Australia Reflects On Past Women In Parliament
At first there was a slow trickle: Irene Longman (1929), Annabelle Rankin (1947), Vi Jordan (1966), Kathy Sullivan, Vicky Kippin and Rosemary Kyburz (1974).
However, these women paved the way for the flow of Queensland women into the state and federal parliaments in the 1980s and 1990s which, by the new century, had become a torrent.
Irene Longman (Progressive National, 1929-32) was the first woman to stand for, and the first to be elected to, the Queensland Parliament, and 37 years passed before the second woman, Vi Jordan (Labor, 1966-74).
Although Queensland voters had elected a woman (Annabelle Rankin) to the Senate in 1947, before 1989 very few women were elected to the Queensland Parliament.
With the exception of Anne Warner (1983-95), no Labor woman was elected to State Parliament between 1966 and 1989.
Several Coalition women were elected during that time, however, including Vicky Kippin (1974-80) and Rosemary Kyburz (1974-83), Beryce Nelson (1980-83 and 1986-89), Yvonne Chapman (1983-89) and Leisha Harvey (1983-89), Diane McCauley (1986-98) in 1986, and Judy Gamin (1988-89 and 1992-01).
Chapman, Harvey, Nelson and McCauley all served as ministers.
The election of the Goss government in 1989 saw a significant influx of new Labor women: Lorraine Bird (1989-98), Lesley Clark (1989-2007), Wendy Edmond (1989-2004), Laurel Power (1989-95), Molly Robson (1989-95), Judy Spence and Margaret Woodgate (1989-97).
At this election Chapman, Gamin, Nelson and Harvey lost their seats, though Labor's Anne Warner and National Di McCauley remained.
These nine women were joined in 1990 by Liberal Joan Sheldon (1990-04) who would later become Deputy Premier and Treasurer in the Borbidge government. Edmond, Robson, Spence and Woodgate became ministers.
At the 1992 election all these women held their seats and were joined by two women from the National Party: Judy Gamin, the second woman after Beryce Nelson to make a comeback, and Fiona Simpson whose father had previously been an MP in the Queensland Parliament.
They were joined by Labor's Merri Rose (1992-04), later to become a minister in the Beattie Government.
The 1995 election saw the departure of four Labor women: Ministers Warner, who retired, and Robson, who lost her seat; Clark who returned at the next election, and Power.
However, these losses were offset by the election of four others: Anna Bligh (Labor) who would become Deputy Premier 10 years later, Liz Cunningham (Independent) who held the balance of power in the Borbidge government, Naomi Wilson (National, 1995-98) Minister for Families in the Borbidge government, and Lyn Warwick (Liberal 1995-98). In 1997 Woodgate retired owing to ill health and was replaced by Linda Lavarch (Labor) who became Attorney-General in the Beattie Government.
At the 1998 election Bird, Warwick and Wilson lost their seats, and McCauley retired. They were replaced by five Labor women: Julie Attwood, Desley Boyle, Nita Cunningham, Lindy Nelson-Carr, Karen Struthers and One Nation's Dolly Pratt who later changed to Independent. Boyle and Cunningham later became ministers in the Beattie Government. They were joined by Labor's Jo-Ann Miller at a 2000 by-election.
At the 2001 poll 17 women were elected. Two of these, Rosa Lee Long and Elisa Roberts, represented One Nation (Roberts later became Independent) and the rest Labor -- Bonny Barry, Liddy Clark, Peta-Kaye Croft, Jan Jarratt, Margaret Keech, Carolyn Male, Cate Molloy, Rachel Nolan who at 26 was the youngest women yet elected to the Queensland Parliament, Anita Phillips (2001-04), Dianne Reilly, Christine Scott (2001-04), Desley Scott, Christine Smith, Barbara Stone and Carryn Sullivan. There were now 33 women MPs in the Queensland Parliament out of 89. Clark and Keech became ministers.
The 2004 election saw this number drop to 30 as three women retired (Edmond, Sheldon and Phillips) and two lost their seats (Rose and Christine Scott). Only two new women were elected: the Nationals' Rosemary Menkens and Jann Stuckey from the Liberal Party.
[Editor's Note: This is a short excerpt from a much longer piece. See the Courier Mail for more.]
However, these women paved the way for the flow of Queensland women into the state and federal parliaments in the 1980s and 1990s which, by the new century, had become a torrent.
Irene Longman (Progressive National, 1929-32) was the first woman to stand for, and the first to be elected to, the Queensland Parliament, and 37 years passed before the second woman, Vi Jordan (Labor, 1966-74).
Although Queensland voters had elected a woman (Annabelle Rankin) to the Senate in 1947, before 1989 very few women were elected to the Queensland Parliament.
With the exception of Anne Warner (1983-95), no Labor woman was elected to State Parliament between 1966 and 1989.
Several Coalition women were elected during that time, however, including Vicky Kippin (1974-80) and Rosemary Kyburz (1974-83), Beryce Nelson (1980-83 and 1986-89), Yvonne Chapman (1983-89) and Leisha Harvey (1983-89), Diane McCauley (1986-98) in 1986, and Judy Gamin (1988-89 and 1992-01).
Chapman, Harvey, Nelson and McCauley all served as ministers.
The election of the Goss government in 1989 saw a significant influx of new Labor women: Lorraine Bird (1989-98), Lesley Clark (1989-2007), Wendy Edmond (1989-2004), Laurel Power (1989-95), Molly Robson (1989-95), Judy Spence and Margaret Woodgate (1989-97).
At this election Chapman, Gamin, Nelson and Harvey lost their seats, though Labor's Anne Warner and National Di McCauley remained.
These nine women were joined in 1990 by Liberal Joan Sheldon (1990-04) who would later become Deputy Premier and Treasurer in the Borbidge government. Edmond, Robson, Spence and Woodgate became ministers.
At the 1992 election all these women held their seats and were joined by two women from the National Party: Judy Gamin, the second woman after Beryce Nelson to make a comeback, and Fiona Simpson whose father had previously been an MP in the Queensland Parliament.
They were joined by Labor's Merri Rose (1992-04), later to become a minister in the Beattie Government.
The 1995 election saw the departure of four Labor women: Ministers Warner, who retired, and Robson, who lost her seat; Clark who returned at the next election, and Power.
However, these losses were offset by the election of four others: Anna Bligh (Labor) who would become Deputy Premier 10 years later, Liz Cunningham (Independent) who held the balance of power in the Borbidge government, Naomi Wilson (National, 1995-98) Minister for Families in the Borbidge government, and Lyn Warwick (Liberal 1995-98). In 1997 Woodgate retired owing to ill health and was replaced by Linda Lavarch (Labor) who became Attorney-General in the Beattie Government.
At the 1998 election Bird, Warwick and Wilson lost their seats, and McCauley retired. They were replaced by five Labor women: Julie Attwood, Desley Boyle, Nita Cunningham, Lindy Nelson-Carr, Karen Struthers and One Nation's Dolly Pratt who later changed to Independent. Boyle and Cunningham later became ministers in the Beattie Government. They were joined by Labor's Jo-Ann Miller at a 2000 by-election.
At the 2001 poll 17 women were elected. Two of these, Rosa Lee Long and Elisa Roberts, represented One Nation (Roberts later became Independent) and the rest Labor -- Bonny Barry, Liddy Clark, Peta-Kaye Croft, Jan Jarratt, Margaret Keech, Carolyn Male, Cate Molloy, Rachel Nolan who at 26 was the youngest women yet elected to the Queensland Parliament, Anita Phillips (2001-04), Dianne Reilly, Christine Scott (2001-04), Desley Scott, Christine Smith, Barbara Stone and Carryn Sullivan. There were now 33 women MPs in the Queensland Parliament out of 89. Clark and Keech became ministers.
The 2004 election saw this number drop to 30 as three women retired (Edmond, Sheldon and Phillips) and two lost their seats (Rose and Christine Scott). Only two new women were elected: the Nationals' Rosemary Menkens and Jann Stuckey from the Liberal Party.
[Editor's Note: This is a short excerpt from a much longer piece. See the Courier Mail for more.]