The Pathways to Politics Program for Women is a non-partisan initiative to change the face of politics in Australia.
An innovative program to advance female participation in Australian politics is calling for new participants and launching a knowledge hub, sharing leading research, articles and interviews on the eve of International Women’s Day 2022.
The Pathways to Politics Program for Women is a non-partisan initiative aiming to change the face of politics by equipping women with the skills, knowledge, confidence and networks they need to run for elected office and thrive as political leaders.
The University of Melbourne is a founding partner of the program which has achieved great success in advancing female political participation since its inception six years ago, with alumni achieving fifteen electoral successes across local, state, and federal levels of government.
University of Melbourne Vice-President (Strategy and Culture) Dr Julie Wells, anticipates that at least 20 program alumni nationally will run in this year’s federal and state elections.
“The program has a proven track record in supporting our talented and committed women to achieve elected office across the country,” Dr Wells said.
Director of the University of Melbourne Pathway to Politics Program, Dr Meredith Martin said it offers invaluable experience for women who aspire to enter politics in Australia.
“The 2022 program’s practical, experiential format will support active participation through workshops, case studies, panel discussions and fostering strong bonds between participants – forging invaluable networks.”
The University partners with the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia and the Trawalla Foundation – both chaired by business and community leader Carol Schwartz AO – to deliver the Program.
Also launched today was the Pathways to Politics Knowledge Hub – an online content library created for all women interested in public office in Australia to access practical tools, information and inspiration to run for public office.
The Knowledge Hub will include contributions from leading politicians, advocates, academics and journalists and advocates with thought leading research, articles, interviews, and other topical resources.
“The University is proud to be a founding partner in the program and congratulates the team on the launch of the Knowledge Hub,” Dr Wells said.
Contributors include journalist Annabel Crabb speaking about her recent documentary Ms Represented, Pathways to Politics alumni Ruth McGowan on her book Get Elected, and Associate Professor Michelle Evans, inaugural Director of Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership at the University of Melbourne, political scientist Michelle Deshong and Politics in Colour founder Kat Henaway speaking about Australian Indigenous women and political leadership.
Carol Schwartz said: “This is a critical moment of change for women in public office. Equal representation will shape culture, decision making, collaboration, and ultimately reflect community issues in a more fulsome way.”
Since launching at the University of Melbourne in 2016, Queensland University of Technology and the University of New South Wales have also joined to form a collaborative network of interstate programs based at Australian universities.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
