Media Release – Legislative Council Votes for Gender Budget Impact Proposal

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb said today the Legislative Council today voted for the next State Budget to include a Gender Budget Impact Statement.

“What a fabulous way to commemorate International Women’s Day and deliver on its theme of breaking the bias!” Ms Webb said.

“The Legislative Council has agreed gender responsive budgeting processes should be hardwired into the state budget cycle, beginning with the May State Budget, to ensure any spending or cuts proposed are assessed for any gender equality implications and are reported upon.

“This vote is a vote for gender equality, a vote to ‘break the bias’ that may be ingrained in our policy and budgeting structural infrastructure and processes, and a vote for this reform to be delivered within a specified timeframe.”

“This is a vote in support of Tasmania joining our Federal and interstate counterparts in providing transparent and world’s best practice by ensuring a gender lens is applied to key government decision-making processes.”

Ms Webb urged the Gutwein Liberal Government to deliver and demonstrate its commitment to breaking the bias in the May State Budget.

“A gender budget impact assessment will not only focus upon how budgetary processes and priorities impact upon women and girls, but will also include men, boys, LGBTIQ+ Tasmanians, and those who identify as non-binary.”

Text of Ms Webb’s Motion supported by the Legislative Council this afternoon:

(1)        That the Legislative Council notes:

(a)        The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Council of Europe defines gender responsive budgeting as: “Gender budgeting is an application of gender mainstreaming in the budgetary process. It means a gender-based assessment of budgets, incorporating a gender perspective at all levels of the budgetary process and restructuring revenues and expenditures in order to promote gender equality”;

(b)        in 2019, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated, “Gender equity, achieved through gender responsive budgeting, is more than a human rights issue. It’s an economic imperative”; and

(c)        Gender Equity Victoria defines the three key areas of gender budgeting as:

(i)         gender-informed resource allocation whereby individual policy decisions and/or   funding allocations take into account the impact of the decision on gender equality;

(ii)        analysis at the sectorial level of the impact of decisions on gender equality within that  sector or industry; and

(iii)       assessment of the impact of the budget as a whole is subject to some degree of gender analysis.

(2)        That the Legislative Council further notes:

(a)        Australia was recognised as a pioneer and global leader in developing an analytical gender lens to evaluate economic infrastructure and outcomes, by including the nation’s first Women’s Budget Statement in the 1984-85 Federal Budget;

(b)        the National Gender Budget Statement stopped being produced in 2014, but was reinstated by the Federal government in the 2021-22 Federal Budget Papers;

(c)        Victoria has produced a Gender Budget Impact Statement as part of its State Budget Papers  since its introduction in the 1986-87 Budget year; and

(d)        gender responsive budgeting would provide another tool within the State legislative and policy framework to facilitate improved economic security for, and economic participation  of, Tasmanian women and gender-diverse communities.

(3)        That the Legislative Council calls upon the Tasmanian Government to:

(a)        Develop genuine whole-of-government gender-responsive budgeting processes; and

(b)        introduce an analytical Budget Gender Impact Statement as part of the 2022-23 State Budget papers.

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Media Contact: A.Mark Thomas, M&M Communications, 0422 006 732