FED: A first for women - leading government and the opposition

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2008
FED: A first for women - leading government and the opposition

PERTH, Aug 10 AAP - For the first time in Australia, women are occupying the top spots
in both government and opposition.

While Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is in Beijing for the Olympic Games and Opposition
Leader Brendan Nelson is visiting the United States, Julia Gillard is acting prime minister
and Julie Bishop is acting opposition leader.

It is not the first time Ms Gillard has been the acting prime minister, and by default,
not the first time a woman has been in charge of the country.

But it is the first time Ms Bishop has had the acting coalition leader's job and she
said it was the first time a woman had the job.

"As deputy leader it's the first time we've had a West Australian in the (federal)
leadership team," Ms Bishop told AAP.

"It's the first time there's been a woman in the leadership team, so it follows that
it's the first time that we've had a West Australian and woman as the acting leader of
the opposition."

Ms Bishop said the situation had only dawned on her on this morning.

"I saw her (Ms Gillard) on ABC Insiders this morning as acting prime minister, and
I was about to come out and do a doorstop as acting leader of the opposition, and I thought
well ... girl power."

AAP was/jt/mn

KEYWORD: WOMEN

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.