I am delighted to rise in support of this motion moved by my friend and colleague the member for Brisbane to reaffirm Labor's unwavering commitment to driving economic equality for Australian women.

The World Economic Forum 's Global gender gap report 2025 has seen Australia jump 11 places in the global rankings in the last 12 months, to 13th position out of 148 countries, for gender equality. This is Australia's highest ranking since the index began back in 2008. For Labor, gender equality is not an optional extra. It's fundamental to fairness, to prosperity and to building a stronger nation. From day one, this government has placed women's social and economic equality at the centre of everything it does.

Over the past decade of coalition government, women were left behind. Under the coalition, Australia's gender equality ranking collapsed to 50th place on that list of 148 countries. That was, I shouldn't have to say, the lowest Australia has ever been. Thanks to Labor, we are now up to 13th. As I said, that's the highest we have ever been. But don't, for one moment, think we're resting on our laurels. Why shouldn't we be No. 1? That's the ambition of all of us on this side of the House.

The Labor government spent its first term delivering major reform to improve the lives of Australian women. This includes expanding paid parental leave to 24 weeks and, for the first time, adding superannuation to that paid parental leave, strengthening retiring incomes and recognising the value of care work. Families accessing paid parental leave are now nearly $12,000 better off compared to how they were prior to us coming to office. It includes three consecutive increases to the minimum wage, lifting the pay rates of nearly three million Australians—and guess what? The majority of those on minimum wage are women in sectors like care, retail and early education. Backing in those wage increases is critical to lifting the economic security of women. It includes commencing the Commonwealth paid prac payment scheme for student teachers, nurses, midwives and social workers, who are overwhelmingly women. Easing that financial pressure during mandatory placements is critical. We're investing in the professions that all of our communities rely on. These reforms are already making a difference in communities like mine in Newcastle, where thousands of students and young families stand to benefit, but that's just part of Labor's agenda.

Since 2022, we have delivered record lows for the gender pay gap. Just last week the ABS released data that women in full-time work are earning more than $250 more each week than they were three years ago. That's a good thing. Encouragingly, that data shows that women's workforce participation has also hit a record high, growing to 63.5 per cent—the first time for Australia. We've delivered cheaper child care for over a million families, because affordability is key to women's workforce participation. We've delivered historic economic investments in women's health, including cheaper contraception. Let's put contraception that women should have been able to access on the PBS. For the first time in 30 years, there are two of those new listings on the PBS. That is a good thing. There are new Medicare items for menopause care and for expanded endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics. We've delivered more than $4 billion in women's safety, because true equality is impossible while violence against women persists, and an historic parliament and cabinet. It's the first time for a cabinet to have a majority of women, proving that representation matters. We've also delivered Australia's first national gender equality strategy, Working for Women, setting out a 10-year road map across safety, economic security, health, leadership and care.

We know that challenges remain for Australian women. There is not a single woman on this side of the House—and, I suspect, across the House, to be frank—that thinks that we can just say 'job done' and move on. We know that these challenges remain. Rates of gendered violence, for example, remain far too high. Too many women still do not feel the full benefit of these reforms in their daily lives, and that's why delivering for Australian women remains very much the focus of our second term. We're auditing the Commonwealth systems to prevent financial abuse, embedding a gender lens in housing and industry policy and continuing to strengthen women's leadership and representation. This government remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that all women, in every part of the nation, have the fundamental rights of safety, equality, dignity and opportunity. That's what this motion seeks to do. I'm proud to support it.