On Friday 20th September we drove over to Hawthorn (Melbourne) to view the Leonard Joel Auction’s exhibition of women’s art that was open for viewing that weekend. An excellent experience. It was so good, we returned on Saturday for another look around.
There were reasons why Trump made it through in 2016, despite there being every reason why he should not have been taken seriously by the US electorate. These faults with the system could deliver him again.
For someone who watches all manner of political goings-on, it has become difficult not to be concerned about the 2024 Presidential election and how this will play out for Australian society.
As a consequence of the Greenslabor Ministers Vassarotti and Berry’s cruel eviction program, attention turned to their social housing programs. Continue reading The vexed question of social housing in Canberra
Earlier this year 330 Housing ACT tenants received the same soulless unsigned eviction notice.
The ACT’s planning directorate is a rogue bureaucracy doing the bidding of anyone but the residents of Canberra. Few residents would be confident that the directorate has the expertise to do anything except to continuously mess stuff up.
Continue reading Democracy muted as Mick calls in YWCA project
Just when the Housing ACT relocation (eviction) program was looking mean and nasty, the ministers involved, Yvette Berry and Rebecca Vassarotti, upped the ante by introducing something even more dodgy to make lives difficult for some of the Housing ACT tenants.
It is beyond belief that in the 21st century a self-nominated progressive Labor/Greens coalition government sanctioned the eviction of its own social housing tenants.
It was stunning to see the images of Premier Dominic Perrottet after NSW opened up on October 11; he welcomed people back to his version of normal – that of blokes, pubs, beers and more blokes. Women were absent.
The danger to Australia’s civil society is the current Australian Prime Minister.
This blog article based on personal experiences reinforces that. click here.
Proposal to answer queries – a follow up piece
More on Bill Pye Park Ainslie and the YWCA
An article was published this week about the proposed building of social housing on a site now leased by the YWCA on the corner of the block that is largely Bill Pye Park in Ainslie.
When the ACT government announced it had approved the development application by the YWCA to build social housing on the corner of Bill Pye Park in Ainslie*, there was a collective sigh of frustration from residents.
With the 2021 Australian budget announced last night, the sad part is the way most in the media accept the spin.
The boards of the City Renewal Authority, the National Capital Authority and the Suburban Land Agency have little connection to the everyday life of residents.
It took my breath away when I read the line by the prime minister’s office – “nothing in the budget is gendered”
Sometimes we fool ourselves that equity is being treated seriously by most sector of society.
Rebecca Solnit has written about regimes such as Trump’s do not last forever.
Every time this happens from within government bureaucracies, it makes you wonder.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154819656957544&set=p.10154819656957544&type=3
A list of women in music – turning the tables; click here
click on the image for the story – and wonder which century these people live in?
The Uber CEO is gone – why?
click here for the story in The Guardian and read about Susan Fowler, the person who did not do as advised – to ignore the sexist behaviour around her.
As listed: Dr Anne Mary Gray AM
Hillary Clinton makes a fiery commencement speech at her alma mater – taking aim at Trump and his colleagues. She makes the speech nearly 50 years after graduating from Wellesley College in 1969
Penguin - Michelle Smith, Deakin University
see message below – very appropriate for all those who bought the lies
I have already reviewed this book – click here.
However I cannot stop pondering the challenge this story throws up for anyone interested in equity, fairness, and the role of the media in so many aspects of our daily lives.
If we had a real media, this story would have been totally different. Instead what happened here was the total manipulation of the media and through them members of the public, by all forms of malicious groups of people and individuals.
It was on hearing certain phrases used over and over again on Australian TV programs talking about the 2016 US election campaign that I became suspicious that we were witnessing a lazy press.
Almost daily the media was taking the same phrases and words and using them over and over again – with no evidence that they could be accurate except that they were the words and phrases being used by most journalists and commentators at the time.
On the basis we were supposed to accept their words as fact.
Julia Baird on the sleaze bags that affect people’s lives – click on the image
Celebrating with visual art and music
click on image for more….
click on the image for the website – Women Photograph
Very good article about this event – click on the image
Kristina Keneally gets it right on her take on this disaster.
All this and more is happening with the blessing of the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. The country is being Turnbulled again – or is that ‘still’. There are two good articles that address the issue of this officially sanctioned bullying. This is an international disgrace. Here’s the first – click here; and the second – click here.
click on image for the story in The Guardian
She nailed it. How do we vote for Michelle Obama?
Image linked from a site by Amy Dickinson – click here
click on image for the piece by Anne Summers
click on the image for some more wise words from Kristina
From The Guardian UK – a piece about ageism – and how it effects women – and men. click here
The evidence continues of just how bad this man has been as Prime Minister. Click here or on the image for this sad tale. and
In so many ways Australia was being Turnbulled by Malcolm Turnbull.
Now he and his treasurer have struck out against women – when will this stop? Click here for the story about the budget.
Book Review: Places Women Make, Jane Jose, 2016
This book is a celebration of the contribution by women to our cultural, social and urban lives. The book has the secondary title ‘Unearthing the contribution of women to our cities.’
click on image
another male federal politician, another of Malcolm Turnbull’s chosen boys, demonstrates how being patronizing to women must be a qualification for being in the Turnbull government.
Continue reading Mansplaining a qualification for being a federal bloke
From The Conversation, Michelle Smith, Deakin University
Over the weekend, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton inadvertently sent a text message calling journalist Samantha Maiden a “mad f—ing witch” to Maiden herself, rather than his intended recipient, fellow MP Jamie Briggs.
Continue reading Witches both mad and bad: a loaded word with an ugly history
an article in the guardian – click on the image above
An article that sums up the problems within the current government…. click on image
The fight to gain equity in the recognition of women in the art world just keeps on having to be repeated. The historical biases just do not go away.
But then along comes something that is really strange.
The New York Times article on women in TV is a sad tale of how far things have advanced with women’s employment. In this case, the author states that things did improve but that it was a spike rather than a trend. Click here for the article.
There needs to be more articles such as this one from The Guardian.
August/September 2015 issue available online – click on the image for the download
A political speech with a difference! She nailed the issue right on the head!
Here in Australia there is no-one like this in our Parliament. It is time for a change – where are the Australian Mhairi Blacks?
recommended reading…click on the image – for many articles about the art world and its not so fair treatment of women. If one sector of this world should have sorted this by now – surely it should have been the arts. But alas, it just ain’t so. Here’s the link again.
This is a small exhibition of nine works has been produced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of International Women’s Year (1975).
Here in Canberra we are very lucky to have a good person as one of our national senators. She was a great Chief Minister of the ACT and now given her personal commitments to issues, let’s hope the great beast of the Labor Party does not do her in. Click here for her maiden speech to the senate. Go Girl!!!
click on image for the story from Crikey
It has been interesting to watch the political responses to the decision by the Irish to back marriage equality. Sometimes a writer’s opening lines hit the nail on the head.
All the boys in the Australian Government continue to prove to the world their attitude to women. Through the recent budget processes, we had the astonishing revelation that so many women at home with children who had been using the paid leave system available to them have now been identified by this government, those wonderful band of big boys, as being rorters and fraudsters.
One would think that by now people would make sure there is equity with the appointment of people to corporate boards, panels, committees etc.
to quote from a Guardian article: There are more men named Peter in the chief executive and chair positions of companies in the ASX200 – Australia’s 200 largest listed companies – than there are women. click here for the article. and..
click on the image for this great story – we wish them all the best!
No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality. The UN has invited men to sign up to assist with achieving gender equity.
click on the image for the story
As 2014 draws to an end, the Credlin Government spokesperson, Tony Abbott, went on TV to talk positive about the changes to the Ministerial portfolios just announced. It was supposed to be an opportunity to finish the year with a positive after being such a crap government all through 2014.
But he blew it. Again! Boss Credlin will be very unhappy. Again!
The publication of statements by Julie Bishop would be doing nothing to encourage young women about their opportunities and possible career paths. Her attitude seems to that women should stop complaining and get on with it.
There are still journalists who tell it as it is really happening. A few.
I link here to two stories relating to two of Australia’s most evil men. There’s a few more!
One is a story of both of them by Jenna Price in the Canberra Times.
Croakey author, Michelle Hughes, highlighted the ongoing inequities within the health science arena – click here.
I identify with her final comment on the selection of keynote speakers as the issue of getting women as key-note speakers was a focus of mine in the past. I did come up with a strategy to deal with it. See my notes below.
One wonders just how long all thinking Australians are going to put up with so many terrible decisions being made by a federal cabinet that has just the one token woman present. Jane Caro has written a very good piece in the Guardian on how that stupid Education Minister is putting into place even more barriers to equity in employment. click here.
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Paul Costigan, 11 August 2014
From an article by Jori Finkel in the Art Newspaper:
In New York, Sperone Westwater comes in at 91 versus nine. Team Gallery at 85 versus 15; Matthew Marks at 84 versus 16, and Mary Boone at 83 versus 17. Some of the top galleries in Los Angeles tell a similar story: Blum & Poe is 89 versus 11; Prism is 88 versus 12; Thomas Solomon is 85 to 15, and Patrick Painter is 83 to 17.
Once upon a time in the not too distant past a gathering of Australian State/Territory Premiers and the Prime Minister looked like this image below.
and now? Continue reading Equity in Australian Political Leadership
Held in the Albert Hall, Canberra, on 26 March 2014.
The proposition was that ‘Australia doesn’t need Women’s History Month’. Continue reading Australian Women’s History Forum
Do you want to see something really really scary?
The Monthly has published an excellent article of the Abbott crowd and how his old boys are in charge. The image on the cover is worrying simply because it is so factual. The artist has captured their collective personalities far too accurately.
Do not show this image to children. Click here.
Brisbane’s South Bank Corporation’s lack of equity in their management
It was while researching the background on my pieces on Brisbane and in particular on the South Bank Corporation, that I was checking on its corporate status when I came across a rude piece of evidence on the corporation. Continue reading Brisbane’s South Bank Corporate Equity
When women earn high positions and speak up for their professional goals, they encourage more to do the same. There’s an online article by Barbara B. Kamm in which she says: Continue reading Equity and Corporate Boards
Canberra Times Article, by Marie Coleman
With the first female Governor General now having departed the scene, it was indeed timely for a local writer to sum up the messy situation that occurred thanks to our infamous Prime Minister.
That is, The Rabbott took this opportunity of the departure of this well-loved person from this high office, to confuse any celebration by announcing that he was bringing back the out of date honours of Knighthoods and Dames. To rub it in fully, The Rabbott announced that Quentin Bryce was to be the first to be honoured.
Julia Baird, New York Times
Julia Baird has published an opinion piece in the New York times using a review of a book to comment on how mothers who work continue to be maligned in the 21st Century.
We should be doing everything we can to ensure leadership positions are available to women. But in the process let’s not forget that some women prefer to plot their world domination quietly.
Click here for a nice article in The Atlantic identifying that we have to do something about linking being bossy and leadership.
The first story was told to me about a proposal being put to someone’s recent board meeting suggesting that the organisation needed to do far more about the status of women in their particular workforce. That is, along with the business councils in Australia, the organisation could devise some manner by which annually they recognise and award the female achievers.
In a world of inequity, the reactions should not have been so surprising.
This is a story about local people caring for their own. In the first instance one woman’s determination to make the open space beautiful around her new home. And then a story about the local community who have since stepped in to keep and maintain her legacy, now called the Grace Marchant Garden.
Centenary of Women’s Suffrage
This is an unfortunate case of how things can get out of hand and go wrong in a huge way.
A recent opinion piece on bullying that you may have missed given the way the mainstream media reports such things.
For the article by Julia Baird – click here
Anne Summers Conversation presents Julia Gillard on DVD
Anne Summers has announced the release of the two conversations with Julia Gillard.
For more information, click on the image to the left (or here) to be taken to Anne’s website.
Anne’s “the Looking Glass” has other useful links and information so please support her work by at least having a look – click here.
an article re-published – in no fibs – was originally published by Mary Crooks
Executive director Victorian Women’s Trust on 5 July, 2013 as a full page advertisement.
I identify with her finishing paragraph:
“The truly ugly aspect of our national life revealed by the past three years should give cause for us all to reflect on what else is required to restore and maintain respect, civility, common decency and a fair go for women – in our society and in our democratic politics.”
read the original piece as reproduced here
I should be able to say that there’s really no need for thinking and observant people to read this book.
The last three years in relation to the governance of Australia were just something totally unbelievable. We all think we know what happened.
I now consider that the labor government lost power well before the election. Was it because it was delivering fantastic economic management or was it because it did not deliver an outstanding set of national programs?
It was a month or so after our First Women Prime Minister had been removed from her position and following a number of not so nice events in my own life that I had started to wonder just what is happening to our Australian way of life and culture. What has happened to civility and respect.
There is a generation or two who seem to think that feminism is a cause now won and we should move on.
I find that certain men and women are fully capable of all sorts of weasel words about equality and the role of women in the workplace and act as if they champion such matters. Continue reading Misogyny Factor
