Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott has shown his hand – and where he plans to take Australia. There were a few things missing when the Prime Minister announced his new Cabinet yesterday, including:
- Women Ministers – there's now only 1 in a 19 person Cabinet.
- Ministers for Science, Climate Change, Energy, Youth, Disability, Status of Women, Aged Care, Mental Health, Early Childhood and more.
Even if science, climate change, the elderly and women have been de-prioritised (it's the second time in 82 years we haven't had a minister with 'science' or 'scientific' in the title), at least we have a Minister for Sport in Cabinet and a "Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on women."
Our new Prime Minister-elect has made his priorities pretty clear. But if he expects us to just throw up our hands and give up, he doesn't know us very well. GetUp members have faced down a conservative government before. We know exactly what it takes to campaign strategically and harness the concerns of everyday people into real political power and impact. We also know the last thing right-wing conservatives want right now is for GetUp to grow stronger – so let's do exactly that.
There is some serious work to be done. Can you help power this movement with a small, regular donation? Just $6, $8 or $10 a week can power everything we do to stand up for our values and the issues that matter most.
http://www.getup.org.au/pmabbottscabinet
There is no other group like GetUp in the country: people-powered, independent, coordinated and skilled in both national campaigning and local organising. And we've got big plans: from going hard to protect climate action and the Great Barrier Reef to a new 'GetUp in your electorate' initiative that will see MPs across the country meeting with their local GetUp member community to have important conversations before it's too late.
We've already achieved huge things when the odds were pretty tough. Thankfully, we know that progress isn't won or lost in a day – it comes from lasting commitment, led by good people who put their money, time and voices where their values are.
Do something positive, lasting and real as we empower our movement to protect and champion all we hold dear: become a Core GetUp Member today.
Thank you for all that you do,
Sam – for the GetUp team
PS - Tony Abbott even managed to alarm his own party members. Liberal Senator Sue Boyce calling his exclusion of women "shocking and I think it's embarrassing, and it's not just embarrassing nationally but I think it's embarrassing internationally."[1] The election may be over, but we still need people of all political persuasions to stand up for our values and the issues that matter. Are you ready to contribute to powering the biggest progressive movement in Australia? http://www.getup.org.au/pmabbottscabinet
1 Sue Boyce and Judith Troeth express dismay over Tony Abbott's male-dominated Cabinet, ABC.