Chris Wallace, Annie O'Rourke & Catherine Fox

Professor Chris Wallace calls it a ‘genderquake’, a moment in time in which the “tectonic plates of Australian politics shifted.” In this final episode of our BroadTalk Election22 series we rip into what happened to turn the Australian federal election into a watershed moment for women and why!

How did a massive swathe of previously unknown, politically inexperienced, women snatch key conservative Liberal seats off the government, leaving a cabal of dumbfounded male politicians, including the former Australian Treasurer, in their wake! What’s more, why did the men in charge not see this coming, when the rest of the country clearly did? And, what will the Australian parliament look like under this historic shift created by and for women? 

Here at BroadTalk, we’re still catching our breath after one of the most exciting and energising election results in Australian history. But, is this seismic feminist shift just the beginning?  

Professor Chris Wallace is a former press gallery journalist, turned political historian, writer and Professor of prolific output at the 50/50 By 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra. She wrote the first biography of Germaine Greer, ‘Untamed Shrew’ and has authored several books since. Her latest, How to Win an Election is the secret go-to bible for election campaign directors and aspiring Prime Ministers!

Annie O’Rourke knows her way around the maze of political power corridors better than most. She is a strategic communications specialist, CEO and founder of 89 DegreesEast. Annie’s advice and expertise is prized among Australia’s leading CEO’s, public servants and political leaders. She was a senior advisor to Prime Minister Rudd and was Anthony Albanese’s first policy adviser when he first joined the Shadow Ministry way back in 2001. 

Catherine Fox is a leading commentator on women and the workforce, an award-winning journalist, and author of several books, including ‘Stop Fixing Women’ and co-author of ‘Woman Kind’. At Fairfax media she established the Financial Review 100 Women of Influence Awards. Catherine was a member of the Australian Defence Force Gender Equality Advisory Board; she sits on the Australians Investing In Women board, and is co-founder of the Sydney Women’s Giving Circle.

BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.

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