latest labour force figures show that just over half
50.5 per cent of all women are now participating in the
Australian labour force, a stark comparison with the 44.5
per cent participation rate when we came to office.
At the same time, we have been concerned with improving the
quality of employment prospects and conditions for women.
we have enacted three major pieces of legislation for
affirmative action and equal employment opportunity
programs, giving women equal opportunity and greater freedom
from discrimination in employment.
I comment in passing how disappointed I was to see that the
new opposition front bench appointed by Andrew Peacock
failed to find room for Senator Peter Baume. Senator Baume,
I am sure you recall, resigned from the front bench in 1987
over the Opposition's decision not to support a vital part
of our equal employment opportunity legislation. In
crossing the floor to support the Government, Peter Baume
made a very important protest in defence of a vital
principle and his exclusion from the Shadow Ministry shows
he is still paying a very high price for that action.
Second, this Government is proud of its achievements in
increasing the access to and quality of education and
training for women.
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we have dramatically lifted the number of schoolboys and
girls who stay on at school to Year 12. Where fewer than
four in ten girls were completing Year 12 before we came to
office, now more than six in ten do so, and this level
continues to rise.
Under the National Policy for the Education of Girls, the
first such national education policy, all Commonwealth,
State and private educational institutions are following
specified objectives to improve the performance of girls at
school.
we have also taken innovative steps to increase the access
of young women to vocational training. The proportion of
women enrolled in vocational and preparatory courses in TAFE
has increased from 39 per cent in 1981 to 47 per cent in
1986. More than 70 per cent of those participating in the
Australian traineeship system are young women.
The Government places a very high priority on measures to
assist women to achieve economic independence. In a new
approach, the Jobs, Education and Training ( JET) initiative
provides sole parents, the majority of whom are women, with
the opportunity to gain the skills necessary for successful
workforce entry.
Third, and inextricably linked to the economic independence
of women, is the issue of childcare. Again, we have a proud
story to tell.
Fulfilling the commitment set in the National Agenda for
women, we are committed to the provision of quality and
affordable child care. in any given week, some 132,000
Australian families benefit from our child care services.
The National Child Care Strategy we announced in the last
Budget will provide 30,000 new child care places over the
next three years.
The strategy includes incentives to encourage industry to
invest in the provision of child care for their employees.
I am pleased to announce today that my Government and John
Bannon's have just reached an agreement to provide more
child care places in South Australia.
It's a three year agreement that will provide nearly 2,500
new child care places in the State most of them providing
care outside school-hours, providing real assistance to
working parents of school children.
By 1992, a total of 98,000 additional childcarv places will
have been funded by this Government a trebling of places
since we took office in 1983.
Fourth, we have extended unprecedented assistance to women
on low incomes. 1
The Government has offered relief to women on pensions and
benefits or earning low incomes through the historic Family
Allowance Supplement; the establishment of the Child Support
Agency and, of course, the package of measures announced in
the Treasurer's April Statement.
Tax cuts, particularly the reduction of the lower rates,
will benefit many women workers. Dramatic increases in
Family Allowance payments, additional payments for families
in receipt of the Family Allowance Supplement and further
assistance for one income families will all contribute to
the improvement in lifestyle of a large number of Australian
women. Finally, let me touch on two recent initiatives to improve
the status of women.
Early last month I launched Domestic violence Awareness
Month. The Government has allocated $ 1.6 million over three
years to change community attitudes towards this tragic and
inexcusable blight on our society.
Also in April I launched the National women's Health Policy,
developed after consultation with more than one million
Australian women. Good health and safety are fundamental
elements of any woman's well being.
I have given a personal commitment that the National Women's
Health Policy will receive very close and sympathetic
attention from Federal Cabinet in the 1989-90 Budget
process. Both these April initiatives are of major importance in the
Government's overall strategy for women.
Having outlined today the breadth of this Government's
achievements for women, may I conclude by reaffirming this
vital fact. Measures adopted to improve the standing of
women, as important as they are to the women who directly
receive them, also benefit, in an essential and concrete
fashion, the entire population. In particular they benefit
Australian families..
Lifting the status of Australian women, widening their
opportunities in the workforce, improving their conditions
at home, affording them better health and better access to
services, is the sensible approach for this country.
It's in a real sense the only approach for this country.
And let me assure you that the achievements of the past in
no way obscure our recognition of the hard work that still
needs to be done. We cannot afford to be complacent or to
ignore the injustices and obstacles that Australian women
confront every day.
our goal is clear. Every Australian woman deserves a say, a
choice and a fair go.
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The tireless work of organisations such as the ALP Women's
Policy Committee in South Australia will ensure that Labor
Governments, on a State and Federal level will keep in touch
with, and respond to, the needs of Australian women. f; 15' 7