It’s first day at school for the Abbott government and day one promises to be interesting. Although initially ceremonial – not till tomorrow will the real fireworks start.
The new PM is promising a quieter, more restrained, less turbulent Parliament.
Australia’s 44th Parliament will see fewer women in Government ranks than previously. Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop is the only woman in the cabinet, and one of five in the ministry.
Not since Paul Keating’s first ministry has there been only one woman in cabinet.
Day one of Parliament is a day of many firsts. The first time we see Tony Abbott as PM and the first time Bill Shorten, the Governor-General’s son-in-law is on the Opposition benches.
It’s also the first time we will have a billionaire (Clive Palmer , the member for Fairfax) sitting in the back seats. And the first time we will speculate whether he will use his private jet to fly home for dinner.
This morning will see a welcome on the forecourt of Parliament.
The formalities will then move inside as MPs are sworn in by the Chief Justice of the High Court, Robert French. The Governor-General will opening Parliament in the early afternoon, and we will hear the prepared speech setting the Abbott three -year agenda.
Top Comments
I can't hold my tongue any longer! Just because there isn't a 50:50 ratio of women to men in the new parliament, that doesn't make the government 'sexist'! Unevenly skewed? Yes.
But as a woman I would much rather have a government that is responsible and representative of the views and volitions of the Australian public with the majority being MEN if they truly were elected, and chosen for cabinet on purely MERIT.
I couldn't think of anything worse than having a female politician 'quota' or mechanism that ensured a certain amount of females were required to be in parliament because affirmative action is not the answer to an unevenly skewed political party.
What the Liberal party needs to do, is to address the covert sexism and underlying social bias towards women, fearing what we can do when in a position of power, through action! Tony Abbott hasn't done himself any great favours in this department in the recent years, and i think the Australian public need less talk more action!
Instead of whinging that there isn't enough women in the 44th Parliament, DO SOMETHING! Let's encourage young women to aspire being in politics and making a difference in the lives of all Australians within the many different fields there are. That however, must start with an appropriate environment that young women would want and aspire to work in and the right education to ensure our Australian women are getting into politics based purely on merit!
The LNP have had as many years as Labor to address the 'covert sexism' and look - nothing's happened! There is no improvement! Aren't you a little bit surprised that only one woman has got there on 'merit' in 2013? Aren't the women in the LNP any good? You're okay with the old boys club because they got there themselves on so called 'merit'? A parliament of white men?
The LNP have never even produced a female Premier, so this 'change' to get more female representation is not working organically for them, is it? The affirmative action is not only much better, and working, it's seems to be the only way to promote change in the form of female representation.
We can expect a bloody three ring circus. Mostly recycled acts, a few new clowns, and some people performing different roles to last time we saw this farcical shambles.