SYDAEYSIDE WITH JANET PARR Women in seats of power

Press, 12 October 1976, Page 16

SYDAEYSIDE WITH JANET PARR Women in seats of power

Mrs Margaret Thatcher looked over the women in Australia’s political scene and found their numbers sadly wanting. But she might have formed a differejit opinion, off hand, if she had taken a look at the New South Wales Legislative Council, where two women sit in seats of power.

■ However both women, 1 1 Mrs Edna Roper, who is Deputy Government Leader in the Council, and Mrs Kathleen Anderson, who has ’ Just been chosen as Govern- i ment Whip, would probably] l agree with her. Both have been members! of the Labour Party forjl many years and both know; the difficulties women often! have in getting pre-selection I to run for election. But nei-j ther has herself been popu-i larly elected to the seat she] holds in the council. Elec- 1 tion to the Legislative Coun-] ici! — the “Upper” House of] the New South Wales Parlia-!

ment — is by a combined vote of the council and the Lower House, the Legislative Assembly. The assembly is the “people elected” house. DAYS NUMBERED Mrs Anderson, a council member for three years, thinks it wrong that the electorate does not elect the Council and says she would not herself be afraid to go out and say she was standing for election. There is a possibility that one day council members may have to, for the future of the council is in some doubt. The New South Wales Premier (Mr Wran) has warned that the council's days are numbered if it obstructs the! Government. And if it tries! to dictate to the Govern-1 ment, he has said, he will! hold a referendum. Labour has no woman; member in the assembly — “There should be,” says Mrs! Anderson — although there is a Liberal, Mrs Mary Meil-' lon, who holds the seat of Murray. And according to; Mrs Anderson. Mrs Meillon is there because she bucked' the system. She stood as an 1

Independent and was opposed by a Liberal and has since joined the Liberal Party. Mrs Anderson, a plump bespectacled 55-year-old, has a 28-year-old son. She was widowed 11 years ago and because of this has developed a particular concern for child welfare and the counselling of widows. She is especially concerned that there is no agency which can step in with help when a spouse dies. Help given, she says, could and should take the form not only of counselling but of solid practical advice, like how to go about applying for financial help. As well as holding her $13,530 a year job in the Legislative Council, Mrs Anderson is the loajest-sitting member of th” SydneyCounty Council and was its first woman member. The jobs leave her little spare time, but she says she has learned to make a little time for relaxation by ignoring both phone and door bells “when 1 need to.” On spare week-end after-

noons she goes to the Sydney Cricket Ground in the rugby league season, particularly when “her” team, South Sydney, is playing there — “I’m a desperate Souths fan” — although “Easts” are her “second best friends.” From the corridors of power she also contemplates the affairs of women in general and finds room for great improvement in them. She is particularly concerned about the discrimination exercised against women and says one area much in need of attention is sexism in education. “Women are misdirected into an attitude of feminism that is wrong” she says. “1 have heard people say ‘lt doesn’t matter if she's not too bright, she’ll make a good wife.’ You get a bit chilly after that.” And she worries about the pressures on young girls today. "When I was young my dear life was beautiful. “But nowadays girls are ‘told what gear to buy, what drinks to have, they are 'bombarded by commercials.”