Profile: Janet Powell

8 COLUMNS Powell's own political aspirations 1986 to fill Don Chipp's casual lay dormant for two decades, mainly vacancy and was elected Senator for spent acquiring education, then Victoria (six-year term) in July 1987. taking it back to her hometown as a Between 1986 and 1990 she has been teacher where she married and spokesperson on Primary Industry, began a family. During the teachers' Communications, Social Security, strikes of the 70s, Powell's ire was Administrative Services, Consumer roused by the lousy pay and ine Affairs, Community Services and quality of her profession. "All Health. teachers were severely underpaid, especially women. I knew men who Powell has made her mark in a few had failed at university but were get areas - she was the first woman to ting paid more." have a Private Member's Bill passed, resulting in a tobacco advertising A trip to the United States with her ban in Victoria. But her major focus teacher husband introduced them to has been women, and she is proud to life on the edge of a black ghetto and claim the Democrats as the only PROFILE this further fuelled her desire to Australian party to fairly represent press for social change. "I felt what the electorate - four of the party's we had in Australia was much more eight Senators are women. egalitarian and worth fighting for." Janet Powell The most encouraging sign for the When she came home things moved Democrats was the March election It is probably safe to say Janet quickly. It was 1975 - the time of the result which increased their share of sacking of the Labor go. emment - Powell is not yet a household name. the vote from 12% to 16% overall, and soon, like many Australians, gained them one new Senate seat The woman elected leader of the (two new Senators) and left seven Australian Democrats back in May seats within a few percentage points is described by her party faithful as of victory. Powell is determined to "lacking leadership qualities", "a grasp that advantage for the next very quiet person", "down-to- federal election by winning another earth, but without razzamatazz". five Senate seats and a "handful of lower house seats". It is generally agreed that Powell, a But she admits there's a lot of work Victorian Senator, is "no dummy": a to do. The key issue for the hard worker who knows her issues. Democrats is gaining credibility on But doubts are surfacing about economic policy. Powell is bitter at whether she has what it takes to be Labor and Liberal's treatment of the an effective leader in4he "leadership Democrats' economic policy before mould" generally promoted in the election. "They costed it as if we Australian political life. were going to in introduce all the If aggression, marketable ima^e and changes in the first year". Since then, flair are the primary requirtnvnts, a lot of work has been done to tighten Powell faces an uphill battle for up those costings in the "sustainable credibility. Inside the Democrats the economic proposals", which she Photo: News Ltd feelings prevails that Janine Haines Powell was motivated into the politi claims will produce a potential $3 is a hard act to follow. Powell was not cal arena. In 1977 she became a billion surplus by introducing a the obvious successor after Haines founding member of the Australian wealth tax and closing tax avoidance failed to gain the coveted House of Democrats, committed to a party loopholes to hit the corporate sector Representatives seat of Kingston. that encouraged participative ana upper bracket income earners. Powell's leadership victory was due democracy. "As a mother with four The Democrats want a national rail more to a lack of organised opposi small kids living in an isolated com system, are opposed to wholesale tion than to popularity. munity it allowed me to have a say. I privatisatiom and deregulation - could have an input into policy we'd treat it on a case-by-case Janet Powell was born into a wheat without having to attend meetings in basis'. Powell says the sale of 30% of and sheep farming family in isolated the city. That sort of setup was very the Commonwealth Bank as "ab Nhill, Victoria. "We lived on a fairly attractive, and remains veiy attrac solutely the first step towards large- basic property. We grew our own tive, especially for women. scale deregulation". food and my mother worked alongside my father on the farm." From 1977 she held party positions She claims to be in fighting form for at branch, state and federal levels, the next three years, We've come of Powell's first recollection of politics including state president (first age. We've earned our stripes as a was her father's strenuous attempts woman to hold this office) and legitimate voice." to prevent the local school closing deputy national president. She down. entered parliament in September Clare Curran. A LR : OCTOBER 1990.

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