The criticism that the Cabinet of the new Queensland Premier, Rob Borbidge, contained only two women is worth making, especially as the choice of one … Liberal leader Joan Sheldon … had been made for him because it is automatic under Coalition rules. It is also more pertinent because the Cabinet is unrepresentative in other ways, with 11 members from the land and none from the key provincial cities of Townsville, Cairns and Rockhampton.
Strict balance is impossible and a Premier must pick the best available talent on the team. But is the nub. While the National Party as a whole denies women a better chance to get winnable seats, the available talent after an election will have fewer women. More has to be done to get more women into Parliament. That may require changes of behaviour at the branch level. Other political parties in Australia are not much better.
Another element to a bad start by the Borbidge Government is the sweep at the top level of the Public Service. There was no sign that any of those removed was an especially political appointment. There has been some post-hoc back-pedalling with some suggestion that the moves were more a shuffle than a sweep. None the less, the first week of the Borbidge Government do not augur well for good government.