The Albanese Government is acting to make workplaces safe from sexual harassment with the passage of the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation (Respect@Work) Bill through Parliament.

Sexual harassment is not inevitable – it is preventable.

This historic Respect@Work legislation significantly progresses gender equality by ensuring women are able to earn a living in safe, sexual harassment-free workplaces.

The legislation closely follows the recommendations of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, left unfinished by the former government.

NOUR HAYDAR, HOST: Katy Gallagher, thanks for speaking with Afternoon Briefing. Before I get to some questions about your role as Minister for Women, I do just want to start by asking you some questions about some breaking news. Do you think it is appropriate for Scott Morrison to remain in Parliament, given this inquiry has found that secrecy around his appointment to multiple ministries was corrosive of trust in government?

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER:  I am so happy that 6,800 families in the Perth electorate will benefit from our changes delivered by the Parliament this week for cheaper childcare. When it comes to the nation, that is 1.2 million families who will benefit by making it more affordable to send our children to get the early childhood education care they need.

ADAM SHIRLEY, HOST: Senator Katy Gallagher is the Finance Minister of Australia, ACT Labor Senator - she's just stepped out of the chamber having provided a contribution to speeding this process up in this parliamentary sitting. Senator Gallagher, we do really appreciate your time on Mornings.

SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER: It's nice to talk to you too, Adam. Thank you.

SHIRLEY: What have you put forward in the last 15 minutes or so and what is the impact of that?

The Albanese Government is delivering on an election commitment by joining with more than ten global partners, including the United States, to launch the world's first Net Zero Government Initiative at COP27.

The Net Zero Government Initiative commits governments around the world to lead by example and achieve net zero emissions across their own government operations.

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Plenty on the plate for the government and the Prime Minister in particular. He's had a relatively successful trip overseas. These are slight thawing of relations with China. He comes back, though, needing an urgent solution to the gas spiralling crisis in terms of costs and supply as well, and, of course, the IR bill. Joining me now is Assistant Minister the PM, Patrick Gorman. And this used to be Gorman-Falinski time. Do you miss your old sparring partner?

The Australian Government continues to secure the return of Aboriginal ancestors to their rightful custodians – with six ancestors to be repatriated to Australia from the State Ethnographic Collections of Saxony in Germany.

Five will be returned to the custodianship of their respective communities, the Gannagal, Awabakal, Worimi and Mutthi Mutthi peoples of New South Wales. Community representatives have travelled to Germany for the handover ceremony where they will receive their ancestors and accompany them on the long journey home.

It is a delight to be back in Adelaide.

A city where powerful history was made just nearby, on Victoria Square - Tantanyangga - where the Australian Aboriginal Flag was flown for the first time.

The flag was raised by the artist himself, Luritja man and former local, Harold Thomas.

Fifty-one years on, this flag flies in squares, schools, Parliaments and parks right across the country.

A symbol of where we are as a nation, and where we can walk together.

On Wednesday 16 November 2022, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Special Envoy for Reconciliation and the Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the Attorney General, and the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians met with the Referendum Working Group (the Working Group) in Sydney.

The Working Group had presentations from non-government organisations about the work they’re doing to garner support for a successful referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

Thank you for the introduction John Paul Janke and Uncle Allen for your Welcome to Country.

Friends - I acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, on whose land we meet today – and I pay my respects to elders past and present.

I also want to acknowledge my colleague and friend -

The Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and the Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health.