Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Gender equality

Sonja TERPSTRA (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:49): I rise to update the house about a very important milestone that those of us on this side of the chamber can celebrate this month with great pride. It is the 30th anniversary of affirmative action rules reforms, which were passed at the ALP national conference in 1994. I want to pay tribute to the many women over many years, decades in fact, who campaigned tirelessly to see these important reforms passed – years of bringing people on board and years of conversations, formal and informal, and advocacy on why working towards equal representation for women in our Parliament made good sense. As women it is what we bring to the table that makes a richer and more holistic outcome, and one that is reflective of half of our community and more.

I want to acknowledge and thank the giants upon whose shoulders I stand here today, and I do so with some trepidation because I know that there are often many women who go unmentioned and unrecognised. I am hoping you know who you are and what your contribution has meant. More formally, I thank Joan Kirner, of course, Victoria’s first female Premier and a formidable advocate and champion of women’s equality; many other Labor women, including Sharan Burrow, Jennie George, Candy Broad, Kay Setches, Jenny Beacham, Jeannette McHugh, Sheila O’Sullivan, Julia Gillard and many, many more; and the many allies and supporters, otherwise known as those good blokes who supported the change in our rules in the union movement and more broadly in our political circles. You knew it was the right thing to do and our movement is much richer for it. I will have more to say about celebrating this important milestone at an EMILY’s List event coming soon to a venue near you.