For his entire prime ministership, Tony Abbott struggled to win the women’s vote.
Of course it didn’t help that he never corrected the myth that he had appointed himself Minister for Women, a position he was clearly unqualified to take on and a move that was so utterly stupid it simply became a running joke.
It also didn’t help that he initially appointed just one woman into his Cabinet, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, before declaring there were numerous other talented women, “knocking at the door”. When he had a good opportunity to open that door a few months later, he allowed just one extra woman in: Health Minister Sussan Ley.
And it really didn’t help when Abbott declared one of his key achievements for women was removing the burden of the carbon tax. This at a time when women are earning significantly less than men, continue to be woefully underrepresented in leadership positions, and are being killed at disturbing rates from partner-related violence (these problems continue, and are arguably worse than when Abbott made his carbon tax declaration at the end of 2014).
Later, Abbott’s major backflip in signature policy announcements like paid parental leave would further accentuated his ‘problem with women’. The policy that many claimed was too generous when he took it to the federal election, was slowly eroded until we ended up with something that would see many new parents worse off than what is on offer now. Eventually, many mothers were labelled ‘double dippers’ for simply accepting paid parental leave they were entitled to. Not a good move for a government that needed to get more such mothers on side.
In August this year, Fairfax’s Ipsos poll found just 31% of women approved of Abbott’s performance, compared with 40% of men. Over the weekend, its October poll found 68% of respondents, male or female, approve of Turnbull’s performance.
The poll also revealed Turnbull has his own gender gap when it comes to the voting intentions of the public, only his swings a different way to Abbott’s and sees more women than men listing him as the preferred prime minister over Labor’s Bill Shorten. The margin is just 2%, with 68% of women compared with 66% of men, yet it signals a dramatic shift in women backing a Liberal government.
But what’s actually changed in the five weeks Turnbull’s been in power? Well appearances for one, it seems, actually matter. That may seem superficial, but it does help create a certain sense of optimism about the future.
Turnbull reinstated the position of Minister for Women, and he put a woman in the job, Senator Michaelia Cash.
He more than doubled the number of women in Cabinet by making just three extra appointments, bringing the total up to five. He didn’t break any records or do anything particularly ground-breaking in giving women such powerful roles (aside from seeing Senator Marise Payne appointed our first female Defence Minister). Nonetheless it was such a change from his predecessor that the number of women he appointed became a significant story.
There has also been a change in rhetoric. A shift in fear-mongering language to optimism. A sense that great prosperity in the future requires a change in the status quo. These are just words of course, but they hint at a more inclusive and collaborative environment to come.
There’s also been an acknowledgement of privilege. It’s interesting to note that Labor’s attack on Turnbull’s significant personal wealth has done little damage to his popularity.
And yet, aside from the $100 million package to support women’s safety Turnbull announced last month – one that must have been in the works during Abbott’s time anyway – there has been no real discussion about policies that significantly enhance the lives of women. We’ve heard little regarding what’s next for paid parental level, or childcare, or for policies that better support women’s representation. There have been no announcements about more money for desperately underfunded frontline services for victims of domestic violence.
What we have seen are changes in faces and names, a shift in the arrogant thinking that women’s voices could somehow be dismissed.
Turnbull hasn’t yet done enough to retain his surge in female support. But he has at least opened the door to the potential for change.