Media Release – Inaugural Gender Budget Impact Statement Must Be Genuine

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today released evaluation criteria by which to assess Tasmania’s inaugural Gender Budget Impact Statement (GBIS) expected as part of Thursday’s State Budget.

“I welcome the government’s recent commitment to introduce gender responsive budgeting,” Ms Webb said.

“However, the inaugural Gender Budget Impact Statement must be a genuine and honest evaluation of the budget’s ramifications for women, men and gender-diverse Tasmanians, and not be reduced to just a self-congratulatory propaganda exercise.

“Put bluntly, a meaningful Gender Budget Impact Statement is not a glossy ‘good news’ list of expenditure announcements lumped beneath a ‘women’s issues’ banner.

“The GBIS should pull together the results of a comprehensive gender responsive budgeting process, and deliver a frank critique of the projected impact of the government’s expenditure and taxation priorities, including whether and how they will challenge entrenched social and economic gender inequalities.”

Ms Webb said the GBIS should also provide clear, measurable benchmarks against which immediate and long-term delivery and impacts can be evaluated.

“I recognise that the initial GBIS  will not be perfect and there will need to be ongoing development. However, the Government is on notice that merely rolling out a glossy spending ‘highlights’ list will not cut it.”

Ms Webb first called for the introduction of a rigorous Gender Budget Impact Statement and gender responsive budgeting in her response to the November 2020-21 State Budget, and the Legislative Council passed unanimously her motion calling for its introduction on 8 March this year, International Women’s Day.

“Following the Upper House’s unanimous vote in support for my motion calling for a genuine and analytical Gender Budget Impact Statement to be introduced during the upcoming State Budget, the government announced its intention to do so and, commendably, began a consultation process.  However, proof will be in the pudding we are served on Thursday.”

Background:

• Legislative Council Hansard, Meg Webb MLC’s successful motion calling for a 2022-23 State Budget Gender Impact Statement, International Women’s Day, 8 March 2022 – available here.
• Australia first introduced a Women’s Budget Statement as part of the 1984-85 Federal Budget. This ceased in 2014 with the first Abbot-Hockey Budget, but was re-established in the 2021-22 Federal Budget.

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

See more of Meg’s media releases here.