Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in this chamber to pay tribute to a stalwart of the Australian parliament. Dame Margaret Guilfoyle AC DBE passed away in Melbourne last month, leaving behind a great legacy and impact on our political landscape and, indeed, the country at large. She will forever hold a unique and important place in our collective history. As a member of prime minister Malcolm Fraser's cabinet from 1975 to 1984, Ms Guilfoyle was the first woman to run an Australian government department, the first woman in cabinet with ministerial portfolio and the first woman to hold a major economic portfolio, making her the highest-ranking woman in the Australian government until 2010. That is quite an achievement. Known for her hardworking and considered nature, she built a strong record of achievement, with her performance as a minister praised on all sides of politics. She knew that women had a vital role to play in politics and in the leadership of our country. She was principled and determined, with her legacy profoundly changing the operation of Australian society.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1926, Dame Margaret migrated with her family to my home city of Melbourne in 1928. As a child of the Great Depression, following the death of her father when she was just 10 years old she understood the importance of education and economic security for women, stating that 'At any time a woman must be capable of independence.' It's almost hard to imagine, actually, for a young woman to be given that sense of how she needs to have independence.

She was certainly someone who led by example. She undertook secretarial and accounting studies while maintaining a full-time job. In 1971, as a qualified accountant and mother of three, Dame Margaret entered parliament as a senator for Victoria—one of only two women. Immediately she made a considered point of joining and later leading committees that were focused on economics and finance rather than family issues alone. Yet when parliament discussed issues that impacted women and families, Dame Margaret was a vocal and fervent advocate for all women. She understood that equal participation in leadership is necessary in order to ensure the fulfilment of aspirations for a civilised society. In this life she argued passionately for the provision of maternity leave for all women, not just Commonwealth employees. She ensured the delivery of social services for women, frequently reminding her colleagues that at the time 83 per cent of social security payments were made to women. Indeed, as head of the Office of Child Care she presided over a historic and major expansion of government support for preschool, child care and afterschool care, a measure that parents like myself continue to benefit from and appreciate today.

It is indubitable that Dame Margaret paved the way for other women in politics, myself included. Certainly she was an immense figure in the Liberal Party and an inspiration for so many of us. With mentors such as Elizabeth Couchman, Ivy Wedgwood and Edith Haynes, she was encouraged and supported to become the embodiment of a Liberal woman. In her first speech Dame Margaret applauded the party's equal representation on all party committees in the Victorian Liberal Party during her time, paying tribute to the work of the Australian Women's National League as well as her mentors, who insisted on the equality of voting power within the party. She once famously answered a preselector's question about her children, by saying, 'I'm asking you to make a decision to give me responsibility to be a representative in the Senate. And I would ask that you would accept that I have responsibility to make the decisions regarding my family.' As my daughters would say, she had some sass. Indeed, following her departure from the Senate, Dame Margaret remained an ambassador and trailblazer for women's leadership, becoming the chair of the Liberal Women's Forum in 1993, seeking to encourage more women into the Liberal Party. As an aside, I will be speaking to the Liberal Women's Forum this evening, and we will be speaking about Dame Margaret and the legacy she has left us.

For decades women in our country did not have the same magnitude or number of role models to look to as men had. Indeed, this is true in the history of mankind—in fact we should say the history of 'humankind'. It is only in recent history that we have witnessed the ascension of women to positions of power and impact, with great leaders, including Dame Margaret, leading the way. However, as for men, it's crucial that women and girls are able to look across our country's leadership and see themselves represented at every point of significance. I know firsthand that role models are crucial in helping to broaden our horizons, open doors and pave the way for an equal society. My late and great cousin Margaret Bondfield was the first female member of cabinet in the UK parliament, almost 100 years ago. In those days, women, like our party's co-founder, Dame Elizabeth Couchman, had to choose between a public life and having a family. Certainly, my forebear Margaret Bondfield did not marry and did not have a family; she devoted herself to public service and she devoted herself to politics. Indeed, Dame Margaret's legacy as a cabinet minister, qualified accountant and mother of three has further opened doors. As the Prime Minister said, they will never be shut again. The legacy of these women is left for all of us here, in this place, to champion.

When I read Dame Margaret's first speech to the Senate in 1971, numerous key themes resonated, many of which I spoke about in my own first speech last year. Dame Margaret identified her concerns about the economy and the provision of economic security for women. I'd like to pay tribute to my predecessor as the member for Higgins, the Hon. Kelly O'Dwyer, for the work she did in developing the first Women's economic security statement in 2018, which has been refreshed and updated in the most recent 2020 budget, with the second Women's economic security statement and increased funding given to that. She also discussed the pressures placed on the environment and the importance of supporting the arts—two things that are very dear to my heart. The similarities between two such speeches signifies that there is always more to be done in this place to support women, our environment and the economy as we work towards the fulfilment of a civilised and thriving society that people like Dame Margaret have continued to envision.

As I said before, one of the centrepieces of this year's budget was the updated Women's economic security statement. This builds on the important work of the former member for Higgins, Kelly O'Dwyer. The statement sought to invest in three key pillars: workforce participation, earning potential and economic independence. This year's updated statement will see our government invest $240 million in measures and programs to support things that I think Dame Margaret would have approved of. This includes women's safety at work and at home; new cadetships and apprenticeships for the women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and job creation and entrepreneurialism. The statement was of particular importance this year following the vast impact of the economic fallout from COVID on women in our communities. As Dame Margaret understood, provision of support to bolster the efforts of women is crucial in order to achieve equal participation of women in parliament and in the whole of community life. In 1944, Sir Robert Menzies, founder of the Liberal Party, foreshadowed that women were unquestionably destined to exercise more and more influence on practical politics in Australia. Perhaps Menzies was predicting at that time the astounding legacy and leadership of Dame Margaret, which would change the landscape for ever more, only a few decades later.

Now, in 2020, the Liberal Party remains committed to an Australia where women are full and active participants in all spheres of public and private life. At the end of the Howard government, around one-third of government board positions were occupied by women. In 2016, we set a target of women occupying 50 per cent of Australian government board positions. I'm proud to be part of a government that is ensuring that this target is on track to be met, with 46 per cent of positions, which is the highest proportion ever held by women. Furthermore, there are currently seven women in cabinet, which maintains the record of women in cabinet for an Australian government. At the same time, we now have equal gender representation in the Senate, with 38 women and 38 men for the first time ever. The achievements of the Liberal Party to date are testament to our commitment to recognising, protecting and enhancing the position and opportunities for Australian women. This commitment remains inspired by the leadership of the greats who came before us, including Dame Margaret Guilfoyle. Certainly, Dame Margaret leaves behind an astounding legacy that has profoundly changed how Australian society operates. The Australian parliament, the Liberal Party and, indeed, the entire nation are better for her service. Vale, Dame Margaret Guilfoyle.

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