QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:30): Absolutely not. Senator Hume, I would remind you that it is under this government that many changes, which have benefited women in particular, have been passed, often without support from those on the other side, whether it be the funding— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order!

Order across the chamber. That was both sides of the chamber. Senator Cash and Senator Watt, I've asked you to listen in silence.

Senator WONG: Whether it is the higher wages for those industries which employ many Australian women, whether it's early childhood educators or aged-care workers, the movement in the gender pay gap, which I know many on your side—I think this was described as a useless statistic by Senator Canavan, but what it actually means and what this actually has to do with, Senator Ruston, is the position of women in Australia.

If you cared about the position of women in Australia, you would actually have supported some of these measures, but you do not. You have not been supportive of the gender pay gap improving. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Hume, second supplementary?