Report Card - Going Backwards
Transcript of Report Card - Going Backwards
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akwardsRepoRt on thestatus of women in nswafteR two yeaRs of the
ofaRRell GoveRnment
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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%
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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
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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
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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
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