Women’s Electoral Lobby: Call for Liberal and Labor to tackle women’s issues

The main political parties – as well as the so-called ‘Teals’, or independents – have been criticised by an influential lobby for not doing enough.

The Liberal and Labor parties have ignored many issues that matter to women during the election campaign so far, according to an influential feminist forum.

However, the so-called ‘Teal’ independent candidates also came under fire from the Women’s Electoral Lobby on Tuesday, with Zali Steggall name checked for her voting record.

The panel of experts – writer and columnist Anne Summers, industry professor for indigenous policy Nareen Young and Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Cassandra Goldie – highlighted the many issues that needed to be properly addressed by parties and candidates.

Author Anne Summers.

Among them were violence against women, the low pay and casual employment in the female-dominated health and caring sector, poverty and inequality, the ongoing challenges of Covid and its impact on women, income support, female workforce participation, sexual harassment in the workplace and superannuation.

Both the main parties came in for some criticism by the panel; Labor for its “heinous” changes to the single parent’s income support the last time it was in government and the Liberals for failing to do what it had promised especially in terms of the 10 year national plan to tackle violence against women.

Independent candidate for Mackellar at the 2022 federal election, Sophie Scamps (right), with Warringah independent MP Zali Steggall, at the launch of their climate change policies at McMahon's Point on April 28. Picture: Supplied

The independents, many of whom are female and targeting Liberals in traditionally safe seats, did not escape criticism either and were described as “liberals in disguise”, by Ms Summers, while another criticised Ms Steggall for voting with the government on employee and industrial relations.

“I am deeply concerned about the wholesale feminist support for Teals right now,” Prof Young said.

“I’m not saying they’re not better than the Liberals. Clearly they are”.

She urged the listeners not to “just blanket” support the independents “without critical pressure.”

Professor Nareen Young.

She also said that the ‘Teals’ appealed to upper middle class women, which was absolutely their right to do so, but that the needs of all women needed to be represented.

Ms Steggall said she strong rejected the assertion that she did not back women.

“I have an all-times advocated for gender equity and I have been a strong advocate for women’s rights and improved conditions for women in the workplace,” she said.

Prof Young added that so far in the campaign, Labor’s talk about pay equity and wages in the feminised industries was promising.

Ms Summers said more women were indicating a vote for Labor, but that she did not believe it was a united vote and said women had to put more pressure on the party to get what they wanted.

“If the polls are to be believed, it does appear that women will have, if not a determining influence on the outcome of this election, certainly a very important influence,” she said.

The forum has been scoring the main political parties since 1972 and is expected to release its election scorecard on the major players next week.

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