This election will have significant consequences for women

The election campaign is officially on, with Prime Mininster Anthony Albanese setting a May 3 date for Australians to head to the polls.

This campaign will be a real test of our democracy. It will test our resolve on misinformation and populist fearmongering. It will be a battle for attention, with politicians doing everything possible to get their message in front of audiences.

It will also be a further test of what we expect from two-party politics, with independents and minor parties set to challenge and garner strong support and the current likelihood that we’ll end up with a minority government.

It will be a period of culture wars, and some of those campaigning will be tested to stoke such fires.

And it will be a period of political advertising that could get ugly. Indeed, even more ugly than what we’ve seen from Clive Palmer’s efforts in recent weeks.

The campaign and the ultimate outcomes will be seriously consequential for Australian women, especially at a time when women’s rights globally are under attack.

So, what can we expect over the next five weeks, aside from traditional and new forms of political campaigning?

The hope is that we’ll see more detail on the election outcomes, provided that it goes beyond empty rhetoric and campaign slogans, especially when it comes to the limited platform promises outlined so far.

From the Albanese Government’s budget this week, we see a platform forming around some of the cost-of-living measures announced in Tuesday’s Budget—including a small tax cut, energy relief, and Medicare funding to cut bills—as well as a promise to make the “campaign about policy substance and hope and optimism for our country.”

The PM also highlighted in his address this morning that Australia needs to “trust in our values and back our people” and that, “we do not need to copy from any other nation to make Australia even better and stronger.”

From the opposition, it’s looking like a plan based on a promise that the “Liberal party will always manage the economy more effectively”, promising a “turning point” on the cost of living crisis. Dutton will also press ahead with his plan for nuclear energy by building seven nuclear power plants with the first to come online by 2035, and announced plans last night to commit $1 billion to expand gas pipelines with the line, “energy is the economy”. Dutton has also reiterated this morning his desire to slash 41,000 public sector jobs. “There’s no doubt in my mind that there’s a productivity increase in this decision,” he told reporters this morning.

From the Greens, leader Adam Bandt this morning prioritised the push for more public and social housing, taxing mining corporations, getting dental covered by Medicare and noted the “incredible opportunity” that he believes exists in a minority government.

From some of the independents, including those who have become known as the “Teal” independents, suggest that it will be a platform of integrity and climate action.

We’ll be here to cover as much of it as possible, especially regarding women’s representation, and how policy promises would ultimately impact women.

So far, some of the major consequences for women from the election will include:

1. Women’s political representation. The representation of women in the lower and upper houses will change post election. How women are treated during the campaign will, sadly, likely influence the desire for women to put their hands up to run for office in the future.
2. Women’s workforce participation. Each party will have ideas for addressing women’s workforce participation and the gender pay gap. This includes promises around more affordable childcare and promises that may have unintended consequences for women’s workforce participation.
3. The gender pay gap. This includes how policies favour specific industries over others, especially in workforces dominated by women, such as the undervalued and underpaid care sectors. It also includes policies around superannuation and how such policies affect the superannuation gap.
4. Australia’s place internationally on addressing climate change and managing international security. This is especially significant as climate change, conflict and growing inequality are having increasingly devastating consequences on vulnerable groups globally, including women and girls.
5. Inequality, poverty and housing security. With the gender pay and superannuation gap, women continue to retire into poverty. They are heading up the bulk of sole parent households in Australia that are on the poverty line. As such, cost-of-living measures like tax cuts that better support the lower income brackets, as well as policies for saving on things like energy bills, make a significant difference. Meanwhile, the supply of more social housing is critical for women, especially those escaping domestic and family violence.
6. Culture wars, and how they impact outcomes for women and marginalised groups. There’s been much conversation since Trump’s inauguration as to how much the backlash against Diversity and Inclusion will filter through to Australian politics, and especially employers.
7. Women’s health. While the Coalition has promised to match Labor’s commitments on women’s health spending, there is significantly more opportunity to better address a broader range of women’s health mechanisms.
8. Women’s safety and Domestic and family violence, in terms of funding committed for supporting frontline services and prevention mechanisms.

The election is ON! And we’ll be covering it fiercely, with a focus on women. Our content is free for everyone, but you can help us tell more meaningful stories by becoming a member now.