EDITOR’S LETTER:
from the desk of The Weekly’s Nicole Byers
This month is one of our favourites in The Weekly calendar as we get to share with you the winners of our Women of the Future Awards (see page 57). Be it poring over the 100-plus entries from exceptional young women nationwide, or debating the merits of our nalists with my esteemed fellow judges (right), it’s a hugely inspiring campaign.
Little could any of us have suspected that just weeks after I sat across the table from the then deputy Liberal leader to discuss the Women of the Future candidates, it would be her future that was being hotly debated across the country. Whatever your views on Julie Bishop’s politics are – and we know from your letters they are varied – you’d be hard pushed not to admire her intelligence, work ethic and strength of character. She’s been a trailblazer for women in politics and beyond, and I think it’s terribly disappointing that the farcical events of the past month have robbed us of not only one of the few women in a senior position in our government, but of a Foreign Minister who truly held her own on the world stage.
When it comes to strong characters, look no further than this month’s cover star Sally Field (see page 22). In a raw and revealing sit-down interview with The Weekly, she opens up about her painful past, and why she felt compelled to nally speak about the unspeakable. We also celebrate that great Aussie tradition of lending a hand to a mate in need as we check in with some of our drought heroes helping those doing it tough (see page 40).