Rebecca White: A leading voice
“One of the most important responsibilities I have is to give voice to the many community members who feel they haven’t been heard.”
Almost 100 years ago, Edith Cowan became the first woman elected to an Australian parliament, in March 1921.
In Her Seat is asking as many currently serving female politicians as we can how they view gender equality, politics and their impact.
This is a non-partisan project that is soliciting contributions from women in all parties, or none at all, in every parliament.
Rebecca White is the Member for Lyons in the Tasmanian Parliament and the Leader of the Opposition.
Growing up in the country, Rebecca is a sixth-generation Tasmanian. After graduating university in journalism, political science and marketing, she worked as an adviser for state and federal politicians.
First elected in 2010, Rebecca became Leader of the Labor Party in 2017, after serving in the shadow ministry. Alongside being leader, she has responsibility for trade, tourism and Aboriginal affairs.
As a leader, Rebecca’s remit is wide, but she has long made contributions on issues of agriculture, corruption, health, technology and tourism.
Not avoiding the reality of being a working parent, Rebecca’s daughter is regularly found with her on the campaign trail.
What does gender equality mean to you?
It really is as simple as ensuring people are treated equally and have equality of opportunity.
It is not about preferencing women over men or men over women, it is about making sure everyone is given a fair go and that no one is discriminated against because of their gender.
In a fair and equal society we should aim for nothing less.
Which female politicians have inspired or encouraged you?
Lara Giddings was very encouraging when I was first considering whether or not to pursue a career in politics.
Lara went on to become the first female Premier of Tasmania. She continues to be in touch and offer support which I very much appreciate.
Tanya Plibersek has always been someone I admire for her integrity, work ethic and humanity. I have been fortunate to develop a relationship with Tanya over the years and her friendship and support have been a great help.
And of course, Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female PM. Julia’s intellect, her compassion and grit remain an inspiration to girls and women everywhere including me.
What inspired you to serve your community?
My family and community were key reasons for me deciding to stand for politics.
I grew up in a small country community where everyone knew and supported each other through the good times and the bad.
The values of hard work, empathy and fairness were instilled in me from early on and when I stood for the 2010 election it was because I believed our region deserved better and deserved a local person who could champion our needs.
I’m a passionate believer in the importance of building community connection, helping each other out and working together.
What are the most important contributions you are making in Parliament?
One of the most important responsibilities I have is to give voice to the many community members who feel they haven’t been heard.
In Parliament, we can raise their voices and achieve real outcomes and make positive changes that benefit the community.
I am very proud of the team we have built, with members who represent their respective communities across the state with passion, determination and a desire to create a better and fairer Tasmania.
What is next for gender equality in politics?
I feel the Tasmanian Labor party has done extremely well in providing opportunities for women, with 65 per cent of our caucus now female.
No doubt challenges remain for gender equality as some in the community continue to hold to outdated views such as that women are less effective leaders than men or that a female politician can’t be a good mother and a good Member of Parliament. This simply is not true and by getting on with the job of leading and representing our communities we show how these assumptions are well past their use-by date.
At the same time I think it’s important to keep calling out those occasions when women are asked questions and asked to justify themselves in ways a man never would be.
In Her Seat interviews can be accessed here
