Opinion: When gender targets trump safety we have a problem

After the news broke that failing to meet a gender target stopped a crucial mine safety committee from doing their work, we have to ask if the goal of parity for both sexes getting in the way of important decisions being made, writes Michael Wray.

IS A board dominated by men worse than a board that isn’t allowed to do its job?

The answer might seem obvious but it’s a question set to vex the Palaszczuk Government as it inches closer to its self-imposed deadline for gender equity on all government bodies by 2020.

And so far they seem to be taking the absurd position that preserving the letter of its gender parity initiative is more important than keeping the wheels of government in motion.

This is not an academic debate as the tragic death of miner Jack Gerdes, 27, on Sunday has exposed.

Mr Gerdes tragic death was the sixth fatality in Queensland’s resources industry in the past year, the deadliest period in our mines for the past two decades.

For at least the past four months of that period, a committee responsible for advising Mines Minister Anthony Lynham on mine safety has been unable to meet because it has not met its gender diversity targets.

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington says gender politics and the rush to parity is being put ahead of keeping people safe in the workplace.

“We need to get the basics right, get the best people on these boards no matter what gender they are and knock Labor’s virtue signalling rubbish on the head,” she said.

It’s impossible to say if anything would have been done differently inside any of the mines if the committee was still meeting.

But a committee or a board that is not allowed to meet can’t fix anything.

Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington, Parliament House, Brisbane. Photographer: Liam Kidston

The simple answer would be to get more women on the committee but the mining industry is a prime example that laudable motherhood statements often fail when tested in reality.

The Queensland Resources Council says it nominated two women for the safety committee, which is currently made up of four women and six men, but the CFMEU vetoed them because they lacked the required “competencies”.

With only 16.7 per cent of its general workforce and 17.2 per cent of management female, mining was the most male dominated industry in the country, according to the Federal Government’s most recent Workplace Gender Equality Agency report card.

Basic arithmetic makes it clear the majority of the talent, expertise and experience in the industry is held by men.

Just as the numbers are equally stark that women hold the majority of talent, expertise and experience in areas such as health and education.

There is no reason that women should not be numerically superior on those boards or even in industries where the split is closer to 50/50.

The Government’s own plans have so far failed to distinguish whether the 50/50 gender split applies to collective total of men and women on boards or to each individual board, in which case there would effectively be male and female board seats in every sector.

Would they object to a health-related board having 60 per cent female representation?

Could that offset another board dominated by men?

As the 2020 deadline approaches the Palaszczuk Government needs to ensure it won’t stop boards doing their important work just to satisfy its commendable but unwieldy goal.

Michael Wray is a Courier-Mail state political reporter.