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watt price tully 
Joined: 15 May 2007
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| Post subject: Welcome to the post 2013 Federal election thread |  |
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New Government:
As has been correctly noted:
There are more women in cabinet in the Government of Afghanistan than there are in Tony Rabbit's front bench.
First decision: fail.
Proves Prime Minster Gillard correct. The men in the blue ties.
My view all along has been that Australian politics & Australian culture (we are speaking generalizations ) has an undercurrent if not more a overt psychology of misogyny & sexism. It's part & parcel.
Since the first fleet's arrival the role of women in Australia is still best described by Anne Summers in her seminal work "Damned Whores & God's Police" written in the 1970's. Also well noted by the brilliant magnum opus by Robert Hughes in his seminal work "The Fatal Shore".
(BTW if you would like to read about Australia's history of the First Fleet & the establishment of a penal colony "The Fatal Shore" is a brilliant read by the late Robert Hughes).
While a lot has changed for women in Australia, when it comes to positions of power not too much has changed:
Exhibit one: Tone's front bench.
Even out Australian of the year Ita Buttrose talking about the double glazed glass ceiling.
(BTW, what was it with his daughters dressed in virginal white at the election? - As The Hamster noted: Tennis Australia wanted their uniforms back). The image & media strategy of surrounding himself with virginal compliant women - ah the family man - a decent chap - but I digress)
His first decision is an embarrassment internationally & nationally.
Oh for 1950's Australia 
_________________
“I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough” Kinky Friedman |
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MJ23
Joined: 28 Feb 2011
Location: Sydney
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| Post subject: Re: Welcome to the post 2013 Federal election thread | |
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| watt price tully wrote: | New Government:
As has been correctly noted:
There are more women in cabinet in the Government of Afghanistan than there are in Tony Rabbit's front bench.
First decision: fail.
Proves Prime Minster Gillard correct. The men in the blue ties.
My view all along has been that Australian politics & Australian culture (we are speaking generalizations ) has an undercurrent if not more a overt psychology of misogyny & sexism. It's part & parcel.
Since the first fleet's arrival the role of women in Australia is still best described by Anne Summers in her seminal work "Damned Whores & God's Police" written in the 1970's. Also well noted by the brilliant magnum opus by Robert Hughes in his seminal work "The Fatal Shore".
(BTW if you would like to read about Australia's history of the First Fleet & the establishment of a penal colony "The Fatal Shore" is a brilliant read by the late Robert Hughes).
While a lot has changed for women in Australia, when it comes to positions of power not too much has changed:
Exhibit one: Tone's front bench.
Even out Australian of the year Ita Buttrose talking about the double glazed glass ceiling.
(BTW, what was it with his daughters dressed in virginal white at the election? - As The Hamster noted: Tennis Australia wanted their uniforms back). The image & media strategy of surrounding himself with virginal compliant women - ah the family man - a decent chap - but I digress)
His first decision is an embarrassment internationally & nationally.
Oh for 1950's Australia |
Was waiting for this.
Your not wrong, it would be great to have more women in the cabinet.
Would be great to have more aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Also, are the elderly adequately represented or the Handi capable ?
I find it ironic that over the last few days many on this site have celebrated the demise of Sofie Mirabella, a would have been female cabinet minister. Now there "are not enough females in cabinet".
Now I didnt think Sofie was liberals best performer. Many on here think her to be incompetent. So was she selected on merit or to meet your quota of females in portfolios ?
If thats the case, should Tony have selected females who were not the best candidate for the job?
Who of the females currently within the Liberals should have got a gig and which of those who got one should be removed ? ( strike that, its clear you think they are all no good - walked into that  )
I think there are some very good up and coming female candidates that with some experience will make their way to the front bench.
One of Abbott's strengths during the election was his ability to promote senior ministers with a great wealth of experience. Why would he dump them now for untried females or males ?
_________________
"Even when Im old and gray, I wont be able to play but Ill still love the game"
Michael Jordan |
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Culprit 
Joined: 06 Feb 2003
Location: Port Melbourne
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3 boats have arrived and more coming.  |
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Member 7167 
"What Good Fortune For Governments That The People Do Not Think" - Adolf Hitler.
Joined: 18 Dec 2008
Location: The Collibran Hideout
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| Culprit wrote: | | 3 boats have arrived and more coming. |
Tony has been looking for the "Boat" tap so he can turn it off. That's right, it is a complex issue and will take time to resolve.
It will certainly take Tony longer to resolve the issue than it took for Rudd in his ignorance to increase the problem. |
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1061
Joined: 06 Sep 2013
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| Member 7167 wrote: | | Culprit wrote: | | 3 boats have arrived and more coming. |
Tony has been looking for the "Boat" tap so he can turn it off. That's right, it is a complex issue and will be resolved "in good time".
It will certainly take Tony longer to resolve the issue than it took for Rudd in his ignorance to increase the problem. |
Just thought I'd edit that so it's more in Tony Speak. |
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Culprit
Joined: 06 Feb 2003
Location: Port Melbourne
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| Member 7167 wrote: | | Culprit wrote: | | 3 boats have arrived and more coming. |
Tony has been looking for the "Boat" tap so he can turn it off. That's right, it is a complex issue and will take time to resolve.
It will certainly take Tony longer to resolve the issue than it took for Rudd in his ignorance to increase the problem. |
Unless the LNP give orders to blow up the boats and shoot the people in the water and kill them which I am sure many of the LNP would love to do, nothing will change. Australia signed a UN agreement and throw in that Indonesia have already told the LNP where to go as they don't want them, they don't have to have them as they signed no such agreement. |
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swoop42 
Whatcha gonna do when he comes for you?
Joined: 02 Aug 2008
Location: The 18
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Well if Bishop and Mirabella are examples of the quality of Liberal women at his disposal then I'm not to surprised.
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He's mad. He's bad. He's MaynHARD! |
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David 
to wish impossible things
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
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Re: women in cabinet, I wouldn't necessarily blame Abbotthe clearly doesn't have a lot of quality to choose from (I could say that he doesn't have much quality to choose from in general, but I'll resist!). The question, then, is why that is the case: are women disadvantaged at pre-selection? Are women just generally not interested in running for the Liberals? Whatever the answer, it's a bad look for the partyessentially, it confirms that they are a party for men.
I don't generally support quotas, but if there is any bias towards males at pre-selection that needs to be addressed. This is not only a problem for the Tories, mind youless than a third of Labor's front-benchers were female.
_________________
"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange |
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MJ23
Joined: 28 Feb 2011
Location: Sydney
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| Culprit wrote: | | 3 boats have arrived and more coming. |
Maybe the "buy back" boat scheme isn't a bad one given they clearly have supercharged speedboats at their disposal to get here so quick having presumably left on Sunday after the election for it to be Tony's fault.
Wonder where I could buy one of those cheap ??
_________________
"Even when Im old and gray, I wont be able to play but Ill still love the game"
Michael Jordan |
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watt price tully
Joined: 15 May 2007
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| MJ23 wrote: | | Culprit wrote: | | 3 boats have arrived and more coming. |
Maybe the "buy back" boat scheme isn't a bad one given they clearly have supercharged speedboats at their disposal to get here so quick having presumably left on Sunday after the election for it to be Tony's fault.
Wonder where I could buy one of those cheap ?? |
Of course the Mad Misogynist Miners Monk can't stop the boats on day one. We all knew this. he did however say he would.
Buying the boats back? This should be under jokes, jokes & more jokes.
With respect to Mirabella - I agree she should not be treated with the same level of contempt, disregard & vilification that the Libs, Miners, Nats, shock Jocks & others showed Prime Minister Gillard throughout her term as PM. This too included an especially divisive and inflammatory if not opportunistic Mirabella
The likely winner in Indi McGowan, got her "volunteers" early in the year to sign declarations that they would refrain from many personal denigration of Mirabella - & for that they ought to be congratulated.
_________________
“I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough” Kinky Friedman |
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HAL
Please don't shout at me - I can't help it.
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
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| To me it is a bit of a surprise. |
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watt price tully
Joined: 15 May 2007
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| David wrote: | Re: women in cabinet, I wouldn't necessarily blame Abbotthe clearly doesn't have a lot of quality to choose from (I could say that he doesn't have much quality to choose from in general, but I'll resist!). The question, then, is why that is the case: are women disadvantaged at pre-selection? Are women just generally not interested in running for the Liberals? Whatever the answer, it's a bad look for the partyessentially, it confirms that they are a party for men.
I don't generally support quotas, but if there is any bias towards males at pre-selection that needs to be addressed. This is not only a problem for the Tories, mind youless than a third of Labor's front-benchers were female. |
A good article in The Age today points to the inherent dangers in the assumptions (whether by act or omission you posit here David):
Written by Mark Kenny, The Age online & print 17/09/13:
That a government with 90-plus seats in the House of ''Representatives'', and many more in the Senate, can find just one spot for a woman in its 19-member cabinet, is astounding.
Five per cent representation. Seriously? In 2013? The old demand of ''no taxation without representation?'' springs to mind.
By its own admission, the Coalition is so bereft of competent women, that it can find just one considered up to the task of making a contribution at the top table.
But let's be fair to the prime minister-elect.
The whole ministry, pretty much from top to toe, is subject to a multiplicity of competing considerations that routinely bump the merit principle, to a distant last.
Consider them.
There's state of origin, which dictates you cannot have a dramatic over-representation of ministers from one state, and say, none from another. It is negotiable, but only to a point.
There's the bi-cameral rule between the House of Representatives and Senate. It dictates there must not be too great an imbalance of ministers drawn from the respective houses.
Then comes party - at least when the Coalition is in town. The Nats have a right to a certain proportion of ministers - three in cabinet, and two more in the outer-ministry. There are also factional considerations to weigh, such as ensuring the Right or Left don't wind up with everything, or conversely, get completely dudded.
And, there's the simple edge Abbott's frontbenchers enjoy for having been elevated already.
Before the election, Abbott promised voters (who, incidentally, could not have cared less) that as much as possible, he would keep all his shadows in place. The pledge not only ignored the under-performance of some, but denied the new government access to any new or returning talent.
It was sold as proof of stability and continuity, but its real purpose was to keep the Coalition peloton tight and worked a treat.
But it ran contrary to merit.
It says much about the internal politics of the governing party that the leader feels he must override the merit argument to make some appointments, but for women, it becomes a barrier.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/merit-pushed-aside-as-host-of-factors-set-seats-at-table-20130916-2tv57.html#ixzz2f7SbTSNq
There's a lot of pollies who are in - not because of so called talent. That includes the PM no less. However, political realities are such that compromises are invariably made: politics 101. This points to other considerations, other variables: women are not seen as necessary for the Lib Nats. As I contended earlier: a reflection of our collective (misogynist & sexist) consciousness / past.
Women by this lot were means to an end: see daughters & wife rush around the PM post Prime Minster Gillard's brilliant speech.
This cabinet is an embarrassment to our country: 5% representation of women in cabinet before it's been able to operate.
I just hope my misses has the dinner on when I get home from the pub after work - oh the 1950's
_________________
“I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough” Kinky Friedman |
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David
to wish impossible things
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
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So, do you support quotas?
_________________
"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange |
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pietillidie
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
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| David wrote: | | So, do you support quotas? |
The real question is this: Are those who claim to be qualified to lead the country pushing for cultural change at a depth sufficient enough to enable women to reclaim a public sphere which is as much theirs as anyone else's?
All I saw during the election campaign was Abbott with his daughters hanging off him for photo ops like a crooked US tele-evangelist. Then he sullies a critical policy for women, maternity leave, by mixing it with the poison pill of regressive taxation and class warfare. Prior to that, he used an obvious intellectual half-wit, Mirabella, to make a mockery of the science and technology portfolio (perhaps presaging his elimination of science entirely), yet another poison pill for any thinking citizen. Before that, he aggressively overrode one of the few women in his party to have any world experience, now foreign minister Julie Bishop, in no uncertain terms as I have documented elsewhere.
This is a cultural problem of a backward party. The ALP and nation at large aren't much better (see also the number of female CEOs), but it's leadership we're looking for here.
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In the end the rain comes down, washes clean the streets of a blue sky town.
Help Nick's: http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/fundraising.htm |
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pietillidie
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
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BTW, WPT, I know your intentions are good, but on a level playing field all of these different Abbott embarrassments ought to constitute separate threads. Not only do they warrant coherent discussion, but being the good guy and containing them is not a courtesy that was extended to Rudd/Gillard/Rudd until the Glibs were confident of their win. In the interest of fairness, I encourage people to post these matters separately to demonstrate the constant farce of an Abbott-led government.
The left needs to move on from moral martyrdom and accept the going standards; time to stop doing the heavy lifting once the tantrums have been soothed and the Glibs have gotten what they want.
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In the end the rain comes down, washes clean the streets of a blue sky town.
Help Nick's: http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/fundraising.htm |
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