The Greens welcome tri-partisan support for the Senate Inquiry into the gender retirement income gap, established in the Senate late yesterday.

Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for women and co-sponsor of the move for a Senate Inquiry, said:

"Women retire with far less savings than men, after a lifetime of a gender pay gap and a greater share of unpaid caring responsibilities.

"With the fastest growing cohort of homeless being older women, it's timely for the Senate to examine the structural inequities which are seeing women retire in poverty.

Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for women, on Tony Abbott's comments about women in the Liberal Party: 

What is the gender pay gap?

Australia’s gender pay gap is 16.2%- the highest for two decades. In 2016, we should be well on the way to gender equality.  We must fix this disgrace.

COAG must reinstate funding for domestic violence services

Acting Greens Leader Larissa Waters says state and territory leaders have the power and responsibility to do much more than talk about how to address domestic violence at today’s COAG meeting.

“For all the talk, families need to see some action. Lives are depending on it,” said Senator Waters.

“The COAG leaders should be demanding Tony Abbott show them the money.

The Abbott Government must take note of the Essential Research poll released today showing 74 per cent of Australians believe domestic violence is as or more threatening than terrorism.

"While the community is taking domestic violence seriously, the Abbott Government has still failed to reverse its cuts to domestic violence services," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, said.

The Greens will join with 'Stop Taxing My Period' campaign organiser Subeta Vimalarajah in Sydney on Wednesday to call on the NSW Government to hurry up and get on board with ending the tampon tax.

Ms Vimalarajah's online petition topped 100,000 signatures over the long weekend but the NSW Government is still refusing to join other states in agreeing the tax should be scrapped.

The Australian Greens have long called for domestic violence leave and are disappointed at the big parties' failure to back the ACTU's proposal.

Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, said:

"It's deeply disappointing that both big parties appear to be rejecting the ACTU's proposal for domestic violence leave, championed by our brave, determined Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty.

"While Bill Shorten has made some noncommittal remarks, Labor is failing to back the desperately needed proposal.