With the latest Labor cabinet reshuffle, brought on by the resignation of Bill Shorten, comes the realisation that the Government now has 12 males and 11 females on its front bench – quite an extraordinary feat by Albanese and his party. Sad to say equality between the sexes in politics has never been accomplished in this country.
It raises an important question as to why the Australian media has largely overlooked the recognition that Labor’s recent achievement deserves. Given the historical context the Murdoch papers and dismissive views toward women, it is particularly disheartening to observe the minimal coverage this milestone has received.
Despite the significance of this accomplishment for women’s representation and equality in politics, there has been an alarming scarcity of articles, discussions, or social media commentary addressing it. This lack of attention not only undermines the efforts behind the achievement but also reflects a broader issue within media narratives surrounding women’s successes in Australia.
Peter Dutton will also reshuffle his front bench shortly, and we can then gauge the comparison of female inclusion together with his attitude toward women in his party.
The absence of women in both conservative parties has resulted in a noticeable neglect of key issues that resonate with women and demand their involvement. As a consequence, the leadership under Dutton appears indifferent to these concerns, allowing them to persist unaddressed and eventually fade from focus.
Dutton has left most of the heavy lifting of policy direction for women to his deputy, Sussan Ley, who spends more time waging culture wars and posting inflammatory tweets than building a policy platform to woo back female voters. To her credit, Ley has actively organised women’s roundtables, emphasising the importance of the party’s engagement with women’s issues. During these discussions, she has consistently highlighted the critical topics of domestic and gender-based violence, demonstrating her commitment to understanding and addressing the challenges faced by women in society. Dutton remains singularly unimpressed.
However, it must be said that the Coalition has a contemptible history of not accommodating women within their parties. They are still ostensibly men’s clubs, and it takes women of strength to break down the front door.
There are many instances of male superiority in both the Liberal and (look at the saying of Tony Abbott below) National coalition parties, so much so that there is no attempt to hide their misogyny. This article by Amy Remeiks demonstrates the countless opportunities the Coalition have had to promote women but overlooked them for men.
“They do not have a women’s problem but a male one,” Remeiks said.
“I think it would be folly to expect that women will ever dominate or even approach equal representation in a large number of areas simply because their aptitudes, abilities and interests are different for physiological reasons.” (Tony Abbott).
So far, five men have been preselected for seats vacated by retiring Liberal MPs, while only one woman. With her impressive credentials as a former CEO and current head of Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand corporate affairs, Mary Aldred represents a significant figure in this selection process, being the only female Liberal candidate running in a seat where a current member is retiring.
Gisele Kapterian defeated Warren Mundine, a vocal opponent of the Voice referendum, in a decisive outcome won pre selection for the seat of Bradden.
Women aiming to represent the conservative parties often find it easier to secure pre-selection in seats viewed as unwinnable. However, this trend is problematic; women have only been preselected for 11 out of the 31 available spots. This minimal representation does not reflect the potential and capability of women within the Coalition. Alarmingly, only 30 per cent of Liberal Federal MPs and senators are women, while the Labor party leads with a striking 52 per cent female representation. The Liberal Party must address this imbalance to foster true inclusivity and effectiveness in governance.
Now, let me take you back to the year 2012 and Julia Gillard’s now internationally famous misogyny speech.
With the advent of a minority government (and a woman as its leader) in Australia, the fourth estate (with mainly male journalists) decided they would have none of it. In the previous two years, the Prime Minister was subjected to the worst possible sexism. Murdoch Newspapers treated Julia Gillard with the utmost disrespect. Opposition leader Tony Abbott, on a daily basis, derided policy and even her attire and how her partner at the time dressed her hair.
Meanwhile, while the Murdoch journalists typed away at their grotty keyboards, they lost any sense of balance and reason; they allowed the opposition leader to escape scrutiny. So engrossed were they with the bringing down of a female Prime Minister that they permitted Abbott to spread his negativity and sexism like rust through the community.
So embarrassing was their misreporting that they misread entirely the significance of her misogyny speech. How was it that the international media could pick up on the reality that it was about sexism, while our Australian Murdoch press was only interested in the slop of their importance? Mass reporting of the events worldwide and two million hits of her speech on YouTube confirmed that sexism was alive and despised.
For half a century I have immersed myself in the intricate world of Australian politics, embracing its fierce debates and the theatricality that often accompanies it. Throughout this journey, I have witnessed the monumental rise and fall of key figures on both sides of the political spectrum, each with their own dramatic narratives. My passion for the subject runs deep, and I openly admit to being a political tragic, constantly seeking to broaden my understanding. Along the way, I’ve encountered a myriad of political scandals that have shaped the landscape of the nation – none more striking than the tumultuous Whitlam era, during which an unelected head of state audaciously dismissed an elected Prime Minister, a moment that reverberated through the annals of Australian history.
But most problems that society faces arise from the fact that men have never really grown up. However, nothing approaches the stench surrounding the Opposition’s treatment of women. And even worse is their uninterest in doing something about it.
This serves as yet another compelling reason for voters to turn away Dutton and the Coalition in the upcoming election.
My thought for the day
At some time in the human narrative… in our history, man declared himself superior to women. It must have been an accident, or at least an act of gross stupidity. But that’s men for you.
Also by John Lord: The Trump Report: The Inauguration
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The problem with women making it anywhere in the Coalition is that they don’t say anything memorable (ie that which is likely to be picked up and broadcast widely in many media). The “talking points” of Coalition utterances that women members have to subscribe to are essentially male and economic. Those statements are not “memorable”. Statements that are memorable do not have to make sense – they just have to resonate with the electorate.
I propose a little test: is there a woman politician of any party who will come out and say that the opposition party is so incompetent “you would not trust them to look after your dog for a week” . That would be memorable while not saying much of substance. See what I mean?
It’s the old adage: Seen but not heard.
And that’s just the way the little dicks club likes it.
It was quite revealing of Murdoch mentality that the only questions that a Journalist from The Australian could think of asking at the National Press Club were about broken promises by the Albanese government : failure to deliver stage three tax cuts as per Morrison plan : failure to deliver $275 electricity rebate : failure to deliver Voice Referendum.
This is what they call failure !!
These people appear to live in a parallel universe !
Terrence, l think they live somewhere that doesn’t have a name . It’s part of their non commitment to anything.
Somevilliage. Some good thoughts. Thanks.
Thanks John, I have always respected your work, having been introduced to it my my Dad as I entered voting age a few decades ago.
I just cannot believe that some Australian women think that the LNP is able to represent them effectively – I speak as a dad with two adult daughters.
That huge cadaverous mediaeval grub, R Merde-Dog, employs yabbering defective males, who would not find work at a respectable and intelligent site, and embraces yabbering defective attitudes. Women find little opportunity in the Illiberals or the FoxPox arena, unless they seem brutal and unseeing on wider scales. As for Abbott the podpolishing peanut failed priest, little good can be said, except about his shrivelling. Local media and politics has a smell of decay…stay away, ladies.
The ‘opposition’ and their flunky amanuenses of our disgraceful mainstream media have no intention of leading with the front foot of modernity in science, economics or matters social. These pathetic snarks seeking a sinecure, live in a bloody mindset of regression to suit the crusty old usurious farts and their fortunes from the destructive original Industrial Revolution (IR), and the guile of IR#2 – post-WWII designer paradise deception, and IR#3 – computerization. They are all now an intrinsic part and promoters of IR#4 – information – lies, misinformation / disinformation and deception, working hand-in-glove with the world destroying, delinquent Techbros.
False pride and fragile ego prevent them from recanting their BS. It’s all part now of the plutocratic nightmare and destruction via the Trumpian autocracy. The great con and suck-in, by the arch narcissist and misogynist DJT.
It wasn’t an accident, John Lord. I also doubt it was stupidity. It was a deliberate imposition of might-makes-right power by those terrified of the capacity of female humans.