[JULIA GILLARD] 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 is what he needs.

Let's go through the opposition leader's 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, (but) when he was a minister under the last government.

He has said, and I quote, in a discussion about women being underrepresented in institutions

of power in Australia, the interviewer was

a man called Stavros, the Leader of the Opposition said: "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 being interviewed 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 discussions 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 are supposed to take lectures about sexism.

And then, or course, it goes on. I was very offended personally when the Leader of the Opposition

as minister for 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 have 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, he's woken up and he's gone, "Oh dear,

there's this thing called sexism; oh my lord, there's this thing called misogyny. Now who's one

of them? Oh, the Speaker must be because that suits my political purpose" (He) 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 (he) now seeks to use this as a battering ram

against someone else. Well this kind of hypocrisy should 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 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.

(Government members interjecting) [DEPUTY SPEAKER] Order!

[GILLARD]: No-one 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.

(He is) big on lectures of responsibility, very light on accepting responsibility himself

for the vile conduct of members of his political party.

Third, Ms 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 particularly, 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 Liberal Party preselected the member for Fisher

for the 1993 election, then for the 1996 election, then for 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 many of those preselections 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. (There is) no walking away from

those words—they were the statements of the Leader of the Opposition then.

I remind the Leader of the Opposition, who now comes in here and speaks about Mr Slipper

and 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 but, with respect, I would 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 is 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, (Opposition members interjecting)

[JENNY MACKLIN]: You used those words. It is a quote.

[GILLARD] That is 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 which 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 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 have much to look forward

to in terms of changed conduct.

I am offended by those text messages but I also believe that, in terms of this parliament,

making a decision about the speakership, that his parliament should recognise

that there is 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 be

always 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. (He is) 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, (who is) now looking

at his watch because, apparently, a woman's spoken too long—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 has

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.

[GOVERNMENT MEMBERS] Hear hear!