Girls and women, heed the Gillard example

Julia Gillard is concerned that young girls will be put off entering public life by the way in which she has been treated by – well – everyone.

Coming in the same week that her most recent pay rise was announced (she’s now earning over half a million dollars a year), Gillard’s latest gripe was, once again, far from original.

What Gillard did was – disturbingly – simply echo comments already made by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick. Broderick is the one calling ‘Order!’ on this, not Gillard. Broderick is the one who flagged the issue as holding back young women, not Gillard.

When you read the transcript of the interview, it’s clear that Gillard dealt with Howard Sattler’s question very well. She defused it, answered it, and moved on. That actually shows competence, not offence.

But that wasn’t good enough for Elizabeth Broderick – who is, by the way, an unelected official and public servant.

Ms Broderick told The Australian she fears it had now got to a…