The first woman Premier for NSW, is this something to celebrate?
The media calls I am fielding start with versions of this question. My response has been, no: because it is the third time that the ALP has put a woman into the Premier’s role to clean up a mess. Carmen Lawrence inherited Brian Burke’s mess and Joan Kirner’s task was the chaos left by John Cain’s forays into finance. Both, predictably, lost the next election because they had to impossible task of minimising the inevitable losses.
Apart from Anna Bligh, who did then win the next election, the ALP has only put women into top jobs to do political housecleaning. Attempting to change the image, and usually the reality, of being run by a gang of boys together that the ALP often projects, the choice of a woman makes some sense.
The Keneally appointment is a desperate attempt by the shadowy group that runs NSW to look fresh and maybe save some of the more marginal seats in 15 months time.
What is more interesting is that the Deputy Premier is also a female. Two mothers of primary aged children in positions of power is a new look. I note Keneally refers to herself as a ‘working mother’, I do not remember Iemma ever referring to himself as a working father!
The duo will be a novelty as some indication of change. At least the boys did not decide that Carmel Tebbutt should be replaced by a male. However, it probably means that, if the two don’t achieve a respectable swing back to the ALP, their failure will be ascribed to gender, not the impossible tasks they were given.
The fact that both are prepared to call themselves feminists is a good sign but the responses of the media suggest that sexism survives. The tag of puppet is being applied with considerable enthusiasm, and together with the label of being ‘Joe’s (Tripodi) girl’, suggests that she is weak and malleable. Despite his similar selection 15 months ago, her predecessor Rees, was not as clearly portrayed as the toy of others, though, as not even a member of the right, his appointment was more curious.
It seems that Kenneally is not being given credit for her own actions. The sexism shows in assumptions that she, as a long term member of the right faction, is not a power player in the same way as most of the right boys are. Why not give her credit for her own power plays? She is obviously ambitious and able to hold her own in debates, so why not see her as actively involved in the machinations with the rest of the backroom plotters?
Her ascension in the same week as Tony Abbott’s raises more interesting questions about the influence of the conservative wing of the Catholic church in both major parties. It must please George Pell whose influence will probably now be even more potent in areas such as fertility control and moralities.
This is typical of you southerners. You forget all about Clare Martin the NT’s first female chief Minister and the first female leader in the country to win an election – and she did it from opposition.
Anna Bligh only became the Premier of Queensland after the stench of Peter Beattie’s trail of excrement could be smelt from Cairns to Coolangatta. She had been the legitimate successor for the past few years, but it was a bit of a stool pigeon job with a high likelihood of electoral loss.
Unusually, she won even though her government is quite unpopular – simply due to the laughable opposition. Not just amusing like the federal coalition, but literally ridiculous and absurd.
You also forgot Rosemary Follett in the ACT, who was elected before Clare Martin was. And later Kate Carnell.
Ouch.
And the point of distinction with Rees is that he as far as we know was not elected in Toongabbie with donation funds from Tripodi, as Keneally admits she was in 2003 (about $20K?) in footage on NSW Stateline tonight via NSW Parliament estimates.
Also if you consult my blog you will see that Tripodi as Ports Minister was angling for Port Botany expansion contrary to expert Planning C’er Cleland report in 2005. Kristina ‘merits’ Keneally went very quiet on the Port expansion – in her own portside electorate of Heffron. Cash for silence????
That folks is the smoking gun from all the way back to Nov 2005, when Sartor as Planning minister rejected Cleland’s report impacting even more Keneally’s own seat and potentially 50 other suburbs in the future ($5B truck tunnel etc).
Puppet material.
Dr Harvey M Tarvydas
Tops and pertinent plus Eva Cox.
You seem to confirm the veracity Of Mr Rees comments on the conserves.
I posted the following at the other story (Joe’s) on the subject.
Well, lots of opinion, a few facts and all swimming in lots of interesting attitude.
I have a lot of sympathy and admiration for Mr Rees. He may be right about the ‘conniving’ right and his last moments were brave and seem to be attracting understanding.
However he achieved unique power of appointment so he was trusted and given a (serious) chance. At this point, with such new powers he had to be extraordinarily clever, rather than flexing his new muscles instantly because he could.
Ms Keneally, and I’ve heard a lot of her today, looks good, is intelligent and sounds good. It’s different to the usual on every count so therefore there will be many interpretations of her meaning and make up as the comments show.
Her past achievements must have been tough jobs, church or no church, so she will surprise by turning out to be competent at achieving the very very difficult task ahead of her as it was for Mr Rees. Rebuilding a State and a party in ‘no time’.
His efforts were admirable and his strain (and strain expression) brave but the job is complex in the modern intellectual sense and he likely doesn’t have it. He did well I feel and deserves recognition for his efforts. One never blames oneself. There will always be those who could have helped more.
She most likely does have it.
As Eva Cox says the impossible and thankless tasks we give to the housewife’s. By their nature they say ‘yes’.
Men are not stupid they’re just ugly.