It's a girl! (cross to three wise men looking bewildered) At 9.35 this morning I twinged pre-emptively for Julia Gillard. Being Prime Minister is not so much grasping a poisoned chalice as throwing yourself at Damocles' throne. Rudd was thrust onto rather than fell upon his sword. All political careers end in disgrace — who said that? — which is why a lot of women don't want them (some of us can act disgracefully without a Party).
Gillard's moment was thrust upon her, as was Rudd's decision not to contest. Factional politics, media interest and big advertising provoked exactly the crisis that neither wanted, at least not now.
As a woman, a lawyer, a Victorian, and a feminist, I am delighted to have such a smart, confident, self-assured, genuine woman leading my country. Especially after such a hard struggle within the ALP to make sure women political candidates are treated as serious contenders for winnable seats so that they can demonstrate how good they are, and bring a different and important awareness of community and electorate issues to the table.
The importance of a woman getting the highest political post in the land — remember that our Governor General is a progressive, savvy woman as well — is not so much in its being a 'first', but that the new Prime Minister is her own woman. She has not turned into an 'honorary bloke'. The singular attribute of Julia has been her obvious sincerity and the genuineness of her public conversations. And she can laugh. Women do have a different experience of the world, not least in our socialisation (playground politics tend to carry on into the grown-up workplace), but also in our opportunities. It takes a particular kind of woman to, so obviously, revel in her role as a minister and deputy PM, and a particularly strong character to have leveraged a grudging respect from her factional foes and overcome the truism that nobody from 'the Left' could ever gain overall ALP support.
Gillard has been a long-standing member of the 'left' in the ALP, and supporter of Emily's List, the NGO committed to mentoring, supporting and providing 'early money' to endorsed ALP women candidates from any faction or none, who support choice, equity, diversity, childcare and equal pay.
In her work in the industrial relations portfolio she has spoken for and delivered on paid parental leave, flexible working conditions, and the eradication of the pernicious and bullying effects of Work Choices, so that women can integrate their working and personal lives and responsibilities.
In Australia, becoming Prime Minister means losing privacy, sleep andpersonal liberty commensurate with media exposure. The turning of the media pack on 'lovable Rudd' — our golden lad, our TinTin — was dramatic, fierce and destructive. I'm not sure it was fullydeserved. Gillard will know the lesson to be learnt. Today's media darling, Gillard, could be tomorrow's dead Jezebel, eaten by dogs.
Iknow Gillard can deal with it, and I want her to keep her sense of proportion, humour and the ridiculous. I would be very sorry if it meantthat Julia will have to be 'careful' from now on: so many pits to stumble at, so much personality to bland.
What I like most about the Gillard we have seen to date is that she has always spoken as a woman, with a good, solid working class accent and in language that anyone can understand. She has been a politician without turning herself into anything much different from the Labor Lawyer she was back in Melbourne: neither a Battleaxe nor a Beehive, but a woman with the common touch. She is still a genuine human being.
She can be serious, yet she laughs like a wharfie. I have thoroughly enjoyed her debates with the hapless Abbott whose patrician, 1950s attitude to women she so easily tickles out of him. I love seeing Abbott feeling uncomfortable instead of making women feel uncomfortable: he hugged me once, on a stage — I was too surprised to use the knee.
I will miss Gillard's jokey little bloke-downs, if she bows (as Rudd did) to political necessity and stops this regular little double-act with the opposition. Her levity may drop under the burdens of office, though I do hope not: there were nights when I turned on Question Time purely to watch her laughing at the expense of the suits on the other side.
Joke on, Julia, and try to keep enjoying the Great Game. Stay who you are so that Australian women feel heard. You stand for the hopes and dreams of women, and as a symbol, that politics can be done differently by women, and better.
More on the leadership takeover:
Gillard's win a loss for feminists
Goodbye Kevin, hello Julia
Moving forward with Gillard
Remembering Rudd
Moira Rayner is a barrister and writer. She is a former Equal Opportunity and HREOC Commissioner. She is principal of Moira Rayner and Associates.