Report Card - Going Backwards

7/28/2019 Report Card - Going Backwards

1/10

GG akwardsRepoRt on the status of women in nsw afteR two yeaRs of the ofaRRell GoveRnment

1

GG

akwardsRepoRt on thestatus of women in nswafteR two yeaRs of the

ofaRRell GoveRnment


2/10


2

March 2013

Authorised by Sophie Cotsis MLC, NSW Parliament. No taxpayer unds used or the design o this document.

For more inormation visit www.nswalp.com

trdt

Message from

Linda Burney,

Deputy Leader

of the Opposition

Lie is getting harder

or women under the

OFarrell Government.

I youre a mother with

a sick child, youre

waiting longer to see a surgeon or a doctor

thanks to Mr OFarrells $3 billion cut rom

our hospitals. Your childs school is afected by

$1.7 billion in statewide cuts. In 2013, Catholic

and independent schools have been orced

to raise ees by up to six per cent. Preschool

places are also getting harder to nd.

Ater two years in oce, Mr OFarrell

is increasingly remote rom the needs

o women. Its obvious rom his harsh

budget cuts, his indiference to rising gun

crime and domestic violence even his

sexist language in the Parliament.

The women o NSW deserve better. I encourage

you to read this document and nd out more.

Message from

Sophie Cotsis,

Shadow Minister for

the Status of Women

Last year I released

the rst Going

Backwards Report,

which documented the

OFarrell Governments

ailure to implement policies to

improve the status o women.

Another year on, we continue to see policies that

make lie harder. Cutting unding to education

means women have ewer opportunities to

upskill at TAFE. Cutting unding to hospitals

means compromising womens care. Eroding

public sector working conditions is tailoredto hurt women given they comprise 60

per cent o this workorce. Incredibly, in

2011-12, unding was rozen to a major NSW

program tackling domestic violence.

When it comes to womens policy, the OFarrell

Government has a lot to answer or.

Linda Burney

Deputy Leader o the Opposition

Sophie Cotsis

Shadow Minister or the Status o Women


3/10


3

wME HrtY HEaLtH ts$3 billion cu fom sw hopil

For women, a well-resourced hospital system is vital.

Perhaps youre a mother accompanying a sick child or

elderly relative. Perhaps you require a mammogram

or are about to give birth.

Mr OFarrell has ordered an unprecedented $3 billion

unding cut to NSW hospitals and its sending thesystem to breaking point. There are not enough

specialists to see patients and not enough beds.

Waiting times or emergency and elective surgery

have blown out and many women are being sent

home without receiving treatment.

ue foce o py $10,000

e-eny coue fee

The OFarrell Government is orcing nurses who leave

employment to pay $10,000 or a course to re-enter

the NSW health system. In South Australia, re-entry

courses are provided at no charge.

NSW has a shortage o registered nurses and the

OFarrell Governments cash-grab is no solution. Far

rom it its a deterrent to nurses to recommence work.

ambulnce ing longe o ive

I you dial-OOO, you expect an ambulance to arrive

promptly. But thanks to the OFarrell Governments

$3 billion health cuts which include ambulance

services women in the community are being placed

at risk.

Woman forced to give

birth in car park

A Sydney hospital has apologised to a mother

who was orced to give birth in the car park.

Yahoo News, 26 February 2013

Four die while waiting

for ambulance

Four people have died in less than a month

while waiting or Hunter ambulances to come

rom distant stations because their local cars

were busy or queued at John Hunter Hospital.

Suspected cardiac arrest cases include:

An 80-year-old Cooranbong woman who

died the next day ater neighbours made

a rantic call to triple-0 and waited 28

minutes or paramedics to arrive rom

Cardif.

An elderly Coalelds woman whose amily

waited 39 minutes earlier this month and

was told an ambulance had to come rom

out o the area because all the local cars

were busy.

www.theherald.com.au, 26 July 2012

The Health Minister has shown how out

of touch she is with the problem of forcing

nurses to pay $10,000 to re-enter the health

system:I cant see how there is a problem.

Jillian Skinner, 22 January 2012


4/10


4

wME Hrt YEdat ts$1.7 billion cu fom sw chool

Whether your child attends a public, Catholic or

independent school they will be afected by Mr

OFarrells $1.7 billion cut to the NSW education budget.

Already in 2013 thanks to Mr OFarrells cuts

Catholic and independent schools have been orced

to raise ees by up to six per cent. Parents are beingasked to contribute more towards essential items

like school stationary. Poor quality demountable

classrooms are no longer being replaced.

Pechool hou cu

As every mother knows, its getting harder in NSW to

access quality, afordable preschool and childcare. Oneo the OFarrell Governments rst acts was to introduce

public preschool ees o up to $40 a day. In 2013, the

maximum hours NSW children can be placed in a public

preschool have been cut rom 30 to 15 a week. This has

orced mothers to make other arrangements and in

many cases, abandon plans to work or study.

taFE fee up 9.5 pe cen

In 2013, the OFarrell Government has increased

TAFE ees by 9.5 per cent making it harder or

women to upgrade their skills. For example, the cost

o an Advanced Diploma has risen rom $1570 to

$1720 and the cost o a Certicate IV qualication

has risen rom $984 to $1078.

nly $200,000 fo omen in e

h joe

Minister or Women Pru Goward has assigned $200,000

to the Women in Trades initiative. Grants o $25,000 can

be accessed. By that count, there will be only eight grants.

A token gesture that does little to increase opportunities

or women in trades.

At the same time, Pru Goward has wasted $450,000 to

research why women are ailing to enter non-traditional

trades, and how to make these areas more attractive.

All the Minister needed to do is read the AMWUs

comprehensive Breaking the Perspex Ceiling Report.

That $450,000 could have been used to restore

TAFE unding or assign another 18 Women in

Trades grants.

Mums speak out against

the education cuts

I have two kids with Aspergers syndrome

who will need mainstream high school in the

next ew years. This will afect the assistance

they need. Nicole Baker

The amilies who are working at giving their

kids the best education possible are being

penalised. Kylie Brooks

Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard, 19 September 2012

Hypocrisy:Minister for Women

Pru Goward described

learning a trade as a great

career option for women

then voted for TAFE fee

increases.

Supporting girls and women into these

trades makes good nancial sense or

them and or the NSW economy which

is experiencing a trade skills shortage.

Women NSW, 2012

www.women.nsw.gov.au

Mums left in the lurch

The government wants mothers to get back

into the workorce but this doesnt really givethem a choice. Sharna Rennie, mother-o-two

Southern Courier, 31 October 2012


5/10

GGakwardsRepoRt on the status of women in nsw afteR two yeaRs of the ofaRRell GoveRnment

5

wME dEsErVEt FEEL saFE

Gun cime ou of conol

Mr OFarrell has completely failed to crackdown

on gun crime leaving our streets, communities

and children less safe. There have been more than

200 shootings since the Government came to

oce, including seven deaths since last October.Hells Angels gang members are even alleged to be

recruiting teenagers in suburban shopping centres.

Mothers in suburban Sydney deserve to go to

bed at night without worrying about gunre

interrupting their family s safety. Whats the point

of having a Premier if he wont do something?

domeic violence gnpogm fozen in 2012 h igce

It has taken the OFarrell Government a whole year

to review its domestic violence grants during

which time funding to a major program worth

$2.9 million was frozen.

Many providers such as womens centres that run

anti-domestic violence programs were left without

funding. Worst of all, domestic violence victims

were left in the lurch.

The OFarrell Government should feelashamed that it froze funding to a majordomestic violence program instead ofhelping our communitys most vulnerable.


6/10


6

wMEs rLE GVErMEt GEsakwardsFee omen in plimen

n omen minie

Female representation in the NSW Parliament has

allen under Mr OFarrell. Currently, women make up

20 per cent o the Legislative Assembly eight per centlower than beore this Government took oce.

Mr OFarrell has only appointed ve emale Cabinet

Ministers down rom seven under Labor.

abolihe he Pemie Expe

avioy ouncil fo women

Mr OFarrell has abolished the Premiers Expert

Advisory Council or Women. As a result, there is

no longer high-level external advice direct to the

Premier on womens health issues such as breast,

cervical and ovarian cancer, access to TAFE, payequity, housing or the elderly, homelessness,

community saety, exible work hours and services

or regional, migrant and indigenous women.

Pemie omeic violence council

h bely me

As domestic violence rates increase in NSW, the

Premiers Council or Preventing Violence Against

Women last met in August 2012 and has barelyconvened in two years.

scppe he equiemen

fo moe omen on bo

Mr OFarrell has removed the requirement that

50 per cent o all new appointments to Government

Boards and Committees be women.

a Pemie ho ue exi lngugeMr OFarrell routinely uses demeaning, sexist language

in the NSW Parliament against any emale who dares to

challenge him. In each case, he is ailing to behave as an

appropriate role model.

OFarrell told to man up and

quit the sexist slurs

In just two years, Mr OFarrell has

Called Deputy Labor Leader Linda Burney a

hooker and a witch;

Likened Kristina Keneally, the rst emale

Premier o NSW, to US celebrity Kim

Kardashian;

Likened Shadow Education Minister Carmel

Tebbutt to a whining dog;

Been caught winking at women across the

parliamentary chamber.

Daily Telegraph, 6 January 2013

uen Plimen Py repeenion

Only 16 per cent of the Coalitions members

in the Legislative Assembly are women

By contrast, 40 per cent of Labor

members are women.

MALE

84%

FEMALE

16%

FEMALE

40%

MALE

60%


7/10


7

women in he public eco

Women comprise 60 per cent o the overall NSW

public sector workorce and 87 per cent o the

part-time workorce. The OFarrell Governments

attacks on public sector working conditions

disproportionately penalise women. This includes

capping wage rises at 2.5 per cent efectively a real

wages cut. And any increases above 2.5 percent can

only occur by trading of essential conditions like

amily leave.

efeeing be i

Women may be orced to trade of lactation breaks

or pay rises under the OFarrell Governments

draconian industrial relations changes or public

sector workers. This sets a terrible example or

private sector employers in NSW.

Before the election:

After the election:

nexible o hou

Minister Goward has rightly been criticised or

ailing to ensure workplace exibility or women

in the workplace where she works the NSW

Parliament.

Meniy o

The 2012 Maternity at Work report was publicised

not by the Minister or Women but the NSW Labor

Shadow Minister. This report provides amilies with the

latest inormation on parental leave, exible working

arrangements and occupational health and saetyissues. The OFarrell Governments ailure to bring

this document to the publics attention demonstrates a

complete lack o concern or new parents.

sPPrtFr wME at wrk

MP refused time to drop children

Workplace exibility is yet to make it to the NSW

Parliament. Labors Tania Mihailuk - a mother of three

children aged six and under - found that out the hard way.

[Liberal MP for Parramatta Geoff Lee] says I dont

understand what its like to be in business but I worked for

large companies like Leighton Contractors and they werefar more understanding and exible, Ms Mihailuk said.

Its beyond belief they cant move the meetings back by

15 minutes. Theyre living in the dark ages.

Sun-Herald, 26 February 2012

A wasted opportunity for women

Last week, this newspaper reported the dilemma facing Labor MP

Tania Mihailuk, who requested a regular meeting of the legislation

review committee be pushed back 15 minutes to 8.45am to allow

her to get her three kids to school and day care on time and make

it to Parliament House from Bankstown.

Gowards Liberal colleague Geoff Lee, the stand-in chairman, refused.

I asked Gowards ofce whether the minister would support

Mihailuk. After an attempt to duck the request altogether, I received

this one-line statement: The time of the meetings is a matter for

the committee and the Parliament to resolve.

Actually, minister, it was a perfect opportunity to back a woman

ghting a crystal-clear case of workplace inexibility - even if it

meant confronting a male colleague.

Gowards refusal to act shows a lack of leadership and makes

a mockery of the dozens of speeches she delivered as sex

discrimination commissioner.

State political editor Heath Aston,

Sun-Herald, 4 March 2012

Breasteeding is, o course, important or

childrens health and or maternal health.

It is an explicit right o women.

Pru Goward, Hansard, 16 October 2007

As the Premier has said, these trade-ofs

are a perectly acceptable part o industrial

relations.

Pru Goward, Hansard Thursday 26 May 2011


8/10


8

o ne

Pru Goward, supposedly the Minister or Women, has repeatedly ailed to answer basic questions relating to

womens policy.

aswEr takLGrEast aEr

Q: Does the Government have a plan, i any, inworking towards increasing the rate o women

screened or breast cancer aged 50-69 years

rom 53 per cent?

a:

This question should be reerred to mycolleague the Hon. Jillian Skinner,

Minister or Health.

aswEr wrkPLaEsEaL HarassMEt

Q: Does the Government have a policy on sexualharassment in the workplace? I so, under that

policy how can a victim o sexual harassment

make a complaint, and what support is providedto them?

a: This question should be reerred to theDepartment o Premier and Cabinet

stratEGY t EraGEGrLs t stdY sEEad MatHs

Q: 33 per cent o girls HSC course completionsare in science, technology, engineering

and mathematics, compared to 44 per cent

o course completions by boys. Does the

Government have a strategy in place to targetgirls rom an early age to pursue studies, and

ultimately careers, in non-traditional elds?

a: This question should be reerred to mycolleague the Hon. Adrian Piccoli,

Minister or Education.

PLa Fr rEGaLwMEs Js

Q: What is the Government doing to address theaverage 1.8 per cent decline o employmentrates in NSW regions or women since the peak

o the Global Financial Crisis?

a: This question should be reerred to mycolleague the Hon. Mike Baird, Treasurer and

Minister or Industrial Relations.

MstEr Fr wME aME LY


9/10


9

ouncil enie money o ho even

In 2013, the OFarrell Government has sneakilyabolished unding or NSW councils to coordinate

International Womens Day events.

Under Labor, all councils could apply or grants o

$1000 to host International Womens Day events in

their community.

Last year, the OFarrell Government promoted

the benets of the program:

The 2012 International Womens Day small

grants encourage local groups and organisations

to organise events that provide opportunities for all

women to participate in, and celebrate the day.

The grants are to be used for community events

and programs such as conferences, festivals,

forums, and functions to promote the achievements

of the womens movement, and to acknowledge

and celebrate women. IWD Grants Application

Guidelines, 2012}

In 2013 on what should be a day o pride across the

globe local womens groups in NSW have been let

without a single cent rom the OFarrell Government.

FdGt tErataLwMEs daY


10/10

Date post:	03-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	nsw-labor
View:	223 times
Download:	0 times

Report Card - Going Backwards

Documents