In her first press conference, the first female Defence Minister asked to be judged on her performance, not her gender.
‘Marise Payne is Australia’s first female Defence Minister, but is she up to the job?’
That is one headline that ran in relation to Payne’s promotion this week.
Predictably, discussion about the number of women in Cabinet having more than doubled in the past week and has included posturing about whether those women promoted got there “on merit” or because of their “gender”… As if the two are mutually exclusive.
The real reason Marise Payne is defence minister is simple. She is eminently qualified for the position having spent more than a decade on parliamentary committees on defence and foreign affairs. She is a long-time politician, having served in the Senate since 1997, is considered to be extremely effective and is understood to be widely respected within defence.
The Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James described her appointment as “inspired”.
Yesterday, at her first press conference as minister, Senator Payne asked to be judged on her performance, not her gender.
Watch Payne’s press conference here. Post continues below.
“All I ask is that I am judged on my performance, not on my gender. But if, as … Australia’s first female defence minister, I can encourage or that appointment encourages one extra young woman in this nation to consider a career in Defence, to consider a career in politics, or encourages one woman currently serving in the ADF or part of the Defence public service in what they are doing, then I think that is an absolutely fabulous thing,” she said.
It’s sad that in 2015 a minister would need to ask to be judged on her performance, not her gender. But, until female Cabinet ministers are run of the mill – rather than a rare and endangered species – the issue of their gender is likely to attract attention.
It’s a double-edged sword. Because women in politics are rare, promotions like Payne’s are richly symbolic and a source of good news. A reminder that progress is possible. The downside for those promoted, is that they can, and do, face increased scrutiny.
The thing to keep in mind is this. Whether Marise Payne succeeds or not in Defence – and the challenge ahead is substantial – won’t turn on the fact she’s a woman. It will turn on her performance. As history reveals, there are plenty of examples of poor performing male ministers just as there have been underperforming female ministers. The same goes for those who succeed. In ever case what counts is the individual’s ability to lead effectively, not their gender.
If Payne’s past performance is anything to go by, she has a solid shot at succeeding but it’s not because she’s a woman.
It’s because she is extremely capable.
Top Comments
Marise Payne has been a member of the parliamentary defence review committee for just on ten years for five PMs ... under Howard, Rudd-Gillard-Rudd and Abbott.
I was outraged early this week when Kevin Andrews launched his attack 2.5 hours before Turnbull announced the new updated ministry ... implying that only he was the right person in the right place to give 'continuity' to the defence forces as he had 'successfully negotiated defence salaries'.
What utter BS! As if defence personnel were happy with less-than-CPI rises in their pay!
Attacks on Senator Payne in electronic responses to online newspapers and magazines and via talkback radio were based on anything other than her talent or her ability.
Marise Payne was 'shot at' for being a woman ... apparently to the overwhelming majority of (predominantly but not exclusively male) respondents was that defence was a man's portfolio. Duh? We have been allowing women into the forces for decades and into combat roles for quite a few years now.
Marise Payne was 'shot at', of course, because of her large frame and overweight state. It occurred to some respondents that she didn't look fit enough to work hard at the portfolio. While obesity is not good, it's none of their business. And, FFS, her towering height is, in no way a problem. It was basically a mass attempt at fat-shaming.
The other strand of their attack, the "no experience" issue was a FAIL for the attackers. Senator Payne's decade on the defence review committee was a lot of service that half the half-cocked journalists and almost all the public were just ignorant of. Typical shoot-first-ask-later style.
Now, I have no like of mainstream LNP ideology and action but credit where credit is due. Senator Marise Payne is a talented, intelligent Senator doing a bloody good job that most of her own colleagues and parliamentary opponents are aware of.
Let's get back to issues not petty nastiness.
Feminists constantly turn female appointments to significant leadership roles, into a gender story. Feminist commentators have been writing heaps about the female appointments in this new ministry - and then complain when main stream media reports frame their reports in the context of it being unusual that a woman has been appointed to this role. its all a bit hypocritical.