ALI MOORE, HOST: How do we get to economic equality for women? That has been the question for a government taskforce. In fact, I would say for many taskforces over recent decades, but that particular taskforce I'm referring to has just released a 10-year plan aimed at reducing the gap. Katy Gallagher is the Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service. Katy Gallagher, welcome to Drive.

SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: Thanks for having me on, Ali.

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Welcome back. The Prime Minister about to touch down any minute in the US for a four-day state visit. He's meeting the President, Joe Biden, there. As part of the visit, he'll also lobby Congress to pass the President's bill. It does, amongst other things, promise billions of dollars for the AUKUS submarine programme. It also pledges aid, military aid for Israel and Ukraine. Let's talk now to my panel; Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman and NSW Liberal Party President Jason Falinski. Thanks both for your time.

SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: Well, thanks, everyone for coming this morning for the release of this important report. I'm joined by the chair of the taskforce, the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce, Sam Mostyn, who has been an incredible chair leading this work, since the Government and I asked her to lead the work.

DAVID LIPSON, HOST: It's well known that women tend to work in less secure jobs, earn less money than male counterparts, do more unpaid labour at home and are more likely to face poverty, particularly later in life. Right now, the gender pay gap is at 13% - better than it was, but still a long way to go. The government today is releasing a report by the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce that aims to reduce that gap. Katy Gallagher is the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Women. She's my guest this morning. Minister, welcome back to Breakfast.

The Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce has provided the Australian Government with its final report, Women's Economic Equality: A 10-year plan to unleash the full capacity and contribution of women to the Australian economy. 

The seven primary recommendations to the Government include immediate and longer-term actions, focusing on the key themes of care, work, education and skills, the tax and transfer system and Government processes.

The Federal and Northern Territory governments are delivering on the $100 million Restoring Funding for Homelands program, with families on Central Australia’s Utopia homelands returning to refurbished homes.

In the remote community of Atheley, about 230 kilometres north east of Alice Springs on Utopia homelands, father and son Charlie and Zachariah have received the keys to their restored homes.

It’s the first of more than 80 properties to be refurbished under the $100 million program.

The Albanese Labor Government is keeping its commitment to improve the lives of Australian families with the introduction of the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (More Support for Working Families) Bill 2023.

The Bill finalises settings for the Government’s significant expansion of Paid Parental Leave announced in the October 2022-23 Budget, increasing the scheme to 26 weeks by July 2026.

PATRICIA KARVELAS, HOST: There is no escaping the resounding and clear decision by Australian voters as a whole to renounce the Indigenous voice to Parliament. But a more forensic look at polling booths shows there was strong support for the voice in some Indigenous remote communities, particularly in those regional and remote areas, as I say. Malarndirri McCarthy is the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and a Senator in the Northern Territory. She joins me now. Welcome back to the program.

JOHN-PAUL JANKE, HOST: Minister, Parliament is sitting this week, given the result on the weekend what are your priorities for First Australians?

LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS:  Well, obviously the result on the weekend was very painful for First Australians, very painful for a lot of people. There needs to be a healing process in some circumstances. But for me, John-Paul, the priorities are the issues that are raised with me, most often when I visit communities, health, housing, education and employment.

In a major milestone, one hundred homes have been built in one hundred days in the Northern Territory to help close the gap in housing for Aboriginal Territorians.

The homes have been jointly funded by the Northern Territory and Federal Governments through the $2.2 billion Remote Housing Investment Package Our Community. Our Future. Our Homes.

Families from 20 communities have recently moved into brand new homes in communities from the northeast island of Galiwin’ku, through Jilkminggan and Kalkarindji, to Amoonguna in the south.