House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Personal Explanation Personal Explanation Women in Parliament WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD House of Assembly Chaffey Minister for the River Murray Minister for Water Security The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD (Chaffey—Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water Security) (15:49): I seek leave to make a personal explanation. Leave granted. The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD House of Assembly The Hon. K.A. MAYWALD: During question time I took the opportunity, when answering a question, to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition on her elevation to that position. I also mentioned my role as Leader of the National Party for nearly 12 years now in this place. I also mentioned that I believed that I was the first female member of the lower house to be a leader in this place, but that is not the case. I have been advised by the parliamentary library, and they are very good on their research, that there was a leader in this place prior to me, and that was Heather Southcott, who was actually elected to this place in 1982 in the seat of Mitcham during a by-election following the resignation of Robin Millhouse. She was a member of this house during a number of months in 1982, and subsequently lost her seat at the next general election in 1982. But Heather Southcott was, indeed, the first woman in history to be a leader of any political party in this chamber. I am the first woman leader of a party to be a member of cabinet.