Ex PMs: They’re Ruddy everywhere

Campaign Confidential: When it comes to ex PMs on the campaign trail, how much is too much? Also: The facts that prove Aussie politics is still a man’s world.

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He’s Ruddy everywhere

Labor leader Anthony Albanese was welcomed by ex-Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating at the Labor Party launch in Perth on Sunday. Picture: Liam Kidston.

If the 21st century has given Australia anything, it’s a big fat oversupply of ex Prime Ministers – and it’s interesting to reflect on the ones who seem to be sitting out this campaign (Turnbull, Abbott and Gillard), the elder statesman who’s popped up just once (Keating, at Sunday’s Labor launch), and the two we’ve seen rather a lot of (Rudd and Howard). Rudd in particular has been busy – darting from Melbourne last week, to Perth on the weekend and Sydney on Monday. But is there a saturation point for ex PMs on the campaign trail? After a certain amount of time, do we tend to forget the affection we had for them in the first place, and remember only why we ended up giving them the boot? We asked Professor Ian McAllister from the School of Politics at ANU, who said it all depended on the PM in question: Abbott, for example, was never very popular, while Rudd and Howard had their moments. Gillard divided opinions, but Australia’s first female PM could be an electoral boon for Labor if they bring her in for a spin before election day, Prof McAllister said. “Gillard was extremely popular with women,” he said. “At the 2010 election, women were more likely to go with Labor than the Coalition by a factor of 9 per cent. Labor has a real advantage among women, created by Gillard.”

It’s a man’s electorate (part 1)

Retiring Federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt (r) with his replacement Liberal candidate for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie. Picture: David Caird

Fact, but not a fun fact: 65 of Australia’s 151 federal electorates have never ever been represented by a woman. And this may not change in many divisions, with both Labor and the Coalition preselecting fewer female candidates than they did in 2019. But in a few choice seats, the baton may finally get passed between the genders after the May 21 election. In Flinders, which has been represented by a bloke ever since Federation, retiring Health Minister Greg Hunt was adamant the Liberals field a female candidate, and he got his wish when the party preselected NBN director Zoe McKenzie. Over in the west, the Federation-era electorate of Swan may also get its first-ever female MP if Sky News commentator Kristy McSweeney can hold the seat for the Liberals after the departure of Steve Irons. Queensland holds the dubious record for being a male-only bastion: 15 of its 30 federal electorates (fully 50 per cent, maths fans) have only even been represented by a person with the XY chromosome. And Victoria – “Australia’s Massachusetts” – is not doing much better, with 18 of its 38 divisions never having had the benefit of a woman MP. Democracy sausage, anyone?

It’s a man’s electorate (part 2)

Cathy Freeman at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. ‘Freeman’ would make a pretty great name for an electorate. Picture: Patrick Hertzog/AFP

And another thing. It’s worth noting that of our 151 lower house seats, just 22 have been named after women – and in five of those cases, the divisions were named after a husband and wife team, so it only half counts. By comparison, 32 electorates were named after geographical locations, and 97 were named after blokes. Of those 97, six seats were named after indigenous men, which is, you know, something – but there is not a single seat in Australia that has been named after an indigenous woman. Surely this can be rectified, like, now? Campaign Confidential would like to suggest a few good contenders: Freeman, Barty, Cawley, Shirl, Petyarre, O’Donoghue … We could go on, but you get the idea.

Kooyong’s comeback kid

Australian Federal Treasurer and Member for Kooyong, Josh Frydenberg launches his campaign in Hawthorn with his wife Amie and children Gemma and Blake. Picture: Ian Currie

It wasn’t that long ago commentators were writing off Josh Frydenberg’s chances of holding on to the seat of Kooyong. But it seems the former junior tennis ace (Google it, mate) is rallying in the third set. Two out of three punters on SuperVoter (www.supervoter.com.au) are now strongly backing the Treasurer to see off Climate 200 challenger Dr Monique Ryan, with the overall sentiment shifting by 10 per cent over the weekend, more than for any other seat. For the record, SuperVoter players now predict Labor will pick up 75 seats, while the Coalition will grab 69, and seven will go to independents and minor parties.

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