women in politics

News that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s front bench is set to contain a record number of women is welcome news.

The presence of only one woman, albeit a high profile one, in Tony Abbott’s cabinet has prompted renewed calls for the introduction of quotas to ensure greater numbers of senior women in government.

As Labor’s recent period of extraordinary internal harmony shatters, former cabinet minister Nicola Roxon has excoriated Kevin Rudd, forensically detailing his bad behaviour and declaring he should leave parliament for Labor’s good.

Tony Abbott is no doubt enjoying former minister Nicola Roxon’s blast against her old political boss Kevin Rudd.

Our first female attorney-general Nicola Roxon delivered her valedictorian speech to Parliament on Tuesday, thanking those who’ve helped her manage her political career, particularly when she was a new mother, and cautioning against sexism and the degrading treatment of women at work.

Women’s Agenda sister publication Crikey has crunched the numbers to see what a Kevin Rudd caretaker cabinet would look like should a leadership change occur next week.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard called a ballot for the Labor leadership at 7pm tonight.

When Julia Gillard became Australia’s first female prime minister in 2010 it seemed as though the country had smashed through the ultimate glass ceiling.

Julia GIllard’s farewell speech saw her outline her outline the key policy achievements she is most proud of, address what it meant to be Australia’s first female prime minister, and congratulate Kevin Rudd on winning the leadership.

The hapless Sophie Mirabella has brought double trouble for her friend Tony Abbott.

The angst over the lack of women in Tony Abbott’s cabinet is one of the more perplexing political reactions of recent years.

Bill Shorten says she represents the “Australian story”.