Anna Bligh carried ‘weight of the sisterhood’ as Queensland’s first female premier

AS PREMIER of Queensland, Anna Bligh wasn’t only concerned about her own political performance. Now she reveals the extra weight she had on her shoulders.

FORMER Queensland premier Anna Bligh says she felt the weight of the sisterhood on her shoulders as she navigated through nearly five years as the first female to claim the state’s top job.

Ms Bligh, who retired from politics in 2012 after she led her party to its worst electoral defeat, told a YWCA lunch in Brisbane yesterday she felt that if she failed in the top job it would be viewed as a failure for women as well as for her as a politician.

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“I felt the expectations of my gender on my shoulders, if I failed at this or I got something spectacularly wrong, it would not only be seen as ‘Anna Bligh’s hopeless’ but ‘ah, we knew women couldn’t do it’, my ups and downs would be used as a judgment on an entire gender,’ Ms Bligh said.

“I don’t think that happens when men succeed or fail politically. It’s just seen that that particular one is hopeless on that particular day.”

Ms Bligh, who now serves as CEO of YWCA NSW, said she was heartened by the reaction to then prime minister Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech.

“I certainly wanted women to know that I was going to stand up for things that they thought were important, but I also thought that if I talked about sexism I would be seen as someone who can’t stand the heat,” she said.

“It’s a really fine line to walk.”

Ms Bligh also spoke of her ups and downs entering politics as a young mother, revealing she spent a sleepless night nursing her sick son before her first question time in State Parliament.

She was reluctant to comment on the current political situation in Queensland, including the Newman Government’s plans to take asset sales to the next election.

But she praised her former colleagues making up the eight-strong State Opposition, and urged voters to back them.

“I think they have had a really tough job. I really admire them for the hard work and hard yards they’ve covered,” Ms Bligh said.

“They have really done some hard yards and I hope the electorate recognises that when the election is finally called.

“There is I think no harder job in Australian politics than being leader of opposition and it’s particularly hard when they are a very small number.

“I really take my hat off to Annastacia and the team, not only working hard but keeping the morale and attracting new candidates. It’s great credit to them.”