Virginia haussegger ROXANNE MISSINGHAM

Virginia Haussegger Roxanne Missingham is the is the face of ABC TV Parliamentary Librarian, at the News in Australian Parliamentary Library. and an Adjunct Professor in the She is responsible for delivery of ANZSOG Institute information, analysis and advice for Governance. She services to the parliamentary, is an award winning particularly Senators and Members. journalist, author and social commentator The Library provides approximately 20,000 commis- Celebrating the whose extensive me- sioned pieces of research and over 250 general briefs and dia career spans more publications each year. She has also led major projects Contribution than 20 years. Her for the Department of Parliamentary Service including of Women to work has taken her the digitisation of Hansard back to 1901, the new Parlia- Public Sector around the world, reporting for Australia’s leading ment of Australia web site and the system providing current affairs programs, on Channel 9, the 7 Net- access to bills, Hansard, other parliamentary and library work and the ABC. In the late 80s, she was the materials. youngest women to be appointed host of the ABC’s flagship program the 7.30 Report and went on to Her career includes roles of Assistant Director General, host that show in four capital cities. Virginia has Resource Sharing Services at the National Library of ANZ been published across a range of media. As a Australia (2001-2005), Director of Reader Service at the INSTITUTE weekly columnist for The Canberra Times and National Library (1999 - 2001), Divisional Librarian, regular contributor to The National Times and The CSIRO Wildlife & Ecology (1995 - 1999), Library Director Age , her outspoken views on women and their Australian Nature Conservation Agency (1991 – 1994). place in contemporary society have been widely She has also worked in the other government libraries. debated in the Australian media, in public forums, and on talkback radio. Virginia’s seminal article Roxanne has won a number of awards including the

Distinguished Alumni Award, ,

on feminism and childlessness was ranked by The FOR Age newspaper as among the most significant Chief’s Award, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology, opinion pieces published in its 150 year history. CSIRO Chief Executive's Study Award, Doreen Goodwin SOG

Virginia’s book Wonder Woman: the myth of Award of the University of Canberra, Library and Infor- ‘having it all’, was launched at the National Press mation Studies Program, Australian Library and Infor- GOVERNANCE Club in 2005 by and broadcast live on mation Association ACT Merit Award and Australian ABC TV. A highly sought after speaker and an Library and Information Association New Graduates active community member, Virginia regularly Coaches Gold Medal. addresses corporate and government forums on a diverse range of issues including women, power and leadership. Virginia also has a long association www.governanceinstitute.edu.au with the arts and sits on various boards and com- [email protected] mittees. She is President of the Canberra Interna- tional Film Festival.

SOCIAL PURPOSE

The ANZSOG Institute for Governance set up a reference group earlier this year to develop a series of activities which highlight the contribution of women to public sec- LISA PAUL TU PHAM tor excellence and give voice to their achievements. The Group was Chaired by Professor Meredith Edwards and included: Glenys Beauchamp (Deputy Secretary, Govern- ance in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabi- Lisa Paul, PSM has been Tu Pham has been the net); Catherine Fox (Deputy Editor, AFR BOSS); Virginia Secretary of the Australian Auditor-General for the Haussegger (Journalist, Author, Media Commentator federal Department of Australian Capital Territory and TV News Presenter); Sally Moyle (Branch Manager, Education, Employment and (ACT) since March 2004. Office for Women, Department of Families, Housing, Workplace Relations Community Services and Indigenous Affairs); Monica (DEEWR) since 2007. The Tu held a number of senior Pfeffer (Director Strategic Projects, ANZSOG); Judy portfolio focuses on produc- executive roles in the ACT Tyers (Director of Applied Learning, ANZSOG); and, tivity and is central to Austra- public service, including as Elizabeth Whitelaw (Canberra Chair of Partners, Minter lia's economic growth Commissioner for ACT Ellison). through people's productivity Revenue and Deputy Chief - their education, skills and labour force contri- Executive of ACT Treasury. Tu participated in The Group decided that developing a series of activities butions. The department is organised by the life- various high level inter-governmental which highlighted the contribution of women to public cycle: early childhood, schooling, young people's committees on tax and financial reforms and also sector excellence and gave voice to their achievements transitions from school, vocational education, had served on a number of boards including the was an important project for sustaining commitment to higher education, employment and workplace ACT Legal Aid Commission, ACT Public Trustee workplace equality. It was argued that the project should relations. DEEWR has a key focus on fairness Investment Board, the Kingston Foreshore emphasize celebration of achievement rather than bemoan- throughout life, whether it is social inclusion Development Authority and the ACT ing structural obstacles to gender equality. It was also measures in local communities or fairness in the Government Procurement Board noted, however, that it was important to develop a meth- workplace. odology of engagement which allowed for identification Prior to joining the ACT Government, Tu of such obstacles and the development of a set of policy Prior to this role, Lisa was Secretary of the worked with the Queensland Government and prescriptions. This ‘Talking Heads’ series is the outcome Department of Education, Science and Training the Commonwealth Grants Commission. of this process of deliberation. Over the next 12 months, from 2004 to 2007. eight spectacular women will talk about the highs and Tu was a recipient of the 1998 Australia Day the lows of their career journeys in the public service. DEEWR administers approximately $44.5 billion Award of a Public Service Medal for her out- Today’s event will launch the series with Virginia annually and has about 6,000 staff in over 60 standing services in public administration. In Haussegger interviewing three spectacular public ser- locations in Australia and 25 locations overseas. 2008, Tu received the ACT Telstra Business vants – Roxanne Missingham, Lisa Paul and Tu Pham – Women’s Award in the Government and on a pre-determined set of topics such as where women Lisa has led some important whole of govern- community sector. are at in the public service, how they understand their ment work. For example, in 2002 she was asked history, what they aspire to be, what they see equality as, to lead the Australian Government's domestic Tu holds a Bachelor degree in Economics what this means for job design and work-life balance and response to the Bali bombings, for which she was (University of Queensland), and is a Fellow of how they have been able to negotiate institutional obsta- awarded a Public Service Medal. the Australian Institute of Management. cles and rise to the top. A policy team has been invited to the launch and subsequent events with the role of identi- fying and reporting the policy implications arising from the Talking Heads series in a report to the APSC.