ANNA BURKE: TIME TO RISE ABOVE
She once said Federal Parliament was like “boarding school on steroids.” Now the woman who has the unenviable task of controlling the inmates says it’s time for our politicians to lift their game and set an example to the nation.
Anna Burke, the 47 year-old Labor MP from Melbourne, was made Speaker following Peter Slipper’s resignation, and after she had presided over extraordinary scenes from Canberra in which the PM let loose with her now globally-famous speech.
Speaker of The House, Anna Burke. Photo via nationaltime.com.au.
Burke said today there was sexism and misogyny in the parliament, just like other workplaces, but “the Parliament should be setting the tone and example for the nation, so we need to rise above some of those things,” she said.
“Some of the comments across the chamber are just untoward and unnecessary.”
Earlier in the week Burke told News Ltd’s Malcolm Farr that the job of Speaker was about “controlling and running and maintaining the dignity of the parliament, and that she took it very seriously.
“We’ve got a great institution here, a phenomenal institution, and the role has the utmost dignity to uphold.”
On ABC radio this morning she said that having a female Prime Minister had brought out the worst in some in the parliament and the wider community and that behaviour had deteriorated, especially in the hung parliament.
“But talk about the issues, not the personality and not their gender.”
Anna Burke is well-liked by the parliament but it’s an invidious position, a “minefield” which, as she told Farr is ““149 people versus me, my friends included supposedly.”
In response to a question from Farr about what she thought about being called ‘madam’ she responded with a laugh: “Well, I don’t run a brothel.”
Which is figuratively debatable.
But it seems Burke, who has shown wisdom and humour and absolutely no hesitation in throwing people out of the house – including the Leader of the Opposition – will be more than up to the task.
She comes into the prestigious position with an attitude that has been sorely lacking to date: that it’s time to rise above and get back to talking about policy.
Can we also take a minute to observe that her appointment also means that women now hold the top three positions of power in the land? Julia Gillard, Prime Minister. Attorney-General Nicola Roxon. Speaker of the House, Anna Burke.
Rise above, indeed.
RELATED ARTICLES
*Lucy Clark (Editor of The Hoopla) is a journalist and editor with almost thirty years experience in newspapers and magazines in Sydney, London, and New York. She has been published in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, Vogue Living, Australian Art Review, and Gourmet Traveller. Most recently the Books Editor of the Sunday Telegraph, she has also contributed to the non-fiction books, Australia Through Time, and What Women Want. You can follow her on twitter: @lucykateclark.
24 Responses to this article
-
annabelle October 12, 2012
The first ten times I heard my name mentioned on Radio National this year [Anna Bourke] I jumped out of my chair!
I am getting used to it; however, I have been getting majorly ribbed by friends and family about being “the speaker!!!” [Generally, I'm good for a chat!]Good success to the OTHER Anna Burke!!!
-
Linda Robinson October 12, 2012
It is about time that the politicians did some work towards running the country and not worrying about the state of the PM’s vagina! Rise above the belt people and show some common decency- this goes for ALL political parties. Your constituents would like to see you actually DO something to earn the massive pay you say you must have!
-
Carole October 12, 2012
Plus Governor General, Lucy.
Have just listened to ABC Radio 774 /
John Feine ( not sure of spelling).It was great, nearly all callers supported the Prime Ministers speech.
85% of SMS callers also onside including
world famous Burns Specialist,
Dr Fiona Wood ,whom I believe was responsible for treating many of the burns victims from the Bali Bombings.-
Benison O'Reilly October 12, 2012
That’s really interesting, Carole. Dr Fiona Wood is one of my personal heroes, after hearing an interview with on ABC Radio (Conversations with Richard Fidler). She’s also a former Australian of the Year and someone all girls can look up to for leadership.
Congrats to Anna Burke. I think she will acquit herself well. We are unlikely to hear about unsavoury text messages from her at the very least!
-
lynda October 13, 2012
Yes BUT the ABC are all lefties!!!
-
-
Carole October 12, 2012
Congratulations to Anna Bourke .
Sure she will be a Great Speaker. -
sleybell October 12, 2012
It would be great to see more dignity, manners, politeness together with passion and persuasion in Australia. From politics to talk back, twitter and all other public media. Rudeness and personal ataacks/observations should be the rare exception rather than the rule.parliament should lead by example. Most politicians are clever people and have the ability to display wit and good humour. I hope Anna can set the bar high and keep it there
-
Glen October 12, 2012
Hear, hear! It’s about time someone took a stand on the deplorable behaviour in Parliament.
-
Glen October 12, 2012
Congratulations Anna Burke, and I wish you good luck.
-
Van Essa October 12, 2012
Hear hear from me as well. I just hope she can bring the politician’s into line. I for one am sick and tired of the way they behave toward each other. They seem to spend more time trying to get dirt on each other than fixing the problems within our country.
As for the Australian Parliament being mysoginistic, four years ago I visited Parliament House with a bus load of year 6 children. The whole demeanour of the building is very masculine so I tried to find some things to show the girls that would allow them to have hope that they could, themselves, become politicians. I found a small area with photos and a few stories but I was gobsmacked by the response from our guide when I bought up the fact that Julie Bishop and Julia Gillard where in fact in charge of the parties at that particular moment in time. His response was to laugh and say something to the effect, “yes, aren’t we lucky the country is still floating?” Or some other such rot! I was absolutely appalled and wondered how those words impacted on those impressionable school kids. Both male and female.
-
Jenny October 12, 2012
Along with everyone else, I am hoping that the standard of parliamentary behaviour improves in the near future. So far, since the last election it has deteriorated markedly and is a disgrace considering the wage they receive and the responsibility they carry. Surely whoever is in opposition could accept the election results and work with the government for the betterment of the nation, rather than continually trying to catch them out and calling for resignations in the hope of forcing new elections. It is so disruptive and unproductive!
Congratulations to Anna Burke, I have seen her in action and she deserves this position. I hope she is able to enforce some rules of good manners and politeness in the House. -
Annie Also October 12, 2012
She has proven her credentials for the position in the Acting Speakers role. As well as being a woman I reckon she is just right for the job.
OR; despite her being a woman, I am so glad she is now Madam Speaker. She brings humour and strength and a fairness to the Parliament. Now I just hope those naughty boys will start to listen to a person who knows how to do a good job. -
ro.watson October 12, 2012
As lawyers,we bow to the court. Well I did a long,long time ago. This is a ritual before adversarial mode(which oddly ,I liked and did not like). I really hope Anna Burke’s presence gets the pollies behaving in their human dignity and presence without unlocking their shadows..
-
mary October 12, 2012
Boarding school on stereiods,,,
More like the emotionally stunted adult class with issues
They need to see psychiatrists
pfft..
-
lynda October 13, 2012
I just wish Anna Burke would get a new hairdresser!!!……Yes women are running the country at the moment…and in my opinion they are doing a bloody awful job….I am very fearful of the mess they are creating for my children and grandchildren…..and their beholden to the Unions!!!!..AND Nicola Roxon is a “friend” of Gillard and would surely know about her past and her scandal involving the AWU…….they worked together at Slater and Gordon…..she is probably the reason why Gillard has been able to shut-down the media, but The Age has printed a few stories this week…She might have been able to get Michael Smith sacked from 2UE but she cant shut down his web page or his facebook page
-
Tony W October 13, 2012
@Lynda
Can you not see the blatant hypocrisy in your own statements? First you say “surely it is more important that Tony Abbottt has a good brain than the fact he wears “budgies” …..then in your next post you say “I just wish Anna Burke would get a new hairdresser!!!”If you want to be taken seriously you need to stop contradicting yourself. Yes, Abbott’s budgie smugglers are irrelevant, just like Burke’s hairstyle is irrelevant. So stop talking about them!
-
-
JoanneH October 13, 2012
Anna Burke was interviewed on ABC24 this morning and she looked and sounded great – and she was very well groomed. She said the Opposition needs to concentrate on using their opportunities in Question Time to do what they are there for – eliciting information from the Government.
She will have to rule heavily on some of their ‘sideshows’. Christopher Pyne treats raising Points of Order, as a recreational game. Behaviour was improving under Peter Slipper, who appeared to treat both sides fairly. I trust Anna will do a good job. -
Rhoda October 13, 2012
I’m sure she’ll do a good job and wish her well. I suppose her gender will make her a target for the lame and unfunny but she looks as if she can wear it.
-
helenbea October 14, 2012
Trusting that Anna Burke will continue to hold her own in ‘the bearpit’ as she has so ably demonstrated in her position of Acting Speaker.
Congratulations to Anna Hoping she can bring some good manners and respect to our parliamentary members. As an ex-teacher, I am constantly amazed by the educational programs which focus on raising consciousness around bullying when so many leaders, public figures in the media, continue to set bad examples by their behaviour,
Children and young people learn BY EXAMPLE!!! I’m certainly not perfect but I always said to the students ‘When you hear me swear, then you can swear’. Of course, it’s just the tip of the iceberg because behaviour as well as language needs to reflect respect both ways.
Emotions and emotional baggage are a big challenge for us humans!
