RESPONSES FROM COALITION RESPONSES FROM LABOR
In the lead up to the 2019 Federal Election DCA asked the two major parties a series of questions from our own research about where they stand on diversity and inclusion in Australian workplaces. We asked about the following issues:
- Respect & Recognition for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Actions in relation to Constitutional Recognition and plans to address calls for truth-telling and treaty. Policies and plans to support Australian organisations to create inclusive workplaces and provide safe, welcoming and culturally competent environments for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples to work.
- Gender equality in workforce participation. Policies and plans to address the availability, affordability and accessibility of childcare. Potential changes to Government funded paid parental leave. Plans for improving the uptake of parental leave by men. Policies and programs to increase women in leadership roles, in corporate Australia, government sector and/or in Parliament. Actions to address workforce gender segregation. Specifically, any plans to increase the ratio of women in STEM professions, and the ratio of men in caring professions.
- Domestic violence. Policies in relation to supporting and protecting victims of domestic violence in the workplace.
- Pay equity. Actions to address discrimination in work practices; reduce disincentives to increasing workforce participation; and to increase pay transparency and reporting on gender pay gaps.
- People with disability. Policies or plans to improve employment opportunities of people with disability.
- Carers. Policies to support workers who are also carers.
- Mature age workers. Policies to drive workforce participation and retention of mature age workers.
- Younger workers. Policies to address harassment and discrimination of younger workers.
- Culturally diverse Australians. Policies to enable workforce participation of people from culturally diverse backgrounds, including in relation to their representation in leadership roles. Actions to improve Asia capability for the future workforce.
- LGBTIQ+ employees. Policies to prevent discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation of LGBTIQ+ people and their families, both in the workforce and more generally.
- Flexible work. Proposed measures to enable the mainstreaming of flexible work for all people, for any reason.
- Innovation: automation, artificial intelligence and the future of work. Actions to ensure that existing structural inequalities are not exacerbated by technology.
- The Racial Discrimination Act. Position on legislative protections against racial discrimination.
- Sexual harassment in the workplace. Action to prevent workplace sex-based and sexual harassment.