Delia’s hypocrisy hard to swallow
WHEN Delia Lawrie assumed the leadership of Territory Labor in 2012, she did so as a single mother to three schoolaged kids with a well-deserved reputation as a tough-as-nails headkicker.
Speaking at an International Women’s Day function in 2015, the then opposition leader lamented the underrepresentation of women in Australian politics.
The country suffered, Lawrie said, because it wasn’t harnessing the wisdom, passion and drive of half of its population.
“It distorts our political priorities,” she said.
Women “by nature are nurturers”. Far from being an impediment, that meant they had more to contribute, she said.
Lawrie spoke as someone who knew what it was like to have her decision to work and have kids picked apart by colleagues and strangers.
“When I began my career people questioned whether, as a young mother, I could succeed at work and raise a family ON A POTENTIAL HEMP INDUSTRY IN THE NT
I wonder how many tonnes of the stuff will go missing before everyone realises you can’t get high on it. Bill Addison I thought Tassie growers couldn’t sell their crop Simon Thompson About time. Silly not to. Leah Bushell Let’s palm off Gamba Grass as a medicinal crop. Jo Finney Industrial hemp means no THC means it’s useless. Ish Talwar well,” she told that function.
“After a decade committed to my community, with the help of my mother, sister and friends, my daughters are wonderful, intelligent, caring adults who have dedicated years of their life to helping peers with a disability.”
But while Lawrie didn’t see motherhood as an obstacle to Yay, smart move. Dal Lin
We will have a lot more dopey people about then. Chook Newman ON FORMER PRIME MINISTER BOB HAWKE’S DEATH
There will never be another prime minister like Bob – he had charisma & charm. Bev Phelts
If he was still leader of Labor they would be in power already. Lockey McKee
The most powerful and enduring tributes to Bob Hawke are not words or pictures, they are found all around us. World-class universities, where places are her — ultimately unfulfilled — aspiration to be chief minister, leaked text messages show she thinks it should for others.
The messages to Labor supporters revealed Lawrie had cooked up a revenge plot against her old foe Michael Gunner. She wanted them to stir up leadership speculation by positioning Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler as a contender for the chief ministership.
Among Lawler’s qualifications for the job, she wrote, was that she “has no young kids”.
She dismissed the two obvious contenders, Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison and Attorney-General Natasha Fyles in a single sentence. earned on merit not purchased by privilege. Children from workingclass families who finish school. Less than 3 in 10 kids did that when Bob came to office, 8 in 10 when he left. A modern, outwardlooking, competitive economy, built around the principle that working and middle-class people must be fairly rewarded for their efforts. A system dedicated to the idea that growth is stronger when it is shared, when wages and living standards rise and a generous safety net catches those who fall on hard times. A country where tourists and locals alike share the wonders of the Daintree, or ride the rapids of the Franklin. An Australia at home in Asia, a voice heard and respected in the councils of the world. A country that steps up and plays its part, keeping peace in the Middle East, keeping Antarctica safe for science. Every Australian carries a monument to Bob Hawke with them, their Medicare card. A green-and-gold promise that the health of any one of us, matters to all of us. Nikki Garrett
The most quintessentially Aussie PM Ever!!!! RIP Bob. Georgia Lee I hope he voted early, Rest In Peace Bob. Shane Lamb
Rest in peace mate I’m going to the fridge right now to skull a beer for ya. Marcus Edwards
RIP. Great l leader. Down to earth man. Will be sadly missed. Denise O’Brien #putyouryardglassout. Nick Williams ON A WAITER ACCIDENTALLY GIVING OUT AN $8000 BOTTLE OF WINE
Time to hire a Sommelier. Chris Permezel Shifting old stock. Paul Irving
How can a bottle of piss be worth $8000 ridiculous. Stef Lamb The waiter should pay for it. Kevan Leadbeater