Beaumont Carol: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Beaumont Carol: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:675;Page:21353] 
10. 
CAROL BEAUMONT (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Women’s Affairs 
: As we prepare to celebrate Suffrage Day what improved outcomes for New Zealand women can she point to as a result of initiatives by her Government? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Acting Minister of Women’s Affairs) 
: This Government has made a number of reforms that have led to improved outcomes for women. For example we have made changes to our tax system that have seen the after-tax average wage increase 2 percent faster than inflation over the last year and this has put money back into women’s pockets. We have also introduced police safety orders which allow the police to remove an alleged violent person from the home for a period of up to 5 days. Over 5000 of these orders have been issued since their introduction in July of last year and over 80 percent of these orders have been issued to protect women. 
Carol Beaumont 
: What advice has she given the Prime Minister about his stated intention to “look closely at” the gender pay gap of 27.5 percent in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet or his commitment “to take action to deal with any pay discrimination” in response to a question about the significant pay gaps in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Treasury the Ministry of Education and Crown Law? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: Far be it from me to give the Prime Minister any advice. I am sure that he is paying attention to that issue for himself. But I would point out that the gender pay gap has fallen from 13 percent in 2008 to 10.6 percent in 2010 and that is the lowest it has ever been. 
Carol Beaumont 
: Why has the Minister moved from a goal committed to over 22 years supported by both National and Labour Governments and promoted by many including former National Prime Minister Jenny Shipley of having women make up 50 percent of appointments to Government-appointed statutory boards to a goal of 43 percent as she stated when discussing this year’s women’s affairs estimates? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: It is my understanding that this Government has maintained the previous level of about 40 percent of the appointments being women. 
Carol Beaumont 
: What specific action is she taking in light of the UN Women report  
In Pursuit of Justice: Progress of the World’s Women 2011-12 
 which states that New Zealand has the highest rates of physical and sexual violence against women in the OECD? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: Can I refer the member back to the answer that I gave to the primary question. We introduced the police safety orders of which there have been 5000 issued since July of last year and over 80 percent of those were issued to protect women. 
Carol Beaumont 
: Which of these changes affecting New Zealand women does she believe to be the most worthy of celebrating on Suffrage Day this year: scrapping the pay and employment equity unit; passing the fire-at-will bill which disproportionately affects women; cutting successful family violence prevention programmes and creating uncertainty for the Girls’ Self Defence Project; or decreasing the number of women in leadership positions as highlighted by the  
New Zealand Census of Women’s Participation 2010 
? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I would not agree with the premises of any of those suggestions but I would point out that the Pay and Employment Equity Taskforce was established in 2004 with a 5-year plan of action. This Government at the end of those 5 years ended it.