Qld:Labor s new crop of female MPs press for women as premiers

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-2001
Qld:Labor s new crop of female MPs press for women as premiers

By Ainsley Pavey

BRISBANE, Feb 18 AAP - A senior Labor woman today pressed the case for the first female
premier in Queensland after a record 27 women were elected in yesterday's state poll.

The election delivered Labor Premier Peter Beattie a record majority of around 40 seats
and more than doubled the number of women in Labor's male-dominated caucus from 12 to
27 MPs.

Mr Beattie hailed the rise - engineered by the party's affirmative action policy -
as a tremendous outcome that reflected the gender balance in the community.

"I am delighted, and in some senses it's a generational change," he said.

Queensland and South Australia have both met Labor's affirmative action target of a
parliament comprising 35 per cent women by the end of 2001.

But Victoria and Western Australia are the only Australian states where women have
become premier, with Joan Kirner and Carmen Lawrence respectively once holding the office.

Labor women's organisation Emily's List - set up by Ms Kirner in 1996 - funded 16 of
the 27 successful female candidates in the Queensland election.

Queensland convenor and former Goss government minister Molly Robson said there was
no reason why a woman could not now become premier.

Families Minister Anna Bligh was widely tipped to replace disgraced rorter Jim Elder
as deputy premier late last year but long-time Labor minister Terry Mackenroth was hand-picked
for the job by Mr Beattie.

The premier denied he was forced to make the choice because of factional pressure but
Ms Robson said she hoped the factional influence would diminish.

"One would hope the factional influence will fall away eventually so people are selected
on merit," Ms Robson said.

"We believe it will happen and we would support Peter Beattie's good judgment and good
sense and we have confidence in him.

"Mackenroth has been in parliament for a long time and will ultimately leave. Anna
has been in there since 1995 and literally went straight into the ministry and is incredibly
talented."

Ms Robson said 53 new female MPs had been elected with the help of Emily's List, which
has 2,000 members nationwide.

She said the ALP pursued the policy despite its unpopularity within the party.

"Politics is a tough game and it is about power," she said.

"Women have not been given a fair go but it has taken cultural change."

Modelled on a US-based scheme introduced by former First Lady and New York Senator
Hillary Clinton, Emily's List has spent $300,000 on campaigns for Labor women.

Ms Robson was first elected in 1989 and lost her Brisbane seat of Springwood in 1995
due to a controversial road project which cut through koala habitat.

She said Emily's List paid out $30,000 for candidates in the state poll, providing
mentors and campaign support, and was hoping to match the performance in the upcoming
federal election.

"We've already interviewed our federal candidates," she said.

"They are incredibly talented women."

AAP ap/sc/md/br

KEYWORD: POLLQLD WOMEN

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