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ANNUAL REPORT 2005– 2006(delivered 13 November 2006)
Women Into Politics has been monitoring the numbers and performance of women parliamentarians since its inception in 1992, and a great deal has happened in that time, including an increase in the numbers of women in parliaments. There is still a long way ahead before they reach 50%, and perhaps a longer way before cabinet ministers are 50% women. The number of women on the boards of the top 100 corporations remains abysmally low. During 2006 the Women Into Politics website (www.womenintopolitics.org.au) has been incrementally updated. It is hoped in future to update it more regularly, and to place occasional information and comment about issues there. The 2005-2006 year has seen Australian politics dominated in the federal sphere by foreign missions and the development of and reaction to fear of danger to our security, and in the state sphere by a general realisation among the populace that little useful action has been taken by governments in recent decades in relation to water supply, energy supply, carbon emissions, transport, drought and sustaining river systems. It is difficult for the concerns of citizens to compete with government spin and the seriousness of war and climate change! Yet we know that there has been neglect not only of fundamental services but of the nurture of our democracy. Election Year 2007Women Into Politics looks forward to monitoring the progress of quality women candidates in the state and federal elections due in March and around October 2007, and to an increase in the representation of women. Pre-selections over the last year for both federal and state seats have been marred by the power hungry grabs of factions in both major parties to secure safe seat pre-selections for their chosen acolytes and thus expand their power bases. Candidates can now be identified not only by party but by factional loyalty. The public interest and good government seem to come second to the personal exercise of political power by the factional power brokers. Policy and political decision making are increasingly a secret business dominated by political self-interest. In this climate, the prescience of Victorian ALP women a decade ago in setting up and using the processes of Emily’s List, which vets women candidates and supports those whose credentials suggest that they would take the interests of women into account in analysis of proposed legislation, must be acknowledged. In NSW, the Women’s Forum of the Liberal Party (current chair Keri Huxley) has mentored women who have become candidates. Women need to have as their representatives in parliaments active and talented women with a full understanding of women’s interests and of balanced decision making for the Australian population. The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW), with support from women’s organizations including coalition members of Women Into Politics, has continued to spearhead its important initiative in seeking to provide ongoing research by commissioning studies from the National Centre for Economic and Social Modelling (NATSEM) to examine and monitor the impact on women of Commonwealth policy changes, in particular the inter-active impacts of changes to the income support and new industrial relations frameworks. Such research can provide the tools to assess the current situation that research funded by government formerly provided. Women’s LivesThe recent announcement by Democrats Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja that to spend more time with her family she will leave the Senate at the end of her current term, and will therefore not contest the 2007 election, came as a surprise, but is understandable. It highlighted the increasing difficulties faced by working women with children, especially women who happen to be members of parliament. She will be a great loss to the Senate. The hectic pace of modern working women’s lives requires strict timetables and leaves them with little leisure time, family time or time for reflection. Even brief sickness with a transitory illness can become a major disruption to the demanding routine. Some of the reasons for this are that hours of work have increased over the last decade for many women (and men) who work full time; Australia trails the developed world by its lack of national provision for paid maternity leave; and childcare has become a minefield in relation to its availability, costs and quality. These are matters of concern. In addition, Women Into Politics is very concerned about the possible effects on women of the new industrial relations laws that commenced in 2006, effects in both the short and the long term. Influence and Women ParliamentariansGovernment policies and programs in relation to these work and family matters, and the so-called Work Choices legislation clearly indicate that submissions to governments by and on behalf of women do not receive a fair hearing. Women’s units have been downgraded; feminists have been pilloried and rendered invisible. Reasoned argument seems no longer to have traction with governments that are more interested in public relations spin than decision making based on collation of facts, analysis and wide consultation with communities and stakeholders. We might ask what influence the 29.5 percent of women in the federal parliament have exercised in relation to decisions made that affect these basic needs in women’s lives? However, on at least three occasions in 2007, women have been influential in the federal parliament by working together across parties. In early 2006, a private member’s Bill sponsored by a cross-party group of female senators and members was introduced into the parliament. The Bill was designed to wrest the power to veto supply of the abortifacient drug RU486 (mifepristone) from the Minister for Health and transfer power to recommend the drug to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which controls all other drugs in Australia. The Bill was passed in both Houses on a conscience vote after a strong campaign against it by Right to Life and religious groups. The efforts of many women from both Houses working together were splendid. Following the conclusion of the vote, Women Into Politics wrote a letter of congratulations and appreciation to the women parliamentarians. In relation to therapeutic cloning, a private member's Bill framed by former health minister Kay Patterson reflected the findings of a committee led by former judge John Lockhart that last year examined the existing parameters for embryonic stem cell research. The BillI was passed by both Houses on a conscience vote. It lifts the ban on cloning, in which a scientist injects genetic material into an egg that has had its nucleus removed. In a published list of senators who had indicated that they expected to vote in favour of the Patterson Bill a few days before the Senate vote, The Australian listed 26 senators, of whom 17 were women. Two female senators from NSW were the only women on the list of those senators who were expected to vote against it. Their contribution to the conscience vote for the Bill showed that women supported this private member’s Bill. In addition, a cross-party group of 22 female senators wrote to the Minister for Health in November 2006, asking him to intervene after a decision by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PABC) to refuse an application to make the world’s first, Australian-invented, immunization for HPV available free for all females aged 12 to 26 in a national immunization program. This letter from female senators followed an outcry from both politicians and scientists. It is part of the new willingness of women parliamentarians to work together across parties, a pleasing development. The matter is ongoing. Electoral Changes: Invitation to CorruptionThe state of women’s representation in the Commonwealth Parliament following the October 2004 election was a marginal increase in the numbers: women are 24.6% of MHRs and 35.4% of Senators (new Senators did not take office until July 2005, after which the Coalition government had a majority in both Houses). One of the bills that the Coalition government has pushed through the parliament since its domination of both Houses relates to electoral changes. The controversial changes in the Electoral Amendment Act 2006 have, among other things, introduced the earlier closing of the electoral roll, stricter proof of identity (ID) requirements for registering and voting, and raised significantly the threshold for disclosure of political donations. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has published a short explanatory paper on the recent changes (www.aec.gov.au ) – Electoral Newsfile No.128. It is not clear whether the amendments deal with changes that will affect or control the complex preference swaps that have resulted in parties such as Family First recording a tiny primary vote, yet getting a candidate elected over parties with higher primary votes; or the establishment of new parties merely to direct preferences to the major parties. The issue of particular concern to Women Into Politics is the almost seven-fold increase from $1,500 to $10,000 of the threshold above which political donations must be disclosed. Secret donations can now be made up to $10,000 per annum by any person or entity. The possibilities for the purchase of political favour are mind-boggling – any good accountant could advise groups of companies or individuals how to plan a scheme to donate enormous sums of money to political parties. In A Women’s Charter for Political Reform: a charter for political equality for women and for good government for all Australian citizens (2001), Women Into Politics sees that the”purchase of influence is a threat to democracy” and our women’s coalition advocated that “public funding of elections and electioneering should be substantially increased and . . . the giving and receiving of direct donations or donations through a third party to political parties . . . [be] restricted to . . . say $1,000 per annum for individuals and $10,000 for companies . . . all donations should be registered with the Australian Electoral Commission within 21 days . . . “ Bill of RightsMany Australians have become concerned that recent legislation related to national security and sedition have been rushed through the Commonwealth parliament without due consideration and have deprived citizens of freedoms that hitherto were taken for granted. There have been conferences and new planning for a legislated Bill or Charter of Rights by some groups who believe that it has become more urgent than ever to protect basic human rights. The focus of the Charter Group in NSW is to promote public discussion of human rights in the state and look at different models. This group is not promoting any particular model, but would like to be involved in public discussion about a charter of rights, and to make sure that the discussion covers the widest possible range of rights. Women Into Politics will monitor the progress of plans and the inclusion in particular of equality and other rights of concern to women. The major publication by Women Into Politics A Women’s Charter for Political Reform: a charter for political equality for women and for good government for all Australian citizens (2001) advocates a Bill of Rights, which (inter alia) “has overriding powers to encompass rights that have been enunciated in various UN instruments, . . . includes an equality right for women, . . . [and] operates in the private as well as the public sphere.” ArchivesThe boxes of Women Into Politics materials placed with of the State Library of NSW will be listed and catalogued shortly, and when the web links are known they will be supplied to the Australian Women’s Archives Project. They will be in the Picman catalogue, reached from www.sl.nsw.gov.au CommitteeWe were saddened to hear in September 2006 of the death of Diana Temple, who for some years was a member of the committee of Women Into Politics, representing WISENet (Women in Science Enquiry Network). She was an outstanding scientist, and an associate professor of pharmacology in 1976 when she became head of the department at The University of Sydney. Diana was a role model and mentor for many women and was involved in the 1984 establishment of WISENet. For the 2005-2006 year, Judith Steanes took on the role of Honorary Secretary, and Joan Bielski became Deputy-President, continuing also as Public Officer. Valerie Levy continued as Honorary Treasurer, and we were pleased to have Anna Logan as our Honorary Auditor again. Minna Shaw-Smith was again our Returning Officer. Anne Barber was a valuable general member of the Committee, especially in relation to the management of the website. We are grateful for her technical expertise. Although the status of women has continued to be a low priority for state and federal governments in recent years, women’s organizations have been quietly studying the shifts in government attitudes. In the coming election year Women Into Politics will monitor the political parties’ policies and their appointments of women parliamentarians. Barbara McGarity 13 November 2006 Homepage Last updated 16 November 2006 |
