It really is harder for women

In today's Weekend West Australian, Janet Holmes a Court said that it was harder for women to be successful in Australian society.  Mrs Holmes a Court, a respected business women, philanthropist, republican and and patron of the arts, feels women are judged much more harshly than their male counterparts.

She could be right.

Julia Gillard said before the last federal election that there would be no carbon tax under her leadership.When the election produced a hung parliament she negotiated with the Greens and some Independents to gain a slim majority on the floor of the House of Representaives. A few weeks later she said that her government would  introduce a carbon tax.

All hell broke loose. She was castigated by the opposition and many in the media. She was lampooned and at public rallies was called a bitch and a witch. Notorious broadcaster, Alan Jones, repeatedly called her Juli-LIAR when he interviewed her face to face.

Julia Gillard is not the first prime minister to reneg on an election promise. John Howard turned it into an art form. He will be long remembered in Australian political history for saying, when asked why he was not implementing policies that pre election he said were rock solid,  "Well, there are core promises and non core promises." Mr Howard was never belittled in the media or called a liar for reneging on his promises.

The great John Curtin campaigned vigorously against conscription during World War One. As Prime Minister of Australia in 1942 he quickly introduced conscription when the Japanese threatened our shores.

Before the recent state election in Queensland, Campbell Newman said that if he was elected Liberal/National Party premier, he would never allow uranium mining  in Queensland.

In the lead up to the Victorian election, Liberal Pary leader, Ted Ballieu, said that no public servants need fear for their jobs if he became premier.

Well, Campbell Newman was elected premier of Queensland. Two weeks ago he said that he was going to allow unranium mining in Queensland. So far there has been no media outrage against his reversal of policy.

In Victoria, more than 1000 public servants (and still counting) have already been sacked by Premier Ballieu. Again, nobody in the media seems too upset by this.

It seems Janet Holmes a Court makes a very good point.