The Greens welcome the release of employer-level gender pay gap data by WGEA today, a move that we have long called for, but it's alarming to see many of the employers with enormous gender pay gaps are the same big corporations that aren't paying their fair share.
We also welcome the release of public sector data. The data shows the public sector is significantly outperforming the private sector, demonstrating the importance of government action to address gender inequality.
As stated by Greens leader in the senate and spokesperson on women, Senator Larissa Waters:
"Closing the gender pay gap is a task for both employers and government.
"While the overall gap has slightly narrowed over the past year, more than 70 per cent of workplaces still have a gender gap favouring men, and 45 per cent of workplaces have actually gone backwards and now have a worse gender pay gap than the year before. The banking sector remains one of the worst offenders.
"Many of the big employers with massive gender pay gaps are also the ones who aren't paying their fair share of tax.
"Virgin paid $0 tax in 2023-24, and today's data reveals they have a current gender pay gap of a whopping 44 per cent.
"Qantas has a gender pay gap of 40 per cent, and despite raking in $21 billion in revenue, paid just $8m in tax.
"And it isn't just our national airlines that are underpaying women and their fair share of tax. Santos, Chevron, all pay $0 tax and have a current gender pay gap above 20 per cent.
"We already know these big corporations aren't paying their fair share of tax, today's data confirms they aren't interested in closing the gender pay gap either.
"Private companies with massive, and even growing, gender pay gaps are still receiving millions in government contracts. Procurement is a powerful lever to lift private sector performance. The government needs to flex that power and refuse to engage companies that can't take the gender pay gap seriously."
