In electing 13 women to the new 25-member Legislative Assembly last month, voters did more than just reaffirm their reputation as political and social trendsetters. They nailed their colours firmly to the mast of modern leadership, which is collaborative, consultative and predicated foremost on problem-solving. While men are perfectly capable of exhibiting these leadership attributes, it is women, more generally, who are that way inclined.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The assembly now comprises a 52 per cent majority of females, a ratio no other Australian parliament comes close to matching.
US studies have confirmed that women who are elected to office will perform better, on average, than their male counterparts. What constitutes effective political representation is debatable, of course, but it should perhaps not surprise that women are more likely than men to be talented, capable and hard-working MPs.
If there's an inbuilt bias against members of a particular group striving to reach the highest level, it stands to reason that only those of exceptional drive and determination from that group will make it to the top. And one only has to look at how parliaments around the country function, with their family-unfriendly sitting hours, to glean the essentially clubbiness of politics.
That clubbiness is far less pronounced now than it used to be, largely because of the view that gender diversity is essential if parliaments are to operate effectively. Indeed, so orthodox has that viewpoint become, it is virtually de rigueur for parties to preselect significant numbers of women, with the support and encouragement of organisations such as Emily's List.
Labor has often claimed to be the most active of the major parties in addressing female under-representation. However, the Coalition has made progress as well – even on occasion matching Labor's efforts federally.
Despite this, gender inequality in Federal Parliament remains pronounced, and this has led to recurring debates about quotas. Labor is more receptive to the idea of introducing quotas than the Coalition, which true to its laissez-faire traditions prefers "aspirational" targets.
Which is the more effective approach remains open to debate. Whereas a party might win bragging rights for the number of women it preselects, the effect is hollow if those seats are marginal or unwinnable. Likewise, quotas are just another take on preferment. Implementing them means more talented or deserving individuals will likely be sidelined.
The internal politics of individual parties play a crucial role in who gets elected, too – something the designers of the ACT electoral system were acutely aware of when they sought to limit the degree to which parties could dictate who they wanted to win.
That, and the good sense of voters, explains why the assembly is now Australia's most diverse parliament. If progress can continue in breaking down the barriers that prevent more women entering politics, we can look forward to seeing greater numbers in our parliaments in the future.
