Julia Gillard misogyny speech:

Thank you very much Deputy Speaker and I rise to oppose the motion moved by the Leader of the
Opposition. And in so doing I say to the Leader of the Opposition I will not be lectured about sexism
and misogyny by this man. I will not. And the Government will not be lectured about sexism and
misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever. The Leader of the Opposition says that people who hold
sexist views and who are misogynists are not appropriate for high office. Well, I hope the Leader of
the Opposition has got a piece of paper and he is writing out his resignation. Because if he wants to
know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn't need a motion in the House of
Representatives, he needs a mirror. That's what he needs. Let's go through the Opposition Leader's
repulsive double standards, repulsive double standards when it comes to misogyny and sexism. We
are now supposed to take seriously that the Leader of the Opposition is offended by Mr Slipper's
text messages, when this is the Leader of the Opposition who has said, and this was when he was a
minister under the last government – not when he was a student, not when he was in high school –
when he was a minister under the last government. He has said, and I quote, in a discussion about
women being under-represented in institutions of power in Australia, the interviewer was a man
called Stavros. The Leader of the Opposition says “If it's true, Stavros, that men have more power
generally speaking than women, is that a bad thing?” And then a discussion ensues, and another
person says “I want my daughter to have as much opportunity as my son.” To which the Leader of
the Opposition says “Yeah, I completely agree, but what if men are by physiology or temperament,
more adapted to exercise authority or to issue command?” Then ensues another discussion about
women's role in modern society, and the other person participating in the discussion says “I think it's
very hard to deny that there is an underrepresentation of women,” to which the Leader of the
Opposition says, “But now, there's an assumption that this is a bad thing.” This is the man from
whom we're supposed to take lectures about sexism. And then of course it goes on. I was very
offended personally when the Leader of the Opposition, as Minister of Health, said, and I quote,
“Abortion is the easy way out.” I was very personally offended by those comments. You said that in
March 2004, I suggest you check the records. I was also very offended on behalf of the women of
Australia when in the course of this carbon pricing campaign, the Leader of the Opposition said
“What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing…” Thank you for that
painting of women's roles in modern Australia. And then of course, I was offended too by the sexism,
by the misogyny of the Leader of the Opposition catcalling across this table at me as I sit here as
Prime Minister, “If the Prime Minister wants to, politically speaking, make an honest woman of
herself…”, something that would never have been said to any man sitting in this chair. I was
offended when the Leader of the Opposition went outside in the front of Parliament and stood next
to a sign that said, “Ditch the witch.” I was offended when the Leader of the Opposition stood next
to a sign that described me as a man's bitch. I was offended by those things. Misogyny, sexism, every
day from this Leader of the Opposition. Every day in every way, across the time the Leader of the
Opposition has sat in that chair, and I've sat in this chair, that is all we have heard from him. And
now, the Leader of the Opposition wants to be taken seriously, apparently, he's woken up after this
track record and all of these statements, and he's woken up and he's gone “Oh dear, there's this
thing called sexism, oh my lords, there's this thing called misogyny. Now who's one of them? Oh, the
Speaker must be because that suits my political purpose.” Doesn't turn a hair about any of his past
statements, doesn't walk into this Parliament and apologise to the women of Australia. Doesn't walk
into this Parliament and apologise to me for the things that have come out of his mouth. But now
seeks to use this as a battering ram against someone else. Well, this kind of hypocrisy must not be
tolerated, which is why this motion from the Leader of the Opposition should not be taken seriously.
And then second, the Leader of the Opposition is always wonderful about walking into this
Parliament and giving me and others a lecture about what they should take responsibility for. Always
wonderful about that – everything that I should take responsibility for, now apparently including the
text messages of the Member for Fisher. Always keen to say how others should assume
responsibility, particularly me. Well can anybody remind me if the Leader of the Opposition has
taken any responsibility for the conduct of the Sydney Young Liberals and the attendance at this
event of members of his frontbench? Has he taken any responsibility for the conduct of members of
his political party and members of his frontbench who apparently when the most vile things were
being said about my family, raised no voice of objection? Nobody walked out of the room; no-one
walked up to Mr Jones and said that this was not acceptable. Instead, of course, it was all viewed as
good fun until it was run in a Sunday newspaper and then the Leader of the Opposition and others
started ducking for cover. Big on lectures of responsibility, very light on accepting responsibility
himself for the vile conduct of members of his political party. Third, Deputy Speaker, why the Leader
of the Opposition should not be taken seriously on this motion. The Leader of the Opposition and
the Deputy Leader of the Opposition have come into this place and have talked about the Member
for Fisher. Well, let me remind the Opposition and the Leader of the opposition party about their
track record and association with the Member for Fisher. I remind them that the National Party
preselected the Member for Fisher for the 1984 election, that the National Party preselected the
Member for Fisher for the 1987 election, that the Liberals preselected Mr Slipper for the 1993
election, then the 1996 election, then the 1998 election, then for the 2001 election, then for the
2004 election, then for the 2007 election and then for the 2010 election. And across these elections,
Mr Slipper enjoyed the personal support of the Leader of the Opposition. I remind the Leader of the
Opposition that on 28 September 2010, following the last election campaign, when Mr Slipper was
elected as Deputy Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition at that stage said this, and I quote. He
referred to the Member for Maranoa, who was also elected to a position at the same time, and then
went on as follows: “And the Member for Fisher will serve as a fine complement to the Member for
Scullin in the chair. I believe that the Parliament will be well-served by the team which will occupy
the chair in this chamber. I congratulate the Member for Fisher, who has been a friend of mine for a
very long time, who has served this Parliament in many capacities with distinction.” The words of the
Leader of the Opposition on record, about his personal friendship with Mr [Slipper], and on record
about his view about Mr Slipper's qualities and attributes to be the Speaker. No walking away from
those words, they were the statement of the Leader of the Opposition then. I remind the Leader of
the Opposition, who now comes in here and speaks about apparently his inability to work with or
talk to Mr Slipper. I remind the Leader of the Opposition he attended Mr Slipper's wedding. Did he
walk up to Mr Slipper in the middle of the service and say he was disgusted to be there? Was that
the attitude he took? No, he attended that wedding as a friend. The Leader of the Opposition keen
to lecture others about what they ought to know or did know about Mr Slipper. Well with respect,
I'd say to the Leader of the Opposition after a long personal association including attending Mr
Slipper's wedding, it would be interesting to know whether the Leader of the Opposition was
surprised by these text messages. He's certainly in a position to speak more intimately about Mr
Slipper than I am, and many other people in this Parliament, given this long personal association.
Then of course the Leader of the Opposition comes into this place and says, and I quote, “Every day
the Prime Minister stands in this Parliament to defend this Speaker will be another day of shame for
this Parliament, another day of shame for a government which should already have died of shame.”
Well can I indicate to the Leader of the Opposition the Government is not dying of shame, my father
did not die of shame, what the Leader of the Opposition should be ashamed of is his performance in
this Parliament and the sexism he brings with it. Now about the text messages that are on the public
record or reported in the – that's a direct quote from the Leader of the Opposition so I suggest those
groaning have a word with him.

On the conduct of Mr Slipper, and on the text messages that are in the public domain, I have seen
the press reports of those text messages. I am offended by their content. I am offended by their
content because I am always offended by sexism. I am offended by their content because I am
always offended by statements that are anti-women.

I am offended by those things in the same way that I have been offended by things that the Leader
of the Opposition has said, and no doubt will continue to say in the future. Because if this today was
an exhibition of his new feminine side, well I don't think we've got much to look forward to in terms
of changed conduct.

I am offended by those text messages. But I also believe, in terms of this Parliament making a
decision about the speakership, that this Parliament should recognise that there is a court case in
progress. That the judge has reserved his decision, that having waited for a number of months for
the legal matters surrounding Mr Slipper to come to a conclusion, that this Parliament should see
that conclusion.

I believe that is the appropriate path forward, and that people will then have an opportunity to
make up their minds with the fullest information available to them.

But whenever people make up their minds about those questions, what I won't stand for, what I will
never stand for is the Leader of the Opposition coming into this place and peddling a double
standard. Peddling a standard for Mr Slipper he would not set for himself. Peddling a standard for
Mr Slipper he has not set for other members of his frontbench.

Peddling a standard for Mr Slipper that has not been acquitted by the people who have been sent
out to say the vilest and most revolting things like his former Shadow Parliamentary Secretary
Senator Bernardi.

I will not ever see the Leader of the Opposition seek to impose his double standard on this
Parliament. Sexism should always be unacceptable. We should conduct ourselves as it should always
be unacceptable. The Leader of the Opposition says do something; well he could do something
himself if he wants to deal with sexism in this Parliament.

He could change his behaviour, he could apologise for all his past statements, he could apologise for
standing next to signs describing me as a witch and a bitch, terminology that is now objected to by
the frontbench of the Opposition.
He could change a standard himself if he sought to do so. But we will see none of that from the
Leader of the Opposition because on these questions he is incapable of change. Capable of double
standards, but incapable of change. His double standards should not rule this Parliament.

Good sense, common sense, proper process is what should rule this Parliament. That's what I believe
is the path forward for this Parliament, not the kind of double standards and political game-playing
imposed by the Leader of the Opposition now looking at his watch because apparently a woman's
spoken too long.

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I've had him yell at me to shut up in the past, but I will take the remaining seconds of my speaking
time to say to the Leader of the Opposition I think the best course for him is to reflect on the
standards he's exhibited in public life, on the responsibility he should take for his public statements;
on his close personal connection with Peter Slipper, on the hypocrisy he has displayed in this House
today.

And on that basis, because of the Leader of the Opposition's motivations, this Parliament today
should reject this motion and the Leader of the Opposition should think seriously about the role of
women in public life and in Australian society because we are entitled to a better standard than this.