Forum to attract women to politics REBEL Liberal-turned-independent MP Julia Banks and Victorian Liberal Party deputy leader Cindy McLeish headline a forum at Langwarrin this month designed to encourage more women to enter politics. The inaugural Louisa Dunkley Women in Politics Forum – organised by the Committee for Greater Frankston – is a 12-2pm lunch on Thursday 28 March at McClelland Gallery’s new Sarah and Baillieu Myer Education Pavilion. The committee’s chief executive Ginevra Hosking said public debate about the under-representation of women in politics had inspired the event. “Our two guest speakers will talk about their experiences in politics before we ask for questions from the audience.” She said there would be opportunities before and after the forum for attendees to network with the region’s women politicians, business and community leaders. Committee chair Fred Harrison said the committee would be sponsoring 10 female students from secondary schools in Dunkley to attend the forum. “We hope they will gain more of an insight into politics and become leaders of the future,” he said. The catalyst for recent public discussion about under-representation of women in politics was Julie Bishop receiving just 11 votes during the Liberal Party leadership spill last August, one vote for every year she had been deputy leader. Ms Bishop announced last month she would retire from politics this year. Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer announced
HEADLINE speakers at this month’s inaugural Louisa Dunkley Women in Politics Forum are independent federal MP Julia Banks and Victorian Liberal Party deputy leader Cindy McLeish.
her retirement a month earlier. Last November, Ms Banks told the Parliament she would leave the Liberal Party and become an independent MP, saying there was an “entrenched anti-woman” bias. She said there was “bullying and intimidation” of women in politics. In January, Ms Banks announced she would challenge Liberal MP for Flinders Greg Hunt, a former colleague. In contrast, in Victoria last December Cindy McLeish was elected Victorian Liberal Party deputy, and Georgie Crozier was elected the Libs’ deputy leader in the upper house. And the re-elected state Labor government has 11 women and 11 men in its cabinet. Ms Hosking said that for Australia to have more women politicians “we need to start grass-roots conversations, introduce more women to this career path and, importantly, continue to build informal networks that will empower the women who do represent us to be more effective”.
She said it was an easy decision to name the forum after Louisa Dunkley. “Pioneering Australian women like Louisa Dunkley led the world in calling for equal pay for equal work. She was a highly competent Morse code telegraphist, the only way to communicate rapidly over long distances before telephones and two-way radios. The job was considered one of the first high-technology professions of the modern era, but women were paid much less than men. The politically volatile Frankston-based federal seat of Dunkley is named after her.” Forum invitees include the Liberal MP for Dunkley, Chris Crewther, and his Labor opponent, Peta Murphy; state MPs from the region Sonya Kilkenny, Paul Edbrooke and Neil Burgess; and women councillors from Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. Bookings: c4gf.com.au/events/ By Michael Hast, who works as a consultant for Committee for Greater Frankston
Isaacs Liberal candidate confirmed THE Liberal Party have confirmed their candidate for Isaacs in the upcoming federal election. Jeremy Hearn was preselected last week to stand as the candidate. He was named as a nominee in the Higgins preselection process as well, but ultimately was not chosen to replace outgoing Liberal MP Kelly O’Dwyer. The Age last month reported that the fee for applying for preselection had been cut to $250 in a number of Victorian seats, including Isaacs. The seat is currently held by Shadow Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, who has been the local member since 2007. Mr Dreyfus currently holds the seat with a 52.3 per cent majority. The state election results in Mordialloc and Carrum saw large swings towards Labor. Picture: Facebook
Aged care amendments put to bed KINGSTON Councillors have voted to refuse to amend a permit to construct an aged care facility in Collins Street Mentone. The applicant, Mercy Health, confirmed to The News that they would be applying to amend their existing permit to include “an increase in the number of beds from 120 to 136, the addition of half-floor fourth storey, which will be set back from the building’s facade to accommodate the additional residents, and the addition of six car parks on site, acquired by Mercy Health, to reduce on-street parking. On 25 February council voted to refuse a permit, because “the proposal constitutes an over-development of the site” and “the proposal would detract from the visual amenity of the locality and the streetscape”. Cr Ron Brownlees moved that a permit be granted pending a number of conditions, but he was the only councillor who voted in favour of that motion. Cr Geoff Gledhill said he was “bitterly disappointed” at the attempt to amend the permit. “We have to be mindful there is people living in and around these facilities and we have to be mindful of not impacting adversely on their life,” he said. The alternate recommendation to refuse a permit was then moved and passed. Collins Street resident Adrianna Pavlekovic spoke at the meeting objecting to the proposal. She told The News she is one of over 30 objectors who had opposed the development (“Mentone residents oppose development”, The News, 20/2/19).
Record HEAT WAVE predicted for March and April!
ORDER NOW! to beat the heat! Phone (03) 9775 1726 21/61 Frankston Gardens Drive, Carrum Downs www.undercoverblinds.com.au info@undercoverblinds.com.au | follow us on Facebook: undercoverblindsandawnings Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 13 March 2019
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