Jobs summit: Regional women shown no respect, says David Littleproud

The Coalition has slammed the government for its ‘choreographed’ jobs summit, criticising the fact a quarter of seats at the table went to unions.

National Party leader David Littleproud at the jobs summit in Canberra on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

The Coalition has slammed the government for its “choreographed” jobs summit, criticising the fact a quarter of seats at the table went to unions.

Nationals leader David Littleproud, the only Coalition member to attend the summit, said the government needed to prove it would act on the ideas put to it and railed against the absence of many important voices at the event.

“Disappointingly, they disenfranchised 30 per cent of women in this country because not one ­regional woman was on the panel that was there to address the challenges women face at getting into the workforce,” he said.

“That’s the most disrespectful thing I’ve seen from any government. They should have had someone from regional Australia that could articulate the unique challenges women are finding in regional Australia. This is a huge missed opportunity.”

Mr Littleproud said while affordability of childcare had been discussed rigorously, the challenge of availability, which faced regional mothers in particular, had not received enough focus. “They (Labor) haven’t got it. They haven’t understood it,” he said.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley criticised the unveiling of ­announcements that had been pre-planned.