Affirmative action leaves many a good man behind

Labor MP Nick Champion. Picture: Roger Wyman

It was in the mid-1990s that Labor made a big but sadly inevitable mistake. Just after I resigned from the Senate, the federal conference passed a motion introducing affirmative action in party ballots. Women were to be selected because they were women, not because they were worthy of the promotion. Before the feminist brigade go berserk on Twitter, I am not suggesting that many women have not been selected on merit. For years both major factions of the party pushed, shoved, ducked and weaved on this matter and often the female quotas were not honoured.

Caucuses, conferences and constituents in the branches scrambled to find a woman who could fit the bill. Not all the women selected got there because of their talent or support in local branches. Plenty of blokes also hit the parliament with not much going for them, but at least they ran a proper preselection gauntlet and had some idea of what they were doing.

Tanya Plibersek didn’t become a frontbencher, let alone deputy leader, because of affirmative action. She got there because she was a long-term party member who had talent.

Michelle Rowland was a partner in a large law firm who also worked her way through the branches to a position of prominence and power. Some are not like that.

To get on the frontbench there should be at least one mandatory qualification. You should be able to take the fight up to the Liberals.

Madeleine King has won promotion to the front bench.

This week’s caucus decision on a replacement for Tim Hammond has provided a distraction Labor just didn’t need. The winner was Madeleine King and like most Australians, I had never heard of her.

As a relatively new member she still has time to make her mark and a frontbench spot might give her the extra oomph to be heard on radio, quoted in the newspapers or seen on the television news.

The vanquished was Nick Champion, a South Australian, who has been promoting Labor’s case and taking on the Liberals time and time again. I feel for Champion. He was the logical next cab off the rank. You could argue he should have won a shadow ministry after the last election. His patience will no doubt be eventually rewarded but he should not be forced to wait because of affirmative action.

I wish Madeleine King a great future and I hope she becomes a real force in the national parliament. I also wish I had some idea of what she is and what she can do before she got the job.