Treatment of women in Canberra: Big part of problem is type of man attracted to politics

David Penberthy and Kate Ellis with their children Sam and Charlie at home in Adelaide in 2019. Picture: Matt Turner

As the husband of a female ex-politician, the thing that astounds me most about the treatment of women in politics is the ridiculousness of it all.

Let’s start with vajazzling.

For those not in the know, vajazzling is a practice whereby the ladyfolk decorate their private parts with gaily coloured rhinestones.

According to the Canberra rumour mill, vajazzling is one of many things my wife was up to, having slept with key party figures to win preselection, embarked on a number of affairs with Labor ministers, had a three-way sex triangle in her office with a male adviser and her female chief of staff, before falling pregnant, to me, with our unborn child being so crippled by disease that she would have to quit politics, thus bringing down the minority Gillard government. None of this stuff is made up. Actually, all of it is made up. And it is just a sample of the stories my wife and other MPs from across the political divide document in her book.

Kate Ellis and David Penberthy on their wedding day.

Ellis and Penberthy at the Midwinter Charity Ball in Adelaide.

The first point I would make about all this is that it transcends ideological boundaries. While I am obviously biased towards the author, I would say one of the best features of this book is that it speaks to everyone from Julie Bishop to Julia Gillard and Pauline Hanson, all of whom have a similar story to tell about their treatment by colleagues, opponents, the press.

Part of the problem, I believe, is the type of man who is attracted to politics. Most politicians are well-adjusted people with a commitment to public service. But there is an over-representation in politics of people who can fairly be described as weirdos, male weirdos, be they trade union bovver boys in Labor who can’t get through a sentence without calling someone a c..t, or the Young Liberals who stammer when talking to girls. There is a recently cleaned desk in Parliament House that proves my point.

David Penberthy and Kate Ellis at Adelaide Oval for the AFL Preliminary Final between Adelaide Crows and Geelong in 2017. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

My wife was lucky in so far as she could generally laugh off rumours and was impervious to abuse. Most people are not wired that way.

The thing that should concern us all is that sane people who would otherwise have much to contribute will be repulsed by the toxicity of it all, as the recent and regrettable departure of Nicolle Flint confirmed. For women, the rumours and abuse they endure are different from those faced by men, in that they are so sexualised. For all the flak John Howard and Kevin Rudd attracted, I am pretty sure they never faced stories that went to their reproductive capacity nor, heaven forbid, their apparent decision to have themselves vajazzled for the Midwinter Ball.

David Penberthy has been married to Kate Ellis since 2013.