Senator for South Australia and Employment spokesperson Barbara Pocock will be attending the Jobs and Skills summit alongside Greens Party Leader Adam Bandt. Barbara is a labour market expert and Emeritus Professor and is currently chairing the Senate's first Select Committee inquiry on Work and Care.
Senator Pocock will argue at the summit workers need both a pay rise, and practical help with the cost of childcare, health and housing - things that are all essential to participation in work. Savings from reversing the Stage 3 tax cuts can be used to fund this, rather than boosting the income of the very wealthy and fueling further inequality.
Senator Barbara Pocock said:
"I am attending the Jobs Summit, alongside Adam Bandt, to advocate for improving the lives of workers.
"I will be bringing practical pathways forward to improve employment outcomes for women to the Jobs and Skills summit.
"We need immediate relief on the cost of living crisis. Instead of tax cuts to Australia's richest 1%, the government should fund free childcare, get dental into Medicare and build affordable housing, giving households real cost living relief immediately.
"The Greens will be exercising our review power in the Senate.
"On top of the 60 extra days it takes women to earn the same average wage as men, women do twice as much unpaid work and care. It's time to fix the pay gap AND ease the pressure on working carers.
"South Australian workers need an improvement of minimum wages, implementation of fairer industry wage bargaining and a plan to ensure women get a fair share of future jobs in a low carbon economy.
