Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Tackling the Gender Super Gap)

Second reading speech Liberal Party • Senator • 13 May 2026

Matt O'Sullivan wholeheartedly supports the bill, arguing that its voluntary superannuationMoney saved for retirement. balance transfers would give couples more flexibility and help reduce women's retirement savings disadvantage caused by caring responsibilities and economic abuse.

“It gives me great pleasure to rise to speak on the Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Tackling the Gender Super Gap) Bill 2025, and I commend Senator Hume for bringing forward this very important private senator's bill. It's something that I wholeheartedly support, and I encourage the Senate to do so. This bill works to ensure that the retirement outcomes for women and families are fairer and more flexible. The tackling the gender super gap bill 2025 is designed to address one of the most persistent and unfair challenges in the super system, the gender superannuation gap. In August 2025, a Super Members Council report said:”

Second reading speech Liberal Party • Senator • 24 June 2026

O'Sullivan's remarks do not address the bill's substance or state a position, but his recorded vote for the second reading indicates support for its passage.

“Mr Deputy President, I'd like to seek your clarification—maybe you can come back to the chamber or have the President do it—in relation to the use of the word 'lie'. My understanding is that there hasn't been a ruling in this chamber against the use of just that word. Of course, under longstanding provisions, one shouldn't be accusing an individual, a member, a senator or anyone of any office of being a liar. But simply referring to a lie is not against the standing orders.”

Second reading speech Liberal Party • Senator • 05 Nov 2025

Askew supports the bill because it gives couples a voluntary, tax-neutral way to equalise their superannuationMoney saved for retirement. balances and improve retirement security for women whose savings were reduced by caring responsibilities and part-time work.

“The bill that has been introduced by my colleague Senator Hume looks to solve the problem in an ingenious way. It doesn't raise taxes, it doesn't spend public money and it doesn't make the system unfair. It simply allows people to use the money in the system and get it to where it needs to go, closing the gender gap in superannuation. The bill does something simple and powerful. It allows spouses to even up their super balances by rolling over an amount from the higher-balance partner to the lower-balance partner during the relationship, deliberately and with clear guardrails. It recognises that families make shared choices and should be able to share retirement security. It creates a voluntary once-per-year opportunity for a spouse to transfer part of their accumulated super to their partner's fund, up to a limit that equalises balances but never breaches the transfer balance cap.”

Second reading speech Liberal Party • Senator • 13 May 2026

Askew supports the bill because it gives couples a voluntary, safeguarded way to equalise their superannuationMoney saved for retirement. balances and reduce the retirement savings gap caused by women's lower earnings and caring responsibilities.

“Senator Hume's bill offers a sensible, voluntary fix. It allows couples, during their relationship, to even up super balances with strong safeguards, no new taxes and no public spending. It simply shares retirement security, the way families already share, work and sacrifice. It is a practical response to a structural inequity, which is why the bill has my support.”

Second reading speech Liberal Party • Senator • 13 May 2026

Henderson strongly supports the bill, arguing that allowing spouses to split their superannuationMoney saved for retirement. balances annually would narrow the gender super gap and improve retirement security for women who take time away from work to raise children.

“This shocking budget is in stark contrast to the gender super gap bill that we're debating this morning, which is all about fairness and all about justice. It gives spouses the option to split their collective superannuation balances evenly between them on an ongoing annual basis. It makes the superannuation system fairer for women. It gives women confidence in their retirements, in their futures and in their families. It gives women the confidence to say: 'Yes, I can properly take time off work to raise my children and stay at home. We don't have to, as a family, both be working full time just to pay the bills and make ends meet.' If this bill is passed, we will have a superannuation system that supports families.”

Second reading speech Liberal Party • Senator • 24 June 2026

Henderson supports the bill because allowing spouses to split their combined superannuationMoney saved for retirement. balances evenly would improve retirement outcomes for women, who generally have lower balances.

“When it comes to the superannuation savings of Australian women, again I want to say how important this bill is to continue the good work of the coalition in making and improving retirement outcomes, particularly for women, and making superannuation fairer and more flexible. Women need a much bigger hand of help than men because they have, on average, lower superannuation balances. The idea that spouses have the option to split their collective superannuation balances evenly between them is a very fair and very exciting proposal for our country and for every Australian family. It sits in stark contrast to the shocking deal that was made in this place just yesterday, which will be pushed through the parliament, meaning anyone who's decided to invest in their own self-managed superannuation fund has now been sold up the river by the Albanese government.”