Anthony Albanese has promised that Labor wins the federal election on May 21 he will address Australia's gender wage gap.
While speaking at a campaign launch in Perth over the weekend, the Labor Party leader vowed to break down barriers for low paid industries led by women.
Albanese said: “I announce that Labor will make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act.”
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The politician also noted that while female workers had a ‘tough’ few years due to the pandemic, he pledged to improve their working conditions and increase pay.
He said: “We will set up expert panels on pay equity and the care and community sector to help improve pay and conditions for women in those sectors.
“It was care workers who kept us alive through the pandemic. Care workers are the arteries of our nation, our regions, our cities, our suburbs. We must give them the respect and the investment they deserve.
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“Women workers have had a tough two years. And I want to tell you that we see you. We see the work you have done, both paid and unpaid. We appreciate it, and we value it.
“But we need to do more than simply thank and applaud you.”
Also in his speech, Albanese also introduced the Driving the Nation Fund, a National Electric Vehicle Charging Network, and promised to slash prices for pharmaceutical medicines.
The Guardian reports that under the Labor’s ‘help to buy’ initiative, the government would provide equity up to 40 per cent for homeowners earning low and middle income purchasing a new home, and up to 30 per cent for an existing home.
While vowing to address the cost of living and the housing crisis, the Labor leader revealed he would establish a national housing supply and affordability council too.
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He said: "That is why I am announcing that Labor will establish a national housing supply and affordability council. Fixing land supply and planning with improve housing affordability and boost economic growth.
"We can do better than three more years of a government that is borders skyrocketing cost of living, and falling real wages. We have the worst inflation rate ended two decades.
"Families are struggling, worried about the future.
"Yet Scott Morrison just keeps on unscrambling from one photo opportunity to another, noting that the Australian people know who he is."
Topics: Australia
Charisa Bossinakis