The Nationals offer a better deal for women

Nationals Women support pension increase

19 May 2008

Aged pensioners should receive an immediate increase in pension payment, says the Women’s Federal Council of The Nationals, which met in Cairns today.

The Council has proposed a pension rate increase of one percent a year over and above the CPI (Consumer Price Index) for the next five years to raise the indexations of pensions closer to AWE (Average Weekly Earnings), with the arrangement to be reviewed after five years.

Acting Women’s Federal Council President Jacky Abbott said the proposal would represent further progress on the previous Coalition Government’s measure in raising pensions to a minimum 25 percent of male AWE plus overtime.

“Respect for the dignity of older Australians is an integral part of any civilised society.  The Nationals Women’s Federal Council believes this proposal will better meet the needs of pensioners into the future,”  Ms Abbott said.

Contact: Jacky Abbott, Acting President, WFC, 0438 230 892

Find out more through ‘The Flo Chart’!

Cathy Wood Women's Federal Council President The Nationals

‘This Party listens to women. We value their views, input and expertise. The Nationals provide opportunities for women to influence the policies that affect both their lives and livelihoods,’says Mark Vaile, former Federal Leader of The Nationals.

‘You will find women in high-level positions throughout our Party, whether elected MPs, voted into executive positions in the hierarchy, or employed as State or Federal Directors,’ says Christine Ferguson, retiring President of the Nationals Women’s Federal Council. ‘The Nationals were the first party in Australia to elect a women President, when Shirley McKerrow took the chair in 1981.’

The Nationals women continue to be innovative, and have just set up an on-line connection called ‘The Flo Chart’, which aims to put women in touch with one another, encourage them to stand for parliamentary and Party positions, and provides an informal link among the Nationals women MPs at State and Federal level.

(For more details on the launch of The Flo Chart, see the 2 August 2007 media release on this website.)

Women and The Nationals

The Nationals recognise the needs of women in rural and regional Australia, and the contribution they make to the economic, social and political fabric of our society. We support better access for women to equitable participation in employment, education and training, sport and recreation, decision-making and politics and we reject any form of gender discrimination.

Many women Nationals members have been highly successful in the Party. Fiona Nash is a NSW Senator and Nationals Whip in the Senate, while Kay Hull, Member for Riverina (NSW) is the Nationals Whip in the House of Representatives.  At State level, Karlene Maywald is a Minister in the South Australian Government, and there are Nationals women members in the lower and upper houses, in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

The Party is working hard to encourage more women to consider a political career, and The Flo Chart is one means of achieving that goal. At least five House of Representative candidates running in the forthcoming Federal election will be women.

Women’s Federal Council

The Nationals' Women's Federal Council was formed in 1959 by the Leader of the Country Party, Sir John McEwen. Its first President was Phyllis Innes of Queensland.

The WFC promotes the interests and political concerns of women members and advances the Party generally. It is composed of two delegates from each affiliated State National party; some of the State parties have women's sections, which provide added female representation at various levels of the structure, while in others the women members participate within the main structure.

The WFC considers policy issues, undertakes research and presents motions and discussion papers to other Federal Committees of the Party and to Federal Council. It is chaired by an elected President, who is a member of Federal Management Committee The WFC is a primary leadership path for women in the Party's organisational and parliamentary leadership.

Nationals Women of Note

In Federal Parliament:  The first Nationals woman elected to a Federal Parliament was Senator Agnes Robertson, a Country Party Senator for WA from 1955-62. The first woman elected to the House of Representatives was Hon. De-Anne Kelly, the former Member for Dawson in Queensland, who was elected in 1996 and served as a Minister from 2003 to 2005.

The Organisation:  Shirley McKerrow was the first woman elected president of any Australian political party, in 1981-87. She had previously been President of the Victorian Nationals. Helen Dickie from NSW was Federal President from 1999-2005.

The Administration:  Cecile Ferguson was the first female Federal Director of any political organisation in Australia, from 1992-97. Gaye White was also Federal Director from late 2000-2002.  Several women have been State Directors.

A better deal for rural and regional women

The Nationals encourage greater participation by women in the decision-making processes of our Party. The challenge is to make our democracy as inclusive as possible, and to gain for women a stronger voice within our nation’s political institutions. The Nationals encourage women to become active in the Party's organisation and to consider a career in politics.

The Flo Chart has been organised to help bring about these aims, and is supported by women MPs at State and Federal level, and the many women holding office within the organisation.