Motions

Women's Suffrage Anniversary

The Hon. C. BONAROS (16:31): I move:

That this council—

1. Notes that—

(a) 19 September 2018 marked the 125^th anniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand;

(b) on 19 September 1893 the Electoral Act 1893 was passed, giving all women over 21 in New Zealand the right to vote;

(c) as a result of this landmark legislation, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections; and

(d) on 28 November 1893, New Zealand women voted for the first time.

2. Congratulates New Zealand on marking the 125^th anniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand.

3. Recognises the significant contribution women have made and continue to make in parliaments, and the democratic process across the globe.

The motion was, of course, intended for the last Wednesday of sitting, to congratulate New Zealand in celebrating the first time New Zealand women could cast their vote in a national election in 1893, 125 years ago. It was only a few weeks after the Electoral Act was passed on 19 September of the same year but, in that short time, 84 per cent of eligible women registered to vote. Importantly, a massive 82 per cent of those came out to vote for the very first time—far more than the 70 per cent of registered male voters on that same day.

Elections for four Maori seats were held on 20 December in 1893, and an estimated 4,000 Maori women cast their vote on that same day. It was a momentous occasion and achievement for our close neighbour, which meant that New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Our moment will arrive next year, when South Australia celebrates our own 125^th anniversary of women's suffrage. The historic occasion being celebrated today by our New Zealand sisters and brothers is made even more special, of course, with Jacinda Ardern serving as the 40^th Prime Minister of New Zealand—a very popular and, indeed, progressive Labor leader.

I also acknowledge Helen Clark, who served as prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008. Of course, the Hon. Helen Clark was the second woman in New Zealand to hold the office of prime minister; the first being Dame Jenny Shipley. Helen Clark, though, was the first woman to be elected to the office of prime minister, so that was a milestone in itself. Since leaving office, Helen Clark has served as the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. Throughout her career, she enjoyed a reputation as an extremely skilful politician and a very capable advocate of nuclear disarmament and public health policy.

For her work on peace and disarmament she was awarded, the Peace Prize from the Danish Peace Foundation in 1986. Her remarkable career led her to being a strong contender as the next UN Secretary-General. Unfortunately, she did not succeed in her bid but her efforts were well recognised. Helen Clark recalled her own political career as being free of boundaries, and I quote:

Coming from New Zealand, I'm not used to having any ceiling and where there was one I broke through, all my life.

That sentiment is a wonderful testament to the way women are regarded in politics in New Zealand, facilitated by a progressive society that values women's contributions to public life. New Zealand has done an incredible job at normalising women in leadership. Prime Minister Ardern has said, and I quote:

In a role like Prime Minister, if you've got three, then you're pretty close to normalising it.

Our own first female prime minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard, was pilloried on talkback radio during her time in office, and I will never forget certain politicians standing in front of those most heinous signs about her. They are indelibly burnt in my mind as I am sure they are burnt in the minds of many other supporters. Her legacy will be one of grace and dignity as evidenced in the way she has carried herself, particularly since leaving politics.

Whilst the motion was designed to congratulate New Zealand in its historic moment, since the motion was adjourned to today, I want to also reflect on the last few weeks of politics for women, particularly in Australia. I start by first congratulating Victorian Labor Premier, Daniel Andrews, on his win in Victoria, but more so for announcing that 50 per cent of his new-look cabinet is made up of women.

It is a historically progressive moment and, whilst it is the first gender balanced cabinet in Australia, it is certainly not the first gender balanced cabinet in the world. In October, Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, announced that women now make up half of the East African nation's 26-seat cabinet, two days after a similar move by Ethiopia. Rwanda and Ethiopia now join Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Nicaragua, Seychelles, Spain and Sweden with gender parity cabinets.

A gender parity cabinet at the federal level still unfortunately eludes Australia. There are 29 members of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's cabinet, and only six, as we know, are women. It has been a rough couple of weeks women in federal politics. First the member for Chisholm, Julia Banks MP, resigned as a member of the Liberal Party and moved to the crossbench, supported by our own colleague, the member for Mayo, Rebekah Sharkie MP.

As the member for Chisholm rose to speak to announce her decision to quit, Coalition MPs left the chamber in droves. There is a wonderful photo by photojournalist, Alex Ellinghausen, which captures the moment when five male Coalition MPs had their backs turned away from Julia Banks MP as she gave her clear and very dignified resignation speech, with the notable exception of Craig Laundy, her fellow MP, and a decent politician, who did not leave.

By contrast, when Senator Corey Bernardi resigned from the Liberal Party less than six months after the 2016 election, in which he was high enough up on the ticket to get voted in on a six-year term, riding in on the coat-tails of the Coalition, his former colleagues did not desert the chamber. I was there, I saw it, and not one of his former colleagues called him out. I could hear crickets. Perhaps those Coalition members who walked out on Julia Banks, should have stayed to listen to her speech, because she spoke such powerful words directed at them, and I quote:

Equal representation of men and women in this Parliament is an urgent imperative which will create a culture change. There's the blinkered rejection of quotas and support of the 'merit myth' but this is more than a numbers game. Across both major parties the level of regard and respect for women in politics is years behind the business world.

There is also a clear need for an independent and whistleblower system as found in many workplaces to enable reporting of misconduct of those in power without fear of reprisal or retribution. Often when good women 'call out' or are subjected to bad behaviour—the reprisals, backlash and commentary portray them as the bad ones: the liar, the troublemaker, the emotionally unstable or weak, or someone who should be silenced.

To those who say politics is not for the faint-hearted and that women have to toughen up, I say this: the hallmark characteristics of the Australian woman—and I've met thousands of them, be they in my local community, politics, business, the media or sport—are resilience and a strong, authentic, independent spirit. The voice of the Australian people has been loud and clear. Hundreds from my local community, as well as hundreds more from across Australia, contacted me with their support and—knowing that my life, from humble and hard-working migrant heritage, has been in the business real world and not as a career politician—many pleaded that I stay in politics and become an independent representative.

I say hear, hear!

That speech was soon followed by the disgusting comments of Senator O'Sullivan involving Senator Hanson-Young, and a reference to my friend Nick Xenophon. We know Senator O'Sullivan was immediately at pains to explain his comments were in no way meant as a double entendre, realising his poor choice of words from a poor role model for Australian politics. Controversy regularly seems to follow Senator O'Sullivan.

To her credit, Senator Hanson-Young named the four senators who recklessly and regularly sledged her with disgusting slurs and attacks. Senator Hanson-Young was then attacked in a post by The Spectator Australia for what she wore that very same day. The post, a purported quote from a reader, is so disgusting that I have chosen not to repeat it on the record. Suffice to say the post was deleted, but the damage, unfortunately, was done.

Then Prime Minister Scott Morrison walked out during the first speech of the new member for Wentworth, Kerryn Phelps. Whilst it coincided with the end of question time, Phelps found it pretty shabby and disrespectful, given the Coalition leadership team of former prime minister Turnbull and Julie Bishop MP were at pains to come up to the Senate to listen to Senator Gichuhi's first speech when she was still an Independent.

Adding to the controversy—and there is lots of it—ABC journalist Patricia Karvelas was kicked out of the House of Representatives press gallery by an attendant for showing too much skin—'too much skin' being her bare arms. My oh my. An apology was issued, but it is illustrative of the outmoded dress codes pertaining to women being in dire need of update. Julia Baird said it best in The Sydney Morning Herald:

If Parliament House becomes a place you wouldn't want your teenage daughter to linger in, why expect grown women to hurl themselves into a place that for so many has been a gendered career abyss?

These events show that Australia has such a long way to go in how we treat, how we value and how we respect women in politics.

I have been very pleased to serve on the suffrage committee in this parliament. I know that I am surrounded by an amazing group of women, and a couple of my colleagues from this place, in particular the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos and the Minister for Human Services, the Hon. Michelle Lensink, who I know have had a long history in this space and have done some amazing work, not only on women's rights but on women in politics, over a number of years—over decades, in fact. As, I think I can say, one of the younger members on that committee, I have had the great fortune of learning from them and from other members, including also Ms Frances Bedford MP. I look forward to our work in the coming year when we reach that same milestone that New Zealand has reached this year.

New Zealand has certainly paved the way for us, and with celebrations there to commemorate the 125^th anniversary of women's suffrage now culminating in a special day last Wednesday, on behalf of the Legislative Council I extend heartfelt congratulations to our neighbours as they mark the milestone in their wonderful history. I look forward to the day next year when we similarly mark our own wonderful milestone in this same space.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.T. Ngo.