Australia First Woman PM: Julia Gillard

[Antonia]

Yowza!

''I ran through my mind how many men would have made it into politics if  the measure were looks. Nothing personal boys, but let’s be frank, not  many of you would make the cut. ''

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/828300--coal-miner-s-daughter-becomes-aussie-pm

You should see the sexist YouTubes.

And some of the Tweets, good and bad:

adzap                                      
             Wow!!! Now we have an unwed,  childless, atheist PM. I've never felt so represented. #spill

ashe_lives_here                                      
             Gillard's gvt signs $400mil deal  exporting brown coal to Vietnam. Nobody notices, too busy talking about  PM's hair color #Gillard #spill

clivepugh                                      
             What's more embarrassing: a PM  who speaks mandarin, or a PM whose hair is the colour of a mandarin? #spill

[Toedancer]

Lots of sexism to be sure: In fact the worse I saw was An Australian senator has caused a storm of protest  for describing a female politician as "deliberately barren" and  therefore unfit to govern.

So sperm is squited everywhere, eggs are naturally selective, but hey let's make sure a woman is NEVER the BOSS eh.
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[Boom Boom]

I saw an excerpt of a speech by the new Aussie PM on CBC, and she is sharp and progressive. I think we're going to hear a lot of good stuff from her.

[Toedancer]

Well I'm not so sure, woman yes, but raised on male politics.
She's already going for the b.s. cap/n/trade which is a tax on the people to pay for gov'ts huge b.s. mistakes over the last 25 years.
Yeah, she's sharp all right. Make sure the people pay for the b.s. mistakes of the elite poli's. She wins cuz she gives in to the mining culture. Which means she gives in to the owners of the mines, without a care for the workers. We'll see.

[Boom Boom]

I've been wrong before. :

[Antonia]

We'll see indeed.

The proof will be in the next term, assuming she wins the election.

Otherwise, she is the Oz Kim Campbell.

[Toedancer]

Don't treat this so lightly. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/828274--explain-yourself-or-resign-critics-tell-top-spy?bn=1
Explain yourself or stfu.

[Antonia]

Hunh?

[Toedancer]

Just part of the link.

[skdadl]

Ah ... Toe? I think your last two posts here have both Antonia and me puzzled.

[lagatta]

I love the quote by her dad, an 81-year-old working-class man: QUOTE: ''Women are not breeding machines, you know.''

—Gillard’s 81-year-old father, John, on the slights his daughter has endured for being single and childless in public life.

Hmm, perhaps I should add "deliberately barren" as a byline. That is like so, second-last century... As for her policies and ability to carry them out, for the moment we'll have to wait and see. The party was elected; the PM is not elected in a parliamentary system but chosen by the ruling party or coalition.

[Antonia]

No question she gave in to mining companies though.

http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Mining+sector+happy+face/3198795/story.html

Mining executives will be happy to see a new face, especially as Gillard  immediately softened the rhetorical tone. Share prices rose in  response. The positive industry and investor response is probably  justified, since Gillard, despite being close to Rudd and a member of  his so-called kitchen Cabinet, has no political capital invested in  soaking the country's largest export industry.

Read more:  http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Mining+sector+happy+face/3198795/story.html#ixzz0rt5AEWDg

[lagatta]

Yes, that is not good, but it is the sort of dilemma that has always faced the BC NDP, for example, with respect to the resource industries. Hope the government can show some fortitude, but I guess that is a faint hope...

[Toedancer]

Historic Hung Parliament in Australia

Yep, citizens don't want majorities anymore.