The Numbers Game and Women s Political Representation in Canada, Australia and New Zealand

1. The Numbers Gameand Women’s Political Representation in Canada, Australia and New Zealand my task in this introduction is to set the stage for the rest of the morning by answering the “where are we now” question What are the numbers of women in electoral politics in the three countries at present? my task in this introduction is to set the stage for the rest of the morning by answering the “where are we now” question What are the numbers of women in electoral politics in the three countries at present?

2. Women Legislators, 2003(Average across jurisdictions in Canada and Australia) When we look at the number of women elected, overall, in the three countries, we see that Canada is lagging behind Australia and New Zealand For this chart, because Canada and Australia are federal systems, the percentage of elected women reflects the average of the national and sub-national levels – Australian states, and Canadian provinces and territories it does not include the Canadian senate, which is appointed But it does include both houses where relevant in Australia arguably the electoral system, especially the restrictions posed by Canada’s single member plurality system that Marian mentioned, is one of the key factors explaining the lower level of women’s representation in Canada what this bar chart does not reveal is that the election of women to political office, which surged in the 1980s and 90s, has slowed considerably in all three countriesWhen we look at the number of women elected, overall, in the three countries, we see that Canada is lagging behind Australia and New Zealand For this chart, because Canada and Australia are federal systems, the percentage of elected women reflects the average of the national and sub-national levels – Australian states, and Canadian provinces and territories it does not include the Canadian senate, which is appointed But it does include both houses where relevant in Australia arguably the electoral system, especially the restrictions posed by Canada’s single member plurality system that Marian mentioned, is one of the key factors explaining the lower level of women’s representation in Canada what this bar chart does not reveal is that the election of women to political office, which surged in the 1980s and 90s, has slowed considerably in all three countries

3. Women Elected to Parliament, 3 most recent elections(Canada – House of Commons: NZ and Australia, House of Representatives) - this line graph shows the percentage of women elected to the House of Commons in Canada, and to the House of Representatives in Australia and New Zealand in the three most recent elections - in Canada, the same number of women were elected in 2000 as in 1997 Australia shows very modest upward progress New Zealand numbers are down slightly – but still ahead of the other two countries and close to 30%- this line graph shows the percentage of women elected to the House of Commons in Canada, and to the House of Representatives in Australia and New Zealand in the three most recent elections - in Canada, the same number of women were elected in 2000 as in 1997 Australia shows very modest upward progress New Zealand numbers are down slightly – but still ahead of the other two countries and close to 30%

4. Female Candidates, most recent election, national parliament, lower house(average across parties with elected representatives) This chart presents the very clear and wholly unsurprising relationship between running and winning also we see that parties have been successful in nominating women to winnable ridings, or placing women in favourable positions on party lists but the numbers of women candidates remains quite low This chart presents the very clear and wholly unsurprising relationship between running and winning also we see that parties have been successful in nominating women to winnable ridings, or placing women in favourable positions on party lists but the numbers of women candidates remains quite low

5. Female National Party Leaders 2003 Canada: - 0 female party leaders Australia: - 0 female party leaders New Zealand: - 1 female government leader - 1 female party co-leader New Zealand is the only one of these three nations to feature female party leaders at the national level and boasts the record for electing women to the top job – with two female Prime Ministers, Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark and, what is more important, Clark was re-elected in 2002, a rare feat for a woman leader Canada has had 3 women leaders of national parties, two of whom led the New Democratic party, a party with fairly modest representation in the House of Commons The other is Kim Campbell, who was briefly Prime Minister of Canada when she was elected leader of a wildly unpopular governing party, the Conservative Party, from a wildly unpopular Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney she lost her seat in the 1993 election, and the Conservatives were reduced to two members in the House of Commons in Australia, the Australian Democrats chose a woman early in the party’s history, in 1986, and have had 5 women leaders in total New Zealand is the only one of these three nations to feature female party leaders at the national level and boasts the record for electing women to the top job – with two female Prime Ministers, Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark and, what is more important, Clark was re-elected in 2002, a rare feat for a woman leader Canada has had 3 women leaders of national parties, two of whom led the New Democratic party, a party with fairly modest representation in the House of Commons The other is Kim Campbell, who was briefly Prime Minister of Canada when she was elected leader of a wildly unpopular governing party, the Conservative Party, from a wildly unpopular Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney she lost her seat in the 1993 election, and the Conservatives were reduced to two members in the House of Commons in Australia, the Australian Democrats chose a woman early in the party’s history, in 1986, and have had 5 women leaders in total

6.  Women as Party Leaders, 2003Sub-National Level  When we look at the sub-national level in Canada and Australia, the picture for women party leaders is not much more promising Canada has had four female heads of government, and quite a large number of women party leaders, in the provinces and territories presently, though, only three women party leaders remain (I’ll say a bit more about these women when I do my presentation on Canada) Australia has had a stronger record of electing women to head state governments, with five women government leaders in total, and one, Clare Martin, presently serving in this capacity as for party leaders, there may be more women in charge of Green parties than shown here, but because of that party’s aversion to hierarchical structures, leaders are often not identified and labelled as such When we look at the sub-national level in Canada and Australia, the picture for women party leaders is not much more promising Canada has had four female heads of government, and quite a large number of women party leaders, in the provinces and territories presently, though, only three women party leaders remain (I’ll say a bit more about these women when I do my presentation on Canada) Australia has had a stronger record of electing women to head state governments, with five women government leaders in total, and one, Clare Martin, presently serving in this capacity as for party leaders, there may be more women in charge of Green parties than shown here, but because of that party’s aversion to hierarchical structures, leaders are often not identified and labelled as such

7.  Women in National Cabinets, 2003 Full cabinet only; not including outer ministry (AUS and NZ) or junior ministers (Canada) finally, women’s share of cabinet posts – very important, as in parliamentary systems, the cabinet as at the apex of power This chart compares women in national cabinets, and shows that Canada and New Zealand are the leaders in this respect; in fact, both countries have a slightly higher percentage of women in cabinet than in Parliament on the other hand Australia’s cabinet features very few women (2/18) *** so, to sum up – this quick look at the numbers game shows the continued under-representation of women as candidates, office-holders, party leaders and cabinet ministers in the three countries, though New Zealand emerges as the leader in women’s electoral representation what do these numbers mean, in practice, for women? my presentation will examine the Canadian situation in more detail then the panel discussion and Manon Tremblay’s presentation will look at the more substantive elements of gender-based representation, namely the intersection of gender, electoral systems, party politics and substantive representation of women and their interestsfinally, women’s share of cabinet posts – very important, as in parliamentary systems, the cabinet as at the apex of power This chart compares women in national cabinets, and shows that Canada and New Zealand are the leaders in this respect; in fact, both countries have a slightly higher percentage of women in cabinet than in Parliament on the other hand Australia’s cabinet features very few women (2/18) *** so, to sum up – this quick look at the numbers game shows the continued under-representation of women as candidates, office-holders, party leaders and cabinet ministers in the three countries, though New Zealand emerges as the leader in women’s electoral representation what do these numbers mean, in practice, for women? my presentation will examine the Canadian situation in more detail then the panel discussion and Manon Tremblay’s presentation will look at the more substantive elements of gender-based representation, namely the intersection of gender, electoral systems, party politics and substantive representation of women and their interests