QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (14:58): I'm afraid to say there are obstacles, Senator Ghosh. The Albanese Labor government— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator WATT: Hello! There's one there.

There's another one there, and there's one right there. The PRESIDENT: Minister, please direct your comments to me. Order on the left.

Senator WATT: The Albanese Labor government, led by Minister Gallagher, the Minister for Women, has put women's economic equality at the centre of our government's agenda. It's encouraging to see we're making progress in the right direction. Senator Henderson interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Henderson!

Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Cash, order! Order across the chamber! Senator Henderson, I will name you.

Minister Watt, please continue. Senator WATT: The Albanese government is tackling the gender pay gap from every angle, including by delivering pay rises for minimum wage workers, boosting wages in the early childhood— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister, please resume your seat. It's incredibly disrespectful when I call order for senators on the front bench of the left-hand side of the chamber to call out and completely disregard what I say.

I am serious. I will name you. Senator WATT: We're expanding paid parental leave and we're paying paid superannuation on paid parental leave in addition to those wage rises for the carers and aged-care sectors.

Of course, not everyone supports women's workplace rights. We've previously seen Senator Cash claim that family and domestic violence leave would be a perverse disincentive to women's employment. We've seen Senator Canavan describe the gender pay gap as 'complete nonsense' and Senator Hanson call the gender pay gap 'smoke and mirrors'.

That is the danger that Australians face under a Liberal-Nationals-One Nation coalition. (Time expired)