Australia’s opposition accused Prime Minister Julia Gillard of stoking a “false gender war” after she warned an election loss for her government would see abortion become a political plaything for male politicians.
The comments to a fundraising organization “Women for Gillard” were a “crude political ploy” from a desperate prime minister, Deputy Opposition leader Julie Bishop told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio today. She was referring to renewed speculation that Gillard will face a leadership challenge ahead of the Sept. 14 election.
Gillard, whose government is trailing in opinion polls, has come under scrutiny as the nation’s first female prime minister, contending with opposition supporters’ taunts that she’s childless and protesters at anti-government demonstrations carrying placards reading “Ditch the Witch.” She’s responded by targeting opposition leader Tony Abbott, labeling him sexist and misogynist.
“We don’t want to live in an Australia where abortion again becomes the political plaything of men who think they know better,” Gillard said yesterday.
The elections in three months will be a “decision about whether, once again, we will banish women’s voices from our political life,” Gillard said, adding an Abbott-led government would be dominated by blue-tie wearing men.
She has previously described the ballot as a contest between “a strong feisty woman” and a “policy-weak man.”
Abbott said in a speech in March 2004, when he was health minister, that abortion has been “reduced to a question of the mother’s convenience” and is “a national tragedy.” Abortion is legal in Australia, though guidelines for when termination may take place vary between states.
‘Choices Are Tough’
Abbott has distanced himself from those comments, saying in March he accepted “absolutely” that for any woman facing an unexpected pregnancy “the choices are tough.”
Bishop reiterated today that the coalition would not make any changes to abortion laws if it wins government.
Gillard, 51, faced down her second Labor party leadership vote in a year in March, winning uncontested and losing three Cabinet members who didn’t back her. Parliament will sit for a final two weeks starting June 17, a danger zone for Gillard when her Labor colleagues will all be in Canberra, enabling a snap challenge and leadership vote.
Eva Cox, founder of the Women’s Economic Think Tank and author of “Leading Women,” said Gillard’s comments yesterday were misplaced.
“It looked as though she was trying to set this up, with references to blue ties and the abortion reference, as a sort of personality fight between two people rather than what the whole thing should be about which is good policy,” the ABC cited Cox as saying.
To contact the reporter on this story: Edward Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Edward Johnson at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net
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