Federal election result crucial for Australia’s future

Chris Game, “Sista She”, Kerry Nettle and Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli.

by Kerri Carr

The result of the federal election was critical to Australia's future, delegates to Federation's women's conference heard on March 31. Federation President Maree O'Halloran said it was a "very critical" election year.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle reminded delegates that even if the Coalition lost in the House of Representatives the WorkChoices legislation could not be "ripped up" if the Coalition had control of the Senate.

"Any progressive changes would be completely hamstrung," she said.

"We don't want to have the nightmare of getting rid of Howard and then we can't do anything," she added.

Ms Nettle spoke about the current national education debate.

She said if outcomes were put at the centre of the argument over education funding, it would lead to more funding for public education.

Ms Nettle said that unfortunately this was not the way the debate was going.

"In the arena of politics it's hard to get the press gallery to listen if Labor and the Liberals agree -- it doesn't register on the radar of commentators.

"We need to make sure that doesn't happen to public education," she said.

"It's really hard to put [issues] forward when the major parties aren't," she added.

Federation Women's Coordinator Siobhan Callan spoke about working families.

"The struggle for many families to balance the demands of work and family must, and will be, a crucial issue in the federal election, with debate focussing not only on the Government's industrial relations changes, but also on the cost and availability of chid care," she said.

"After the state election NSW Minister for Education Carmel Tebbutt announced that she would not longer be able to work in the position of Minister for the State Labor Government.

"The reasons she gave were the incredible demands made on her time with her family that working in this position entailed, and the sad realisation that if she continued in this role, she would probably be giving up the opportunity to spend meaningful and worthwhile time with her son as he grew up.

"It is terrible that in 2007 it still seems to be that women are having to make such choices, between a meaningful working life or a meaningful family or other relationship," Ms Callan said.

"Many women, including our own women teachers are still having difficulty in accessing part time work," she added.

Ms Callan said the WorkChoices legislation was having a big impact on Australian families, with many workers on Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) working longer hours.

"These new agreements all cut conditions such as pay for public holidays and overtime loadings or shift work loadings, as well as rest breaks.

"This means that these workers who are forced to work hours that are not family friendly -- on Sundays, at nights or on public holidays -- are no longer even being given some kind of financial compensation for the time missed with their families."

National Tertiary Education Union NSW Secretary Chris Game spoke about how the union responded to the Federal Government's higher education workplace regulation requirements, which included tying part of university funding to the offering of AWAs.

Deakin University senior lecturer in social diversity in health and education Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli spoke about the ways in which students' sense of self and identity is influenced by factors such as gender, culture and sexuality.

Workshops addressed the challenges facing young people, unions working for women, casual and temporary teachers, and occupational health and safety and student behaviour.

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Last Modified: 03 May 2007