Hockey's answer to the gender pay gap

WOMEN earn less money than men because they tend to work in industries that pay less, Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey says.

But he told the National Press Club in Canberra today that the pay gap was narrowing.

During a debate on industrial relations, Labor's industrial relations spokeswoman Julia Gillard said the Government's Work Choices had slashed women's pay.

"The statistics speak for themselves," said Ms Gillard, who is also Deputy Labor Leader.

"If you're working full-time as a woman on an Australian Workplace Agreement you're over $87 worse off a week. If you're working part-time you're also worse off, casual you're also worse off."

Ms Gillard said much of the inequity was because women tended to work in jobs where they had little bargaining power.

"It does concern me that women have gone backward in recent times, that the gender gap is increasing rather than closing and I think we can put that down to what's happening with Work Choices."

But Mr Hockey said the pay gap had narrowed since the Coalition had been in governmen.

"Overwhelmingly, the challenge is that male-dominated industries at the moment such as mining and construction are paying a hell of a lot more than female-dominated industries such as retail and hospitality."

Mr Hockey was keen to defend the Liberal Party's record on women and said the Government had put more women in senior positions than any previous government.

"We've had more women in cabinet, we've had more women in ministerial positions and we've actually had more women in parliament than any other parliamentary party and it was the Liberal Party that of course had the first female representative in parliament," he said.

"We are very proud of being a modern party and a government."

Ms Gillard said women made up about a quarter of the House of Representatives members and that must expand.

"We're obviously in a major period of change. There are a lot of women in politics now but there needs to be more," she said.

"I think people want to see women stepping forward and taking a fair share of all the roles in politics."

Source: news.com.au