[DEPUTY SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE] The question is that the motion be agreed to. I call the Prime Minister.
[JULIA GILLARD] Thank you very much Deputy Speaker
and I rise to oppose the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition, and in so
doing I say to the Leader of the Opposition: I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny
by this man. I will not. And the government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny
by this man—not now, not ever. The Leader of the Opposition says that people who hold
sexist views and who are misogynists are not appropriate for high office. Well, I hope
the Leader of the Opposition has got a piece of paper and he is writing out his resignation,
because if he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia he doesn't need
a motion in the House of Representatives; he needs a mirror. That is what he needs.
Let's go through the opposition leader's repulsive double standards when it comes to misogyny
and sexism. We are now supposed to take seriously that the Leader of the Opposition is offended
by Mr Slipper's text messages, when this is the Leader of the Opposition who has said,
and this was when he was a minister under the last government—not when he was a student,
not when he was in high school, (but) when he was a minister under the last government.
He has said, and I quote, in a discussion about women being underrepresented in institutions
of power in Australia, the interviewer was
a man called Stavros, the Leader of the Opposition said: "If it's true, Stavros, that
men have more power, generally speaking, than women, is that a bad thing?"
And then a discussion ensues and another person being interviewed says, "I want my daughter
to have as much opportunity as my son," to which the Leader of the Opposition says: "Yeah,
I completely agree, but what if men are, by physiology or temperament, more adapted to
exercise authority or to issue command?" Then ensues another discussion about women's role
in modern society, and the other person participating in the discussions says, "I think it's very
hard to deny that there is an underrepresentation of women," to which the Leader of the Opposition
says, "But now, there's an assumption that this is a bad thing." This is the man from whom
we are supposed to take lectures about sexism.
And then, or course, it goes on. I was very offended personally when the Leader of the Opposition
as minister for health said, and I quote, "Abortion is the easy way out." I was very personally offended by those
comments. You said that in March 2004. I suggest you check the records. I was also
very offended on behalf of the women of Australia when in the course of this carbon pricing campaign
the Leader of the Opposition said, "What the housewives of Australia need to understand
as they do the ironing ..." Thank you for that painting of women's roles in modern Australia!
And then, of course, I was offended too by the sexism, by the misogyny, of the Leader of the Opposition
catcalling across this table at me as I sit here as Prime Minister, "if the Prime Minister
wants to, politically speaking, make an honest woman of herself ..." — something that would never
have been said to any man sitting in this chair.
I was offended when the Leader of the Opposition went outside in the front of parliament and
stood next to a sign that said 'Ditch the witch'. I was offended when the Leader of
the Opposition stood next to a sign that described me as a man's bitch. I was offended by those
things. Misogyny, sexism, every day from this Leader of the Opposition. Every
day, in every way, across the time the Leader of the Opposition has sat in that chair and
I have sat in this chair, that is all we have heard from him.
And now the Leader of the Opposition wants to be taken seriously. Apparently he's woken up,
after this track record and all of these statements, he's woken up and he's gone, "Oh dear,
there's this thing called sexism; oh my lord, there's this thing called misogyny. Now who's one
of them? Oh, the Speaker must be because that suits my political purpose" (He) doesn't turn
a hair about any of his past statements, doesn't walk into this parliament and apologise
to the women of Australia, doesn't walk into this parliament and apologise to me for the
things that have come out of his mouth—but (he) now seeks to use this as a battering ram
against someone else. Well this kind of hypocrisy should not be tolerated, which is why this
motion from the Leader of the Opposition should not be taken seriously.
And then second, the Leader of the Opposition is always wonderful about walking into this parliament
and giving me and others a lecture about what they should take responsibility for;
always wonderful about that - everything that I should take responsibility for, now apparently including
the text messages of the member for Fisher. Always keen to say others should assume
responsibility, particularly me. Well can anybody remind me if the Leader of the Opposition
has taken any responsibility for the conduct of the Sydney Young Liberals and the attendance
at this event of members of his frontbench? Has he taken any responsibility for the conduct
of members of his political party and members of his frontbench, who apparently when the
most vile things were being said about my family raised no voice of objection.
(Government members interjecting) [DEPUTY SPEAKER] Order!
[GILLARD]: No-one walked out of the room, no-one walked up to Mr Jones and said that
this was not acceptable. Instead, of course, it was all viewed as good fun—until it was run in a
Sunday newspaper, and then the Leader of the Opposition and others started ducking for cover.
(He is) big on lectures of responsibility, very light on accepting responsibility himself
for the vile conduct of members of his political party.
Third, Ms Deputy Speaker, why the Leader of the Opposition should not be taken seriously
on this motion. The Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition have
come into this place and have talked about the member for Fisher. Well let me remind the opposition,
and the Leader of the Opposition particularly, about their track record and association with
the member for Fisher. I remind them that the National Party preselected the member
for Fisher for the 1984 election, that the National Party preselected the member for
Fisher for the 1987 election, that the Liberal Party preselected the member for Fisher
for the 1993 election, then for the 1996 election, then for the 1998 election, then for the 2001
election, then for the 2004 election, then for the 2007 election and then for the 2010 election.
And across many of those preselections Mr Slipper enjoyed the personal support of
the Leader of the Opposition. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that on 28 September 2010,
following the last election campaign when Mr Slipper was elected as Deputy Speaker,
the Leader of the Opposition at that stage said this, and I quote; he referred to the member for Maranoa,
who was also elected to a position at the same time, and then went on as follows:
'... and the member for Fisher will serve as a fine complement
to the member for Scullin in the chair. I believe that the parliament will be well served
by the team which will occupy the chair in this chamber … I congratulate the member
for Fisher, who has been a friend of mine for a very long time, who has served this parliament
in many capacities with distinction …' The words of the Leader of the Opposition
on record about his personal friendship with Mr Slipper and on record about his view about
Mr Slipper's qualities and attributes to be the Speaker. (There is) no walking away from
those words—they were the statements of the Leader of the Opposition then.
I remind the Leader of the Opposition, who now comes in here and speaks about Mr Slipper
and apparently his inability to work with or talk to Mr Slipper,
I remind the Leader of the Opposition, he attended Mr Slipper's wedding.
Did he walk up to Mr Slipper in the middle of the service and say he was
disgusted to be there? Was that the attitude he took? No, he attended that wedding as a
friend. The Leader of the Opposition, keen to lecture others about what they ought to
know or did know about Mr Slipper but, with respect, I would say to the Leader of the Opposition
after a long personal association, including attending Mr Slipper's wedding,
it would be interesting to know whether the Leader of the Opposition was surprised by
these text messages. He is certainly in a position to speak more intimately about
Mr Slipper than I am and many other people in this parliament, given this long personal association.
Then, of course, the Leader of the Opposition comes into this place and says, and I quote:
"Every day the Prime Minister stands in this parliament to defend this Speaker will
be another day of shame for this parliament; another day of shame for a government which
should already have died of shame."
Well, can I indicate to the Leader of the Opposition,
the government is not dying of shame, my father did not die of shame. What the Leader
of the Opposition should be ashamed of is his performance in this parliament and the
sexism he brings with it.
Now, about the text messages that are on the public record, (Opposition members interjecting)
[JENNY MACKLIN]: You used those words. It is a quote.
[GILLARD] That is a direct quote from the Leader of the Opposition, so I suggest
those groaning have a word with him.
On the conduct of Mr Slipper and on the text messages which are in the public domain—I
have seen the press reports of those text messages, I am offended by their content.
I am offended by their content because I am always offended by sexism. I am offended by
their content because I am always offended by statements that are anti-women. I am offended
by those things in the same way I have been offended by things that the Leader of the Opposition
has said, and no doubt will continue to say in the future, because if this, today, was
an exhibition of his new feminine side, well I don't think we have much to look forward
to in terms of changed conduct.
I am offended by those text messages but I also believe that, in terms of this parliament,
making a decision about the speakership, that his parliament should recognise
that there is court case in progress, that
the judge has reserved his decision, that having waited for a number of months for the legal
matters surrounding Mr Slipper to come to a conclusion, that this parliament should see that
conclusion. I believe that is the appropriate path forward and that people will then have
an opportunity to make up their minds with the fullest information available to them.
But, whenever people make up their minds about those questions, what I won't stand for, what
I will never stand for, is the Leader of the Opposition coming into this place and
peddling a double standard; peddling a standard for Mr Slipper
he would not set for himself, peddling a standard for Mr Slipper he has not set for
other members of his frontbench; peddling a standard for Mr Slipper that has not been
acquitted by the people who have been sent out to say the vilest and most revolting things,
like his former shadow parliamentary secretary, Senator Bernardi.
I will not ever see the Leader of the Opposition seek to impose his double standard on this parliament.
Sexism should always be unacceptable. We should conduct ourselves as it should be
always unacceptable. The Leader of the Opposition says, 'Do something.'
Well he could do something himself if he wants to deal with sexism in this parliament. He
could change his behaviour, he could apologise for all his past statements, he could apologise
for standing next to signs describing me as a witch and a bitch—terminology that is now objected
to by the frontbench of the opposition. He could change a standard himself if he sought
to do so. But we will see none of that from the Leader of the Opposition, because on these
questions he is incapable of change. (He is) capable of double standards but incapable
of change. His double standards should not rule this parliament.
Good sense, common sense, proper process is what should rule this parliament.
That's what I believe is the path forward for this parliament, not the kind of double standards
and political game-playing imposed by the Leader of the Opposition, (who is) now looking
at his watch because, apparently, a woman's spoken too long—I've had him
yell at me to shut up in the past.
But I will take the remaining seconds of my speaking time to say to the Leader of the Opposition
I think the best course for him is to reflect on the standards he has
exhibited in public life, on the responsibility he should take for his public statements,
on his close personal connection with Peter Slipper, on the hypocrisy he has displayed
in this House today. And on that basis, because of the Leader of the Opposition's motivations,
this parliament today should reject this motion, and the Leader of the Opposition should think
seriously about the role of women in public life and in Australian society—because we
are entitled to a better standard than this.
[GOVERNMENT MEMBERS] Hear hear!