In response to Malcolm Turnbull’s “Remarks to 2016 International Women’s Day Parliamentary Breakfast,” I would like to use this most innovative medium that women all over the world have the most exciting time using, to turn his waffle into some real food for thought.
Turnbull: It is well-known that when a woman is empowered, the whole economy, the whole community benefits – women that hold up more than half the sky in reality.
The Australian Liberal Party ideology of austerity and punitive measures to ‘manage’ the economy disempowers the most vulnerable of women. Women face the disempowerment of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace and disempowerment and the trauma of breastfeeding discrimination by the public.
The punitive measure of forcing single mothers to seek employment is a discrimination that married men and women do not have to face. Income management degrades and stigmatises women at the checkout. The cuts to family payments place an undue burden on women who are the managers of household finances. Cuts to family payments and pensions disempower women by restricting their choices as wives, mothers and friends.
The disparity between Indigenous women and other women in the population is even greater.
Women are not holding up half the sky. We are trying to stop the bastard from falling in!
Turnbull: Critical to any economy and society is ensuring that we have access to the ingenuity, the enterprise, the intellect of the whole community – in our schools, in our workplaces, and in the innovative industries of the future.
For women to advance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths areas of enterprise, there needs to be support from day one. This means that ALL girls, regardless of income, geographic location or background, need to have supportive Government funded education programs from Prep to PhD.
Turnbull is doing nothing but paying lip service to this though cuts to Gonski Funding and his 100% support of the 100,000 dollar university degrees is not a good start for any women or girls.
You simply cannot have ingenuity and equal access to the ‘enterprise’ within the workplace and innovative industries without fully supporting Gonski.
No human being in this country, let alone women in regional and rural areas, will have a hope of advancing technology-based industries in this country without an efficient and effective NBN.
Women with a disability will have this further out of reach, without critical needs being met if the NDIS is not fully funded.
What would be innovative is if the Turnbull put a dam in his waffle and gave a damn. (That actually would be real incremental innovation!).
Turnbull: Ensuring that that the power of women is brought to bear, is enabled, empowered, that rich human capital and increasing their participation in the workforce, must be a critical part of every government’s agenda to secure the economic future of the nation. Australia’s best assets, its best capital, is its human capital. Our greatest value, our greatest asset is not under the ground, it’s all of us, all of you – 24 million of us – and half of that population are women.
Power for women will be brought to bear, when women stop making up the bulk of insecure, casualised and lowest paid employment in our country.
When a system is brought into redress the superannuation disparity for women in this country, rather than cutting superannuation for the lowest paid workers.
When women are given the power to have confidence in the workplace and never face pregnancy discrimination.
Women will be given power when their human capital is respected as valuable as the human capital of men and the glass ceiling becomes folklore.
Women could be given power if the intellectual capital of the Liberal Government could view the cuts to penalty rates as an attack on the women, who can only source this type of work, due to family circumstances.
What is critical is that women voters, all 12 million of us, need to realise that the Liberal Government’s underpinning ideology of austerity and individualism, takes power from women and particularly for those who are disadvantaged.
Turnbull: Now as well as financial and economic security, it is absolutely vital that women live free from violence and are safe in their communities. It is time to confront this very important fact: society’s attitude towards women, the value we place on women, the regard we have for women, is directly connected to the violence that is committed against women. This is really, I believe, one of the most important facts of all.
It is absolutely vital that all women live free from violence. This includes LGBTI women who should always feel safe at school and an inquiry into whether that is necessary, will only reinforce that violence is OK.
Women need to be safe online and protected by law from revenge porn.
Women need to be given the best opportunities at life through a GONSKI education framework, which enables them the best opportunities for not only education and work, but also to have the educational proficiency to understand their rights and to navigate the social support systems in place.
Women seeking asylum also need to be free from violence. From the countries they are fleeing and from violence in offshore detention camps. Women should not have to live in fear of violence in indefinite and prolonged detention.
Women should be safe from rape and assault and not be subject to more intense and prolonged questioning than other violence and abuse claims in the court of law.
Women should be free from violence through the support of fully funded legal centres not cuts to them.
What is absolutely vital is that in Turnbull’s 100% support for the 2014 budget and supporting everything Tony Abbott set out to achieve; that he recognises that every single cut to funding services, every single closure, every single and punitive policy enables a culture of violence towards women.
Turnbull: Disrespecting women does not always result in violence against women, but all violence against women begins with disrespect for women. All violence against women begins with disrespecting.
Disrespecting women means not enabling a culture where women must face personal gendered questions at pre-selection to be voices in our parliament.
Disrespecting women means spying on a female Senator who was just doing her job.
Disrespecting women means holding up signs saying “Ditch the Witch”.
Disrespecting women is trying to abolish the unions who stand up for the rights of women at work.
Disrespecting women means not acting quickly when a male politician gropes a female worker on an official business trip.
Disrespecting women means promoting a male politician who once implied others would like to ‘Slit Julia Gillard’s throat.’
Disrespecting women is trying to force a female President of the Human Rights Commission to resign because they have uncovered ugly truths.
Disrespecting women is taking an extraordinary amount of time to replace the Sex Discrimination Commissioner.
Disrespecting women with a disability is abolishing the Disability Commissioner.
Disrespecting women is cutting family payments
Disrespecting women is to force single mothers away from their children into work when coupled women have the privilege of choice.
Disrespecting women is the criminalisation of abortion in some states.
Disrespecting women is not paying the Matildas, the BEST football team in Australia’s history a proper professional wage.
Disrespecting women is not allowing women to marry the woman of their choice.
Disrespecting women is not speaking up loudly to protect a former Chief of Staff against current sexist imputations as the result of a ‘tell all book.’
Disrespecting women is encouraging them to vote Liberal.
Turnbull: Gender equality – I repeat – is an economic and social priority for Australia – it’s good for women, families, business and our economy.
So, I want to ask all of us here today to do all we can to ensure that all women are afforded equal economic and social opportunities to men. And I call on men, women, business and government to work together to lead the cultural change required to ensure that women are respected, are represented, have a strong voice, are financially and economically secure, and are safe from violence.
If this is a sincere claim, the Prime Minister of Australia would encourage all voters in support of all women to put the Liberals and Nationals last.
Originally published on Polyfeministix
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Nicely put, Trish. It just highlights how cheap words are when spoken from a high place.
Disrespecting women starts in the playground.
Bringing up children is the most important occupation a human can do in their lifetime.
As a single person, team, community or nation, the welfare and education of a child is paramount.
None of this is possible without respecting women and what they have to offer.
Thanks Trish Corry, for saying it how it is.
Trish, superb piece.
Thank you for contrasting so well Turnbull’s hypocritical words with his actions. I don’t know how the hell he didn’t choke on his words or at least blush in shame. He is a much, much better liar than Abbott. Scary.
As Penny Wong noted on Q&A last night, at least the Minister for Women is now a woman : things are looking up !
But she isn’t a feminist
“In terms of feminism, I’ve never been someone who really associates with that movement. That movement was a set of ideologies from many, many decades ago now.”
Yes, Trish, it is interesting that the ‘blame game’ with respect to the former leader and his assistant, has rapidly become an attack on her, rather than on the weakness of the leader. Of course, it takes two to play, one to control and one to allow it, but the one who apparently allowed it in this case should accept the greater responsibility given his claimed ‘leadership’ of this country.
Agree with everything except:
“Disrespecting women is not speaking up loudly to protect a former Chief of Staff against current sexist imputations as the result of a ‘tell all book.’”
From the scraps of quotes from “the book”, Credlin appears to be self assured, strong, competent, loyal, organised ….. hardly sexist imputations. I believe there may have been sexual imputations but they would, of course, apply to Abbott as well, so hardly sexist. Disrespecting one woman cannot be extrapolated to disrespecting all women; nor is disrespecting one woman, sexist.
Abbott has form when it comes to successful libel suits so the veracity of the “revelations” in the book will probably be tested in court.
Cash is worse than Abbott and way bitchier. I take no faith in her being minister for women. She is a skinnier version of The Trunchbull (with apologies to Roald Dahl). Great article Trish. Wish you were MfW
Have to agree with Geoff Andrews though! Credlin gave way better than she got. No sympathy for her megalomania. Abbott was completely controlled by Credlin and her gender put to one side, she had no right to govern when she had not been elected. They say behind every great man……. in Abbotts case he was behind her, cowering and apologising
As soon as there is any mention of empowerment there is an admission of dis empowerment. This dis empowerment extends beyond the major group of women to LBGTI, unemployed, unskilled, disabled, ethnicity, religion on and on. It is the best illustration of the abuse of position of privilege and the wanton disregard for the value of individuals by the responsibility of the powerful. It all make a complete farce of any reference to the value of human capital. “Acta non verba” actions not words was/is the motto of many schools but talk wins it is cheaper.
Thank you for a well written article. Will share everywhere I can.
Thanks everyone for your comments. Turnbull’s waffling on annoys me so much. He says so many things, so it must be good right? Ah No! He is the opposite to Trump. Trump uses very short sentences and very simple language and talks like a non-politician, so that appeals to people. Turnbull says so many things that people can’t be bothered to try to dissect it, so they just assume he is saying something good.
Kaye – I do not understand why women who ‘say’ they are for women’s rights, but refuse to ‘label’ themselves as a feminist. I don’t see it as a ‘label’ I see it identifying a term used so people understand I am pro-women’s rights. I was a bit moved last night when Penny Wong spoke about the respect for those before me. That is how I feel. I was very fortunate to meet some amazing feminists (not well known, just amazing strong women) in the 80’s and 90’s. They had a huge impact on me.
Geoff – The imputations I am talking about is mainly in the public / social media discourse. Not anything in particular from the book, which will not end up on my Goodreads list. I probably should have made that clearer in the post, but it was just a very quick write up before I went to bed in the wee hours of this morning.
In short, the Liberal party does not respect women. They have a long way to go before they are ever taken seriously in this realm.
To all the strong determined women here on the AIMN I would like to wish you all an International Women’s Day that may further the cause and one which takes you closer to the goals you may which to achieve
There are women of many descriptions
In this queer world, as everyone knows.
Some are living in beautiful mansions,
And are wearing the finest of clothes.
There are blue blood queens and princesses,
Who have charms made of diamonds and pearl
But the only and thoroughbred lady
Is the Rebel Girl
That’s the Rebel Girl, the Rebel Girl!
To the working class, she’s a precious pearl.
She brings courage, pride and joy
To the fighting Rebel Boy
We’ve had girls before, but we need some more
In the Industrial Workers of the World.
For it’s great to fight for freedom
With a Rebel Girl.
Yes, her hands may be hardened from labor
And her dress may not be very fine
But a heart in her bosom is beating
That is true to her class and her kind.
And the grafters in terror are trembling
When her spite and defiance she’ll hurl
For the only and thoroughbred lady
Is the Rebel Girl.
Joe Hill 1915
Cornlegend you’re a bloody legend! Love it! Thank you
Geoff Andrews, sexism doesn’t only restrict itself to depicting women as weak. It can portray them as bitches or controlling if they stand up for themselves, where a man would be called strong and assured. Credlin, much as I dislike her, is coming in for lots of unfair, sexist criticism. I wish the genuinely bad aspects of Credlin could be separated from the repellent sexism coloring the whole issue. She should be criticised for what she did wrong, and there is plenty of that, not for the misogynistic desire in wider society to attack a woman who has “got above her place”. Abbott is the main fault here. He was the weak piece of shit who allowed his every action to be directed by his Chief of Staff.
As for feminism, I’ve always liked this quote:
I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.
— Rebecca West
(Admittedly it doesn’t quite fit with my main argument, but I still like it.) 🙂
Miriam,
“I wish the genuinely bad aspects of Credlin[…]”
Could you state what those are?
Trish Corry
The only thing about IWD is I end up cooking that night {Domino’s Pizza } 😀
The three significant women in my life always attend the daylong IWD events in Wollongong and this year is special as my 17 y.o granddaughter is attending her first IWD with the others .
I am constantly reminded, as my wife, in the 70s, was given a huge poster of Lucy, from the Peanuts cartoons , titled “Never underestimate the power of a woman”
It was given to her by a founding member of Save our Sons, and the poster has lived happily on our kitchen wall FOREVER,dog eared , grubby, but treasured, as a constant reminder of the strength and ability of women.
We have had to fight for the right to vote, fight for the right to an education, fight for the right to work, fight for the right to have control over our own bodies, fight to achieve equal pay, fight for equal representation in decision making roles, fight to even have banks consider our income when applying for a loan….it has been a long struggle that is far from over.
If neo-con women simply stated they were feminists, they would not have to then clarify themselves, such as Cash, Bishop have on women’s rights. However, such women mix with men who tend to be more dismissive of women as bona fide equals – I guess neo-con women are mindful of their ‘superiors’.
😉
Backyard Bob, she pushed the mindless three-word slogans and the IPA’s horrible agenda. I know she was not ultimately responsible for them, but she did what she could to get them across. She could use the Nuremberg defense, “I was just doing my job”, but I don’t think it carries any more weight for her than for Turnbull.
It is a good day for men to confirm their support for women in their struggle and we should also reflect on the inequality and injustices still faced by women in our community every single day
Cornlegend, what you said there is more powerful than the entire speech made by Turnbull.
Trish Corry
Sadly, it still seems an issue males steer away from
Trish,
heres one fo you, to help celebrate IWD 2016
Let’s celebrate IWD properly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs5_gB582IM
Beautifully put Trish.
Ok, I tried, I really, really tried to tell myself to leave this alone, but, I can’t. My conscience won’t allow it.
On International Women’s Day, an avowed feminist chose to write a politically partisan piece, replete with petty bullshit observations – 90% of which apply to men as well – all to attempt to make politically partisan points.
I’m disgusted by modern western academic feminists. They are everything they complain about regarding men and patriarchy; they display every fault of the chauvinism they profess to deplore.
INTERNATIONAL feminism ought be about the world where remedial principles of equality need desperately to be addressed; not privileged white chicks with masters degrees complaining about f*cking trivia and “glass ceilings” that don’t exist.
Women died to get the vote. 10,000,000 men did so to get theirs, so, really, be glad you got it and shut up about it like we have.
Backyard Bob
Perhaps.
Can only agree. Not sure of the figures but I suspect there’s any number of ‘facts’ that could be cited to support same or at least something similar.
Bui to get to the real point of my post, I wonder how ‘insightful’ that ‘fact’ is. Could it be possible that the role of ‘facts’ in any debate is overplayed? Given the number of facts which can be cited at any particular time and for any particular purpose is almost infinite?
Backyard Bob, you’re either being purposely obtuse or your judgement is failing you badly if you think glass ceilings don’t exist and that topics such as violence against women are trivial.
“I’m disgusted by modern western academic feminists…..privileged white chicks with masters degrees complaining about f*cking trivia”
What an utterly ridiculous and offensive comment to make. Oh yes all we “chicks” are the same. We should just shut up and count our blessings because sexism doesn’t exist in our society.
We have had to fight tooth and nail to get where we are today and there is still a long way to go.
“Geoff Andrews, sexism doesn’t only restrict itself to depicting women as weak. It can portray them as bitches or controlling if they stand up for themselves, where a man would be called strong and assured. Credlin, much as I dislike her, is coming in for lots of unfair, sexist criticism.”
Miriam, where has the criticism (coming from politicians and written about by journalists) been about her gender? It is appropriate to criticise her for her actions, as it is appropriate to criticise any man who does the same. Rudd was criticised for being a control freak and difficult to work with. I never saw anyone getting bent out of shape about that. Credlin should not be excused from her actions simply because of her gender.
IWD is a pretty important day in our household.
Each year I hope to see things show some improvement, but for years now I just shake my head .
The so called “progressives” or “left”, in the main just let it float by, just another day
It seems they would prefer to celebrate the Easter Bunny than IWD.
On some “alleged” progressive sites the sisterhood seems to just acknowledge it as just another passing day,and on the whole, pass a fleeting comment and move on..
As I pointed on on IWD
“Sadly, it still seems an issue males steer away from”
Sadly, it seems there are still scumbags {male} who take every opportunity to try to shoot the messenger with snide, ‘bitchy” remarks and see it as an opportunity to,in this case, attack the author of this article .
Pretty low really .
If nothing else, we could acknowledge the magnificent fight shown by the women authors here on the AIMN year round
The fight for equality has a long long way to go
Very apt use of the quote Kaye.
Thanks Cornlegend, you have said it all.
“Sadly, it seems there are still scumbags {male} who take every opportunity to try to shoot the messenger with snide, ‘bitchy” remarks and see it as an opportunity to,in this case, attack the author of this article .”
In this thread? Where?
“The imputations I am talking about is mainly in the public / social media discourse. ”
@Trish – That will always exist, but to be fair, those same people commit ad hominem attacks on males too. The criticism I’ve seen from politicians and journalists has focused on her behaviour and job performance. It’s very different from what Julia Gillard endured from same.
Lee
What?
have a read
I have read and I cannot see any male who has made any snide or bitchy comments in this thread against the author. However I do note your rude response to a reasonable request for evidence to support your accusation.
If ‘Peta’ had instead been a ‘Peter’ (as Abbott opined, who NEVER thinks things through) the derision would be worse; much, much worse, especially for Abbott, who would’ve been accused of being gay, along with the attendant baggage associated with being not a ‘real’ man.
PS
Thank you BYB – now I know what you think of me, a modern day (fairly academic) feminist.
😛
PPS
Sincere thank you to, Cornlegend – you actually get it.
Lee,
surely you are trying to take the piss
Or you have some major problems with comprehension .
“On International Women’s Day, an avowed feminist chose to write a politically partisan piece, replete with petty bullshit observations –”
“not privileged white chicks with masters degrees complaining about f*cking trivia and “glass ceilings” that don’t exist.”
diannaart
you “privileged white chicks with masters degrees complaining about f*cking trivia ”
have a long fight ahead :-{
Kaye Lee
Just shup up cook dinner ! :-}
you educated white chicks !!!
Totally agree, diannaart. For all their nonsense about same sex marriage ruining the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, conservatives have a tendency to overlook marital infidelity. Being gay is a much bigger crime in their eyes.
cornie,
You forgot to add “and look pretty while you do it”.
@Cornlegend – Thank you for pointing out the quote, albeit in a snide and bitchy manner, which I had overlooked.
Lee
Being gay is a much bigger crime in their eyes
Yes but, no but.
Not being a straight, white and privileged(wealthy or aspirational) male is the crime.
Yes, the bullies would’ve shouted louder, but only just. My point was more about Abbott not thinking through his reference to ‘Peta’ being ‘Peter’.
Women remain the world’s largest minority.
Cornlegend
😀
For the record, I don’t agree with most of BYB’s post. But he is right that some of these observations apply to men as well. For example,
“Disrespecting women with a disability is abolishing the Disability Commissioner.”
Abolishing the Disability Commissioner is disrespectful to everyone with a disability, regardless of gender. Many men with disabilities experience discrimination too. As a feminist, I stand for equality of *both* genders and I feel that it does not help the cause when people choose to dress non-gender issues up as discrimination against women.
Kaye Lee
“and look pretty while you do it”.
That was just a given 😀
I rate all your “pretties”
smart clever educated caring thoughtful kind compassionate etc,
Lee
‘albeit in a snide and bitchy manner,”
Ok, sorry , but here we are in 2016 and women continually have to wear that shit .
It does get tiresome, for me,an old bloke, so imagine how the targetted women must feel
As far as Credlin is concerned, I think the idea that she should not be criticised is unbelievably sexist. Are we to overlook her bullying simply because she is a woman? Are we suggesting that “the man” should have controlled her better?
@diannaart – Yes but, no but. :p Look at their attitude to rape. Rape committed against females is acceptable. She was asking for it. But rape committed against males is repugnant – because that’s gay.
“As far as Credlin is concerned, I think the idea that she should not be criticised is unbelievably sexist. Are we to overlook her bullying simply because she is a woman?”
I thought it amusing that every time feminism is discussed, conservative women seek to distance themselves from it, yet as soon as one came under attack for her actions, she played the gender card. I notice that Michaelia Cash wasn’t having any of it when asked about it. It’s the only time I’ve agreed with her.
Your post Lee March 10, 2016 at 12:43 pm
Huh? I think I know what you are getting at – but (again with the ‘but’) do we really need to make a competition out of bigotry?
A gay male is more accepted by the bullies if he is a neo-con, for example, Tim Wilson (this is what I meant by white, male & privileged) – he actually rates higher in the FRW hierarchy than Michaela Cash ever will.
It all gets ridiculously complicated – like when men claim they are being discriminated against when women gain a little more power, for example, IWD – the men who complain there should be a IMD – when 364+ days of the year is IMD.
While the balance of power remains overwhelmingly biased towards a tiny subset of men – not all men, most men are as subjugated to stereotypes as women – we cannot become complacent.
I don’t know how much of the hatred toward Credlin is misogynist (there had to be some by the law of averages) and how much was about her influence – frankly anyone male or female having that much influence over a PM is reprehensible. I don’t care who bumps uglies with who or what – so long as no harm is caused to others – apart from the consenting participants. I don’t care What Tony and Peta got up to in private, I do care that she APPEARED to have great influence over Tony – I repeat APPEARED to have influence. While others were more concerned that Tones appeared to be having an extra-marital. Me? Not so much.
How far does a person like Tony Abbott get led? If he is a narcissist then, not much, even if Credlin was on the same narcissist page as him.
For example, narcissists, Kathy Jackson and partner Michael Lawler, complicit with each other. Yet far more outcry against Kathy than Michael.
Why does everything have to be a binary? In a nuanced world.
Why is there more anger at Credlin than at Abbott? Could it be because Credlin is a ‘Peta’ and not a ‘Peter’?
@diannaart
Mmm… I suspect Tim Wilson’s orientation is being overlooked because he’s helping the conservatives to achieve their goals. I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn on him once he has outlived his usefulness.
I’m not convinced that Credlin controlled Abbott. He’s got a very long history of being a tool, as Kaye Lee has pointed out here on numerous occasions. I think he simply let her have free reign most of the time, failing to recognise inappropriate behaviour because it matched his own. There has been tons of criticism of Abbott. Murdoch’s hacks went for his jugular when his position became untenable, and were far more critical of him than they were of Credlin at the time. Savva’s book just gives everyone something different to talk about for a while. If Credlin controls anyone I’d say it’s more likely to be her husband. We’ve not heard a word about how he felt when his wife was giving the appearance of having an affair with the PM, nor of any attempt by him to put an end to her behaviour.
As for Kathy Jackson, I think we’ve heard more of an outcry against her than her husband because, apart from her crime being evident before his, she’s also a unionist, and it’s no secret that the LNP wants to bring the unions down. I have no doubt that if Lawler was the unionist, the LNP would be all over him. There’s a federal inquiry into Lawler’s dealings at the moment, so they’re clearly not happy with him either.
My comment about Credlin in my article as explained in the comments earlier, were about the sexist comments generating on social media and newspaper comments. Nothing particularly from the book. Behaviour in the workplace, is gendered and it is also not gendered. There are so many factors to be considered when determining if behaviour is gendered or skewed to gender, it would be impossible to go into all that in this comment. However, I do understand various points of view about behaviour in leadership by gender and this really could be a very interesting discussion just on its own.
I will say this though, when women adopt a democratic leadership style (dominant in women, participatory, inclusive, engaging supportive) nothing is said about her style, yet if a woman adopts the autocratic leadership style (dominated by males, use of authority, legitimate power, punitive measures as motivators etc., etc.,) then women are indeed highly criticized and often the language becomes quite gendered. “What a standover bitch she is” etc. However for men, “He is a tough boss” etc., (examples only and not to be taken as the only examples.)
I also just want to note that we can have a discussion about things that affect both genders (such as the disability discrimination commissioner) and it is OK to point out most importantly on IWD, how patronising the Prime Minister is being for not recognising how this affects women on a day about women. When we speak about women in general, there are other women besides white middle class women even more oppressed. For example, I pointed out that Indigenous women have far more disparity that other women in the population. When we view all countries and look at layers of culture, legal system, class, disability, sexuality and wealth, there can be even more disparity. However, the men who complain about the voices of women, never jump up and down and say “what about these women?” Just “What about men?”
When we are talking about women, we don’t ALWAYS have to talk about men. We don’t always have to acknowledge that some men may experience these things as well. There is no shame in discussing issues that affect women on International women’s day. Men who try to shout down attempts to do so should hang their heads in shame and look to people like Cornlegend as good examples of how to participate in IWD as a decent human being. Oppression is not a competition. The fight is far from over and the rhetoric from the PM coming from the top, is not helpful.
@Lee
Good point about Jackson’s union background – however, I consider her equally culpable as Lawler.
As for Tim Wilson – not so much in agreement, he is just the first ‘out-there’ gay neo-con – plenty more in the LNP closet, I still believe the Michaela Cash et al of politics would get tossed first – I predicted a black male president well before anyone had heard of Obama. Just sayin’.
@Trish
Agree about what Turnbull could’ve said on IWD but didn’t.
Also agree we don’t need to say “and men too” – I’ve just found it saves time, ironic that women are told all the time to “toughen up sweet-heart” but when men complain it must be serious.
That said, am not impressed with Gloria Steinem calling women to vote for Hilary just because she’s a woman, on that basis we should support women like Credlin, Bishop (1&2), Cash…
@diannaart – Michaelia Cash doesn’t seem to have much of a following and makes a spectacle of herself at times. As much as I dislike Julie Bishop, I think she is a far more valuable asset than Cash to the Liberal Party. If it came down to choosing between Julie Bishop and Tim Wilson I think Bishop would win.
Yeah, I was thinking about Julie as I wrote above… she is smart and has managed to hold power for quite some time – I’d consider her more the exception – perhaps the default token female and have no doubt she fought hard for it. Hmmmm Tim V Julie – she knows the game better than he does.
Thatcher used to piss me off – she survived by NOT complaining about the hostility (as well as being clever) which was endemic within her own party. Not a fan of hers, mind, particularly when she claimed sexism irrelevant.
There’s a special place for women like Thatcher & Bishop…