Joe Hockey - completely out of touch with womens issues

[i-need-a-martini]

Of course it doesn't surprise me given who his boss is...

So yesterday he is invited to speak at The Executive Women Australia symposium about leadership, career advancement and board member opportunities. These women are some of the top female executives in the country. 

A friend of mine was there. She's a senior exec with CommBank and earns over $350k a year plus bonuses. She wanted to know (like everyone else there) how the Liberal Party were planning to address the unbalance experienced by professional women like her.

Instead of policies he talks about what a great asset women are in business, particularly in small businesses. And at length goes on about how his housewife mother went back to work to answer the phones at his fathers business to help him through a financial bad patch. He talks about how thrifty his grandmother was and how she struck it lucky by buying into some shares to help boost the family income.

He didn't answer a single question about policy. Only suggested that women get a good (male) mentor to help them in their careers (ignoring the fact that most of these women ARE already mentors for often junior male executives). He also said that when they were in government, they would "talk to men in senior positions to encourage them to give women better opportunities". And that women should ask corporate males "Why?" or "How would you feel if it was your daughter that was passed up for this opportunity?"

My friend walked out fuming. And she was still fuming this morning when we had a quick chat about it.

Why do I have the feeling the status of women is going to reel back 2 decades if the Liberals get in...?

[catsnknots]

Why didn't your friend stand up and repeat her question and direct him to answer a bit more specific about policies???? 

A strong woman would have done that you know rather than walk away fuming..... 

It is a big debate as to whether or not to have a system that requires more women in higher places... what do they call that??? It has left me for some reason... I was talking about this the other day.. 

[lakeland27]

he's no treasurer either. he has that likeable jolly thing happening, but he is another policy free zone.. empty , no substance.

[nero_bolt]

oohhh such a pity for you then LL

Essential Media poll yesterday: Labor 45, Coalition 55

Roy Morgan poll today: Labor 42, Coalition 58

Looks like he will have that job, you wont but he will.... 🙂 

[i-need-a-martini]

Why didn't your friend stand up and repeat her question and direct him to answer a bit more specific about policies???? 

Umm. There were 300 women at this lunch. He was asked multiple questions (and some questions multiple times) and refused to answer. Eventually he was whisked away.

All those glib sentences I noted above were his responses. When he told them to ask men in power  "how would you feel if it was your daughter...?", someone shouted out "And what question should we ask if the men don't have children?" and then some else asked "And what should we ask if that man only has a son?".

What a joke

A strong woman would have done that you know rather than walk away fuming.....

These women didn't get to their positions by being wall flowers you know. He treated them in the most patronising way a man could treat any strong woman.

And then did what any weak man would do - run away rather than answer to them.

[lakeland27]

typical, no substance from you either NW just 'ner ner ner ner na ner ner' infantile considering . in a years time he'll be about as popular as a social disease.

then we will have another labor government. short terms are the way of the future in oz politics the little balding guy (abbott) has made the landscape so toxic he will have a short tenure. i'm going to enjoy tearing him to shreds, except i will have real material, unlike yourself.

[i-need-a-martini]

It is a big debate as to whether or not to have a system that requires more women in higher places... what do they call that??? It has left me for some reason... I was talking about this the other day.. 

It's a quota system.

It's something that every government should implement in order to redress imbalance.

A quota system is what Joe Hockey yesterday (when asked the question about it) said his government would never (NEVER!) implement for women.

I understand that someone then asked him what he would do instead to make the system fairer - would he insist that all executive/board positions are advertised instead of being handed to someone in the current system of 'jobs for the boys'.. He refused to answer. 

[newstart2380]

he's no treasurer either. he has that likeable jolly thing happening, but he is another policy free zone.. empty , no substance.

MG LL did you just pay Joe Hockey a compliment, about time you were nice about someone.

[newstart2380]

typical, no substance from you either NW just 'ner ner ner ner na ner ner' infantile considering . in a years time he'll be about as popular as a social disease.

then we will have another labor government. short terms are the way of the future in oz politics the little balding guy (abbott) has made the landscape so toxic he will have a short tenure. i'm going to enjoy tearing him to shreds, except i will have real material, unlike yourself.

What I would love to see is "egg on your face" when the new government succeeds in getting this country back on it's feet, it will take 10 years but they can and will do it given the chance.

[lakeland27]

they wont last 10 years.