Nationals senator Matt Canavan has doubled down on his controversial claims that national pay gap data was ‘useless’, claiming men are overlooked for promotions because of their gender and making a weird link to controversial influencer Andrew Tate.
The Workplace Gender and Equality Agency released individual employers’ gender pay gaps for the first time on Tuesday.
It revealed a median male worker in earned $96,945 on average, with women making 19 per cent less at $78,484 per year.
After bipartisan leaders knocked down his claims that the data has bred ‘resentment and division’ on Tuesday, Senator Canavan launched into a second tirade when asked about the issue on breakfast television on Wednesday.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan said pay gap data was ‘useless’ and claimed men are being overlooked for a promotion because of their gender
Mr Canavan made a link to Andrew Tate – a controversial influencer known as ‘the king of toxic masculinity’
‘This data, though, is complete nonsense. Why is of all of your taxes going to collect a series of data which doesn’t compare jobs like for like which lumps in part-time workers with full-time workers?’ he told Nine’s Today.
‘The big issue right now that I get feedback on is young men, in particular, are constantly told you’re not getting promoted because you’re a man. I hear that all the time.
‘That’s why Andrew Tate is the most googled man in the world.’
Tate is a divisive online influencer who is most known for being a self-professed ‘king of toxic masculinity’.
He is facing charges of human trafficking and rape in Romania, allegations that he has denied.
When asked about Senator Canavan’s initial claims at a press conference on Tuesday, Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said she strongly disagreed with his comments.
‘I reject all those comments but, again, people are entitled to express their views,’ she said.
‘We are working hard to demonstrate to the women who didn’t support us at the last election that we are a different party, that we have their needs and aspirations front and centre.’
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