PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: This week, the Government has continued with our plan. Our plan to get wages up, get prices down, and to fight inflation.

And what we've seen from the Coalition is they've continued with their plan. That is, their plan to get wages down, to get prices up and to pour fuel on the inflation fire.

I start by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, the traditional custodians of the land we gather on today, and thank you to Aunty Violet Sheridan for your Welcome to Country.

I’d also like to thank the CEO of COSBOA, Luke Achterstraat and the rest of the COSBOA team in attendance.

As Assistant Minister for Women it is a great pleasure to be with you today to open The Accelerator for Enterprising Women – Kickstarter Challenge Grand Final for 2024.

An independent statutory review of the Albanese Government’s paid family and domestic violence leave has found the program is succeeding in supporting the financial security of those escaping or experiencing violence.

The Government has today tabled the review of the Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Act 2022 in the Parliament. This was the first of several pieces of legislation passed by the Albanese Government to increase the wages and conditions of working Australians.

The Albanese Labor Government is honouring the extraordinary scientific contributions of First Nations peoples to Australia, with a new award in the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.

Recognising achievements of national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems, this new category aspires to advance the participation of First Nations people in the science sector.

The honour will also highlight the role of First Nations knowledge systems in solving some of the most pressing challenges facing our nation and humanity.

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Joining me now is the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, thank you for your time. Question Time yesterday, most noteworthy for the Prime Minister. So, is he getting a bit of a reputation for off jokes? Tourette's was the barb last night. In June he was asking if Peter Dutton was a they/them.

Four new members have been formally appointed to the Council of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).

The appointees bring highly valued cultural, financial, legal and research expertise to the AIATSIS Council and will contribute to the Institute’s work promoting knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, traditions, languages and stories.

The Council members are:

The Albanese Labor Government is delivering on its election commitment to address longstanding water security issues faced by the remote Aboriginal community of Scotdesco, in South Australia.

Due to its remote location on the Great Australian Bight, Scotdesco is not connected to any main water network and residents rely on rainwater collected in the town’s catchment dam for drinking water.

This week saw the community handover of Phase One of the Scotdesco Water Security Project to provide safe and reliable drinking water.

The Albanese Government is supporting an historic review of the undervaluation of wages in feminised industries, in the next step towards reducing the gender pay gap.

The Government has provided an initial submission to the Fair Work Commission’s gender undervaluation priority awards review.

Workers shouldn’t be valued less because they are women or because they work with women.

KATIE WOOLF, HOST: We have got the federal Assistant Minister for Social Security, Ageing and Women, Kate Thwaites, in town at the moment. And she is in Darwin this week and plans to visit new emergency accommodation for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. She's also set to take part in a roundtable with senior Territorians to talk about the kinds of federal government support available to them, and she joins me on the line right now. Good morning to you, Assistant Minister.

The Albanese Labor Government is committed to achieving better outcomes for First Nations children, young people and their families.

An independent National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People will be officially operational from 13 January next year to progress this aim.

The Commission has now been established as an Executive Agency under the Public Service Act 1999 with applications for the role of the National Commissioner to open this month.