Amidst all this flap from the usual suspects about an inadequate supply of women in the Abbott cabinet, one thing seems to have been overlooked. With the exception of Mathias Corman, every single member of the inner cabinet is a former minister. Do you think the incoming PM may have thought experience a more important credential, especially with the inherited mess to be cleaned up, than ownership of ovaries?
Have any female ex-Ministers been excluded? Perhaps, but the Professor can't think of any. The case against Abbott would gain some credence -- not much, but some -- if that were the case.
Readers able to nominate a female ex-minister who has been spurned are welcome to name names in comments.
UPDATE: A modest commenter writes:
I think Teresa Gambaro, returned member for Brisbane, comes the closest. Her record is:
Ministerial appointments: Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence from 18.7.04 to 27.1.06. Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 27.1.06 to 30.1.07.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
from 30.1.07 to 21.3.07.
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship from 21.3.07 to 3.12.07.
So she was close-but-no-cigar (with apologies to Freudians)
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I think Teresa Gambaro, returned member for Brisbane, comes the closest. Her record is:
ReplyDelete"Ministerial appointments:
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence from 18.7.04 to 27.1.06.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 27.1.06 to 30.1.07. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship from 30.1.07 to 21.3.07.
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship from 21.3.07 to 3.12.07.
She came out in support of gay marriage in the final stages of the campaign. She should not be endorsed next time as a Liberal candidate.
DeleteIf Afghanistan leads the way, then our female impoverished Cabinet is clearly a national emergency. A cross party Government should be formed forthwith, to deal with the crisis, and the deposed Emily listers, be automatically assigned leading portfolios. Does that answer your question Prof?
ReplyDeleteSharman Stone was Minister for Workforce Participation from Jan 2006 until the change of government in December 2007
ReplyDeleteLess departments, too, so less jobs running portfolios to be handed out. But the left will find anything to complain about. On the weekend and yesterday morning they were circulating material complaining that Julie Bishop was the only woman in a high-profile ministerial position. Now they're complaining that Senator Michaela Cash has been given a ministerial position because she dared criticised Julia Gillard and Penny Wong or something.
ReplyDeleteIt's obvious, Prof. Coalition women are not wymmin at all. So the left will always complain that they are too few, too many, or altogether too much. There is no pleasing lefties when it comes to Coalition women.
ReplyDeleteThe worst thing though is when Coalition women buy into the leftie narrative: as have done two Lib women senators who should know a whole heap better.
Not Freudian, rather Clintonian.
ReplyDeleteCheers
I can understand Gambaro not being considered because she will have to work hard to retain her seat of Brisbane at the next election. Sharman Stone is probably the one who has some claim to promotion based on experience but she did such a hopeless job at Shadow Immigration Minister they are probably reluctant to promote her.
ReplyDeleteAs a female I am waiting for the short women quota. So much garbage being written about the lack of women in the Cabinet. Look at the top structure of the Labour Party...sorry girls no room for you. look at the top structure of the ABC sorry girls no room or you.
ReplyDeleteFlap?!
ReplyDeleteLook, Professor, sometimes a Cabinet post IS just a Cabinet post...
ReplyDeleteFemale politicians deserve a good posting.
ReplyDeleteI want to know who the ALP's Faceless women are?
ReplyDeleteIsn't the ratio of women in the full cabinet about the ratio of women in the parliamentary coalition? (Which is admittedly low.)
ReplyDeleteImplies that the issue is somewhat systemic and historical, not actually Abbott's direct fault - ie he picked at the rough ratio he had to choose from.
Wish I could find the numbers.
Should be more women really though. Get your act together libs.
Why? The performance of women in ministerial roles during the past six years has been appalling. Isn't that a sufficiently clear reason to give them the shunt?
DeleteWhen those of the Left actually come to understand the meaning of the word "merit" then, perhaps, we may lend them an ear for a nanosecond!
ReplyDeleteJMH
I am Ok with Tony's ministry-let them off leash to do their jobs I say!
ReplyDeleteWhat I want though is for a face off between Julie Bishop and Ita Buttrose in a ten minute debate over "Token Women in Cabinet Positions" to be moderated by Sophie Mirabella on Sky News at 7pm one night soon
Hold them to their own standard - as soon as the ABC has equal representation for conservatives, the coalition should have equal representation for women.
ReplyDeleteAnd left handers, what about left handers? Disabled, gay? Surely it is better for men and women to be chosen on merit, not gender. Otherwise how must they feel?
ReplyDeleteI am correct in thinking that the "must have women" argument is illogical?
ReplyDeleteSurely the argument is predicated on the theory that 1/2 the population are women, thus 1/2 the cabinet ought also be women. To which is added the gloss that men cannot represent women. But if that is so, surely it follows that women cannot represent men. Would we then want a woman running whatever portfolio covers the Family Law Act? Or the Navy?
Hence the answer is that there needs to be 2 people appointed to every post - a man and a woman (and later, children, we will talk about LGBTetc)
Meanwhile in the ALP the leadership choice is between two men. At least Kate Ellis would have had photogenic value.
ReplyDeleteSexist of me, I know. But Albanese and Shorten are running severe deficits on both looks AND personality.
Just watched Lateline 0n 20th September with Alberscreechy.
ReplyDeleteSussan Ley demolished...and rattled...Tony Burke in a very impressive display.
I Googled for info on Ley.
This is a very impressive woman with a remarkably diverse CV.
Expect to see Sussan Ley front and centre of Parliament in the not too distant future.