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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-10-27 Daily Xml
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Women in Parliament

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about women in politics.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: A couple of months ago, minister Gago issued a media release calling on South Australian women to be 'bold' and 'brave' in their endeavours to break through the glass ceiling that sees them under-represented in the South Australian parliament. Last week, it was reported that Treasurer Koutsantonis used highly obscene language in meetings with public servants.

His language was highly offensive to women, and yet the minister has been silent on this matter. She has not stood up for women when a senior minister in the state Labor government behaved in a manner that could drive women away from a career in politics. My questions to the minister are:

1. When will the minister condemn the use of obscene language in meetings by her ministerial colleague?

2. Can the Minister for the Status of Women clarify whether the 'bold' and 'brave' message her government is sending to women includes accepting offensive language by senior politicians?

3. How does the government intend to attract women to politics when unacceptable, abusive behaviours by senior politicians are not being addressed?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:17): What hypocrisy! Where was the Hon. Jing Lee when lower house members Mr Pisoni and Mr Pengilly made sexist, offensive comments down in the lower house? Where was the Hon. Jing Lee then? When did she get to her feet to challenge that sexist, offensive language used by her Liberal colleagues? Where was she then? Silent—silent as a lamb.

Unlike the Liberal Party, which never dealt with the issue, we have had our Premier come out and formally counsel the Hon. Tom Koutsantonis for his offensive language—unacceptable language, unacceptable from anybody in any place. He has counselled him. The Hon. Tom Koutsantonis has come out and publicly apologised. It was clearly language that was below standards. He recognised that, the Premier has counselled him, and that matter has been addressed. Again, where was the brave, courageous Hon. Jing Lee when her Liberal colleagues got up in parliament and said offensive, sexist things? She was silent—absolutely silent. What a hypocrite!

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