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The Forum > Article Comments > Australia's Julia Gillard is no feminist hero > Comments

Australia's Julia Gillard is no feminist hero : Comments

By John Pilger, published 17/10/2012

Julia Gillard's record is one of running away from the principles of feminism.

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For Gillard to cry sexism and pretend to be a victim after climbing over the backs of 4 male leaders in a few years is ridiculous and her speech was an embarrassment to older women like me who know what she is really like.
Posted by Marilyn Shepherd, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 3:19:51 PM
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I disliked this poorly researched article about a Prime Minister who, although is the first female Australian PM, has never put herself out there as a leader of feminism as such.

Standing up for herself and the few other female politicians in our parliament and stating how they will not be treated as the weaker sex any more, is a very admirable thing to do. We have all seen evidence of sexism in parliament. We shouldn't put up with this in our own workplaces, and neither should the PM.

Whether I do or don't like her policies or decisions in Government, she had every right to stand up for herself as a person and a woman.
The fact that her speech was admired the world over is enough for me.
Posted by Suseonline, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 4:17:00 PM
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Bob Kerohan the ex-president of the AWU swears that builders turned up at his office and demanded that the AWU pay for works done to Julia Gillard's house at Abbottsford.This is a very recent interview. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBgxVo5gTA&feature=player_embedded

Bob Kernohan said that he was offered a safe Labor seat if he shut his mouth.He was serevely bashed and sent 3 bullets for being honest.

How was the Gillard Govt able to get Michael Smith sacked from 2UE and silence the Fairfax and Murdoch press in futher investigating this matter?

There has been no police investigation and the Coalition are also strangely silent.Do they all have immunity via the dirt they have on each other?
Posted by Arjay, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 4:35:30 PM
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ARjay, what does your rant have to do with Gillard's so called feminism?
Posted by Marilyn Shepherd, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 4:42:02 PM
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'has never put herself out there as a leader of feminism as such.'

Suseonline,

I think you could have at least read the first paragraph,

'Promoted by glass-ceiling feminists with scant interest in the actual politics and actions of their hero, Gillard is the embodiment of the Australian Labor Party machine'
Posted by Houellebecq, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 4:52:05 PM
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Marilyn,I'm raising the issue of Gillard's integrity.Feminism is supposed to all about that.
Posted by Arjay, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 4:53:30 PM
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Houllebecq, I read all the article. That sentence was the author's opinion, not mine.
I am no fan of Julia Gillard, but she never struck me as a 'feminist hero' at any time.
Just because she is a woman in a position of power does not mean she is, or considers herself to be, a 'feminist hero'.

She is holding the highest political position in Australia.
Most women are happy with that, even if they don't like her politics...
Posted by Suseonline, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 5:13:58 PM
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No Arjay, integrity is non-sexual.

AWB were all men, they stole $300 million for a UN fund to feed starving Iraqis and have received less abuse than Craig Thomson who reports galore have shown did nothing illegal or wrong.
Posted by Marilyn Shepherd, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 5:24:31 PM
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Have you looked at the video Marilyn? Bob Kernohan is in a sweat and fearful of his life.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBgxVo5gTA&feature=player_embedded If Bob Kernohan is right,we have criminals in charge of our Govt.Why did not Bob take a safe Labor seat and shut his mouth? Why does Gillard shun an investigation and write it all off as some minor indiscretion that happened 17 yrs ago?

Julia Gillard and Labor came to power on an outright lie, "There will be no carbon tax under the Govt I lead." That cannot be denied.

The issue of feminism is just another distraction in the World Championship Wrestling of politics.

The Rockerfellers brag about promoting feminism since this gave them another tax source via their international banking cartels.They create the debt by counterfeiting our currencies and our Govts tax us ( now both male and female) to pay it back.

The feminists have been sucked in by the Global financial elites and they don't have the brains to realise it.
Posted by Arjay, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 6:32:33 PM
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who are the feminist heroes and in whose eyes? There are many great achievers among woman but feminism as such stinks.
Posted by runner, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 6:32:50 PM
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>>her speech was an embarrassment to older women like me who know what she is really like.<<

Do you really know what she is really like Marilyn? How do you know what she is really like? What is the nature of your acquaintanceship beyond what you can anyone can learn from the media? When did you two last speak? If you've never met her and got to know her properly can you reasonably claim to know her any better than you would another stranger - me for example? How do you arrive at this knowledge?

If you know what somebody is really like without getting to know them personally that tells me that you have the magical power of mind-reading. And you've admitted to being an old woman. So that would make you an old woman who can do magic. Or in other words: a witch.

Not in the derogatory 'Ditch the Witch' sense for 'men' who are too 'polite' to spell bitch properly on placards: when I talk about witches I mean them in the sense of Terry Pratchett's archetypal witch Granny Weatherwax - ugly, unpleasant, cantankerous, semi-literate, pointy-hatted old crones who can do magic. That is the image I have in my head right now - although Granny Weatherwax does have some redeeming qualities like a strong sense of morality and justice and a sense of duty to protect the weak: I doubt very much that Granny Shepherd has any redeeming qualities like that.

Not nice is it? And certainly not big or clever of me: I could have played the ball and not the woman. I could have focused on your arguments and not your gender and age. I could have done a number of gentlemanly things but instead I chose to make unfounded personal attacks on my scant understanding of 'what you're really like' instead of addressing your arguments or your policies. Cheap, petty, childish, shallow and deliberately inflammatory could all be considered accurate descriptions of my comments. But it's OK as long as I know what you're 'really like' isn't it Marilyn?

Cheers,

Tony
Posted by Tony Lavis, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 7:06:27 PM
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Tony Lavis.I was down at Canberra for that protest and CATA( Consumers and Tax Payers Association) asked that indiviual to take that sign "Ditch the Witch" down.So far we have a degree of free speech,but our financial/Govt masters are slowly removing that right.

If you all want to know the truth and reality, see this site; http://www.globalresearch.ca/ Pilger's article also appears here.
Posted by Arjay, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 8:03:33 PM
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'Just because she is a woman in a position of power does not mean she is, or considers herself to be, a 'feminist hero'.'

But that's my point Suze, the author never claims this. He claims feminists put her up as a feminist hero REGARDLESS of the obvious evidence to the contrary, evidence that existed before she even became leader.
Posted by Houellebecq, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 8:13:49 PM
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Why is this such a disappointing read from a writer who usually exhilarates?

Just very poor timing, it seems.

The issue of the hour is sexist bullying. This has been rampant in Australia in recent years.

Finally someone has called it for what it is and said Enough! With clarity of voice and a devastating blend of controlled indignation, considered argument, background evidence and direct quotes.

She has been justly applauded around the world for delivering this so effectively.

Of course, Labor and the PM have a long list of failures and weaknesses. No question at all. But there are strengths and successes as well.

To take the opportunity afforded by a rare, overdue and highly welcome achievement to focus on some of the obvious deficiencies just seems churlish and vindictive.

Certainly we must condemn the negatives when they arise. But why not also celebrate the positives on the rare occasions they are delivered?
Posted by Alan Austin, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 8:23:08 PM
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I find it amusing to read the discourse from so many of you above. Much of the trouble we face today centers on the issue of ‘Rational Response.’

What is the ‘Rational Response’ to our societal, political, economic and environmental problems?
For example, take two well-known and seemingly intractable problems:
1) Criminals are known to make their entry through the back-door.
2) Strawberry infused dessert is delicious and fattening.

In consideration of these dilemmas, and the “Rational Response’: I’ve invested in a rowing machine and I’ve taken to wearing two layers of pants at all times.

The double-layered pants offer indispensable reaction time. Before the perpetrator can penetrate the outer fabric en route to my back door, I’m well aware of his intention. Defensive maneuvers can begin with the safety pants still intact.

The rowing machine, of course, enables me to enjoy all the scrumptious strawberry infused Dessert I can possibly eat without fear of becoming obese and more importantly, outgrowing my safety pants.

So you see, even in our complex and difficult circumstances, the ‘Rational Response’ is indeed possible. You’ve got to work hard to crack the nut before it cracks you.

Any rational discourse relating to 'Dear Julia' just seems to become irrational!
Posted by Geoff of Perth, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 11:19:33 PM
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I have never found an article by this bloke worth reading.

Nothing has changed with this one.
Posted by Hasbeen, Thursday, 18 October 2012 1:43:23 AM
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Yes I do know Gillard and what she is really like.

Unlike most who write here.
Posted by Marilyn Shepherd, Thursday, 18 October 2012 5:04:02 AM
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Hi Marilyn,

Must admit I was intrigued by both your fairly forceful denunciation of the PM and Tony's questions to you.

I would also be interested in your answers to these from Tony:

1. How do you know what she [the PM] is really like? What is the nature of your acquaintanceship beyond what anyone can learn from the media?

2. When did you two last speak?

3. If you've never met her and got to know her properly can you reasonably claim to know her any better than you would another stranger - me for example?

Thanks, Marilyn.
Posted by Alan Austin, Thursday, 18 October 2012 5:31:55 AM
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<<Hi Marilyn,
Must admit I was intrigued by...your fairly forceful denunciation of the PM...>>

POP!

That was the sound of Alan’s bubble bursting when told that his real live action hero (whom he has been fanboy like spruiking on OLO and following on facebook) was just a figment of his imagination.

LOL
Posted by SPQR, Thursday, 18 October 2012 6:25:32 AM
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The issue, despite Alan's fetish with Jones, is what level of criticism of a female is legitimate.

Roxon, for example, the first law officer of the land, has disgraced herself with Slipper and his emails [which reminded me of Joyce's images about women actually, the mussels etc] by first being aware of the emails since May, interfering with the Ashby law case, and by supporting Gillard's sexism crusade against sexism while supporting Slipper in his position as Speaker.

On another thread Alan also raised the case of 3 other prominent women who had been the subject of sexism by Jones [according to Alan]; those 4 were Hanson-Young, Moore, and Nixon.

There are cogent reasons for cricising each of these 3 people which I also explained on the other thread.

In the case of Gillard, apart from any of her many current destructive government policies, there still remains the issue of her activities at Slater and Gordon in respect of completing an application for association and witnessing the execution of a Power of Attorney.

I have not heard anyone offer any convincing rebuttal of the claims against Gillard in this respect except to say she denies it.

Just like Thompson denies his charges.

I said to Alan that he pretends it is Jone's sexism which he objects to when in fact it is the substance of his criticism; the fact that Jones uses a vitriolic and flamboyant manner does not detract from that substance.
Posted by cohenite, Thursday, 18 October 2012 7:51:09 AM
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I respect Pilger's take, it is an invitation to refuse the placing of the PM on too high a pedestal, which can only bad for her and for us. Wiser to remember that she is, like most people and politicians most of all, a curious mixture of bad, indifferent and good.
I think it will take more time to ultimately make a sound judgement on her- who are we to judge yet, anyway.
Can she be any worse than her political rivals?
I think the speech on Slipper and Abbott was sincere and right, but share the unease with others as to how which she and most other politicians slip to expediency on issues that sometimes require an ethical input.
People say she's worldly and devious; well, so were Hawke and Howard and she is, after all, fighting for her political life against powerful forces and we expect our politicians not to be fools.
Posted by paul walter, Thursday, 18 October 2012 9:15:35 AM
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cohenite,

"Just like Thompson (sic) denies his charges."

I believe the "claims" against Thomson are the product of an investigation that was found to be flawed by KPMG, as in (from ABC report):

"The report by accounting firm KPMG says Fair Work Australia was not experienced in the conduct of investigations, was deficient in its planning, management and execution of the investigation, and there were no qualified or experienced investigators involved."

Should give a non-partisan observer pause for thought.
Posted by Poirot, Thursday, 18 October 2012 9:29:36 AM
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I agree Poirot; based on the KPMG findings about FWA, FWA should be replaced when Abbott gets into government.

Regarding Thomson; is there any doubt his credit card was used at brothels?
Posted by cohenite, Thursday, 18 October 2012 11:58:40 AM
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Give a credit card number over the phone and they will be happy to take your money.
Posted by 579, Thursday, 18 October 2012 3:47:46 PM
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"Give a credit card number over the phone and they will be happy to take your money."

Apparently they were signed for; either at the brothel or at the motel which also, apparently, was paid for with the same credit card.
Posted by cohenite, Thursday, 18 October 2012 4:39:05 PM
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Now I know why Marilyn spat the dummy about Bob Kernohan (ex AWU President) Marilyn knows Julia personally.

Tell us Marilyn,who is telling the truth about the rennovations at the Abbottsford St renovations.Did Julia Gillard have her house renovated by the AWU via this ilegal association she allegedly help set up ? Why did not Bob Kernohan take the safe Labor seat in exchange for his silence on this matter?

Who is telling the truth Marilyn?
Posted by Arjay, Thursday, 18 October 2012 6:46:30 PM
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I agree Gillard is not feminist I wrote to her in the 90's ( as a WEL convenor) and her reply was she mainstreamed the femimnist movement. She was lucky to have parents who sacrificed for her to be educated. Many parents fail their daughters like mine did.Women are still being deprived of a proper eduction. Compare the private schools with state schools there is no comparison in buildings and facilities. The ALP is still a boys club and the women are part of their team if they are not they are deselected or never preselected or kept on the back bench if they get through with with local support. I now what branch stacking is being a victim of it in WA where Burke and the catholic church still wheels influence.
Posted by concerned citizen for good governance, Saturday, 20 October 2012 12:22:15 PM
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