Hello to everyone there at Optus Stadium – and thank you for this opportunity.

I would like to begin today by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this event is taking place, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the audience today.

I really appreciate the chance to contribute to such an important event with such a crucial focus.

I commend the organisers of the 2023 Mining Industry Summit for putting together a program that places the spotlight on driving respect in the mining sector.

Improving the culture of the sector is a priority for me and for the government.

The resources sector employs more than a quarter of a million workers.

Of those, nearly 50,000 are women.

Sadly, mining is one of the industries in which sexual harassment and workplace discrimination is most prevalent.

The Australian Human Rights Commission last year published the fifth national survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces.

Alarmingly, the survey identified that 32 per cent of mining workers – and 62 per cent of women in mining – experienced sexual harassment in the last five years.

Just two per cent of people who were harassed made a formal report or complaint.

We need to do better.

The industry needs to do better.  Not simply because it is right and lawful. But if the industry is to address skills shortages it must demonstrate to women – particularly young women – that the resources sector can provide a safe and respectful workplace.

Given the significant skills shortages we are seeing across the resources sector and the wider economy, we cannot have a mining and energy sector which inhibits women’s full participation.

We are taking action to stop sexual harassment in any workplace by implementing all 55 recommendations of the Respect@Work Report.

We have passed the Respect at Work Act though Parliament.

The law now places a duty on all employers to eliminate sexual harassment and sexual assault in workplaces, and that includes the resources sector.

Employers must implement change now.

We need cultural change across the sector.

We are also working with industry to enforce compliance with the law to ensure we have safe and inclusive workplaces … workplaces that welcome, encourage, value and support women to have rewarding careers in resources.

I must take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts made so far by the resources industry to address workplace sexual harassment.

But these efforts must continue if we are going to see genuine and long-lasting change.

I want to finish by emphasising that the health and safety of all workers in the resources sector is paramount.

Every worker has the right to be treated respectfully, equally and be free from workplace harassment.

By bringing everyone across the sector on this journey, we can create a real cultural shift and help make careers in resources and mining even more attractive for people from all corners of the community.

On a final note, as you know we will hold a referendum later this year to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the establishment of a Voice in the Constitution.

Most major resources companies have long been strong supporters of this constitutional change and I thank you for that.

I encourage everyone here to consider where they will stand at this moment in history and to show your support for both the historic vote, and its implementation.

Thank you again and enjoy the summit.