The Coalition’s attempt to water down measures designed to improve women’s equity at work, by seeking to amend the government’s Equality Opportunity for Women at Work bill, is a worrying omen of things to come for women under an Abbott government, says Greens spokesperson for women Senator Lee Rhiannon (“Flexibility at work is new norm under equality laws,” SMH p 7 today : http://tinyurl.com/9m6jh4cy).

Blog by Senator Lee Rhiannon

Gina Rinehart’s utterances are often a reminder that wealth too often goes hand in hand with arrogance and greed.

Writing in her regular column in Australian Resources and Investment magazine Australia’s wealthiest person said that people who are jealous of the rich should start working harder and cut down on drinking, socialising and smoking.

The Hunter and Illawarra regions could receive a strong boost from the recommendations of the Manufacturing Industry Taskforce report released today, if the federal government backs key initiatives such as a strong local content rules, a sovereign wealth fund and training and energy efficiency measures, says Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon.

"The mining boom and high Australian dollar has helped to shatter manufacturing in the Hunter and Illawarra regions and government attention to boosting manufacturing is well overdue," Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon said.

A NSW Auditor General's report which highlights the looming difficulties facing NSW's ten universities in meeting staff leave, superannuation and maintenance bills signals an upcoming funding crunch which risks reduced quality learning and the imposition of higher student fees and charges, warns Greens Senator for NSW and higher education spokesperson Lee Rhiannon. 

The NSW Auditor General's report, released today, is here.

The Gillard government's reform agenda to develop a more skilled workforce and boost the economic outlook by increased participation in higher education and training is not being advanced by its privatisation push, and any efforts to strengthen Vocational Education and Training (VET) outcomes must swing the balance back in TAFE's favour, said Senator Lee Rhiannon today in response to the Productivity Commission's report into the impact of COAG reforms.

Ensuring women have sufficient superannuation to last them in retirement demands that the government address policy settings around superannuation that negatively impact upon women, says Greens Senator and women's spokesperson Lee Rhiannon ("Money crunch forces women back to work", Sydney Morning Herald today).

"A plan to address the gender gap in retirement income is something the Federal Minister for the Status of Women Julie Collins should put at the top of her 'to do' list," Senator Rhiannon said.