Scout,
How many corrupt women in power have you ever heard of?
How many corrupt men in power have you ever heard of?
My answer to the first is I can't remember any.
My answer to the second is too many to remember.

I don't think J Howard is corrupt but he certainly is not looking after our low income earners, he is certainly making things harder for them.

We need to look at the wealth of this country, but does not mean we should just look after the wealthy and forget about the middle and lower income earners. I am blessed to have my own business at the moment, and bring in a very decent wage at the moment, but if my situation changes I could be walking in someone's shoes, I would not have the negotiating skills to negotiate with a boss, I am only use to being the boss.

I agree "Chicks to rule"

They have a better reputation for honesty generally than us blokes, sorry fellow males.

More women in parliament ? Yes, for better balance. Both genders have much to offer. Present politics is still seriously imbalanced.

Mirko under-sells the positive contributions that men can make to public life, we actually do more than lift heavy things and drink a lot. In this feminist age it is popular to drag the male gender through the mud - as if Mother Nature got it all wrong.

That said, Mirko’s basic thesis is fine. Women generally possess many skills and virtues that are in short supply in politics.

I use the word ‘generally’ with good purpose. It is not a good idea to get into eulogising women as perfect. Early feminist language evoked smug female superiority, as if a female dominated society would be perfect in all respects.

Then along came Lady Baron Thatcher - the architect of a brutally exploitative global economic regime. And Madeliene Allbright. And Condolesa Rice. And Amanda Vanstone.

These women prove that, individually, female leaders can be as harshly brutal as any man. Feminism lost a lot of its smug superiority, and that was a good thing. If women work from a standpoint of gender superiority, then they would do little more than emulate the worst of male culture.

Yes, please let’s get a 50% balance in parliament, so we can get the best from the skills and attributes of both genders. But keep your feet on the ground Mirko

Well, serious or not, here's a serious suggestion.
The process for getting more women into the Parliaments can be both simple and truly democratic.
Require all political parties to stand an equal number of candidates from each sex for each constituency.
If the woman candidate gets more votes than her male partner then his votes are transferred and added to her total and vice-versa.
From there the usual election process continues.

The election would not only reflect the will of the people as to which party ruled but the gender make up preferred by the electorate.

Is Mise.

Heh Pericles...that's good to know ;)

Well a thread full of testosterone... Ms Gillard I think will prove the merit she has and is doing so already. There's a new day dawning men and ladies are going to lead.

I love people who argue merit ... they seem to forget that blokes usually didn't get there on merit either.

Are there any gender based merits to start with.

1. Men have two brains one in their head the other in their nether regions but only enough blood to service one at a time. lol

2. Women also have two brains their heart and their heads and both are serviced at the same time by the blood supply...lol

That has to be a plus!

Ah merit such a little word usually commensurate in size with the brains of people who argue it. There is an absolute need for merit but cut the crap fellas ... you're scared of women!

Now of course the old argument is always the same... feminism, equal opportunity & affirmative action got women into jobs that they weren't all qualified to do... and maybe at times that is correct... but the same has to be said about "menism" which got most of todays men into parliament without merit. How can you argue that merit is what got the men in when 50% of the population (women) were underrepresented. Were they the best person for the job when women weren't given the same opportunity? That's reverse feminism...lol The glass ceilibgf exists fellas... try being a woman, or black or disabled.

Why do women mostly get marginal seats to contest and men mostly get safe seats to contest? Merit? Nope!

Go women! We men have been running things for thousands of years and many are still thinking with their small brains not the one in their heads....lol White Australian men don't understand what it is like to be discriminated against and it appears they can't learn about it through education.

"lol White Australian men don't understand what it is like to be discriminated against and it appears they can't learn about it through education."

That is flat out brainwashed rubbish. I have been direct witness to a case when an award was given to a woman based solely on their sex and candidly broached afterwards. The other candidate was not only better in every facet, but more dedicated and more committed than the woman. This excludes cases where women have been selected because of their flirtations with their employer or potential sexual availability to their employer.

Feminism would have you believe women are the powerless victims of men. While this had some merit in earlier times, there is little use for it now. Misogynist is a word commonly thrown around by feminists, the kind of feminists or women who hate men. Anyone know what that is called? I don't.