Women

First woman leader of a federal political party

14 August 1986

Janine Haines is the first woman to lead a political party in the Australian Parliament.

In 1986 Senator Janine Haines became the first woman to lead a political party in the Australian Parliament when she was elected leader of the Australian Democrats. Her achievements in the role led the way for future female leaders of the Democrats, in particular Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, who became the youngest person to lead a political party in 2001.

Originally chosen to fill a casual vacancy in the Senate by the Parliament of South Australia in 1977, Senator Haines used her party’s strength while holding the balance of power to champion equal opportunity legislation and improvements to Medicare. Haines resigned from the Senate in 1990 to contest a House of Representatives seat. She was unsuccessful and did not seek to return to the Senate.

One of the reasons I first went into politics was because it seemed to me that Australia was being governed by middle-aged, middle-class men and that this was the case no matter which political party was in power. These men were probably well-intentioned but they were removed from the real world – the world of mortgages, education costs and child rearing.
Senator Janine Haines, Hobart Mercury, 19 October 1984
Pamphlet with the words ‘Vote 1, Australian Democrats, you can depend on us!’ with a woman with glasses and the southern cross constellation.

Australian Democrats, Ephemera Formed Collection 13 [Federal Elections]

National Library of Australia, Courtesy of Australian Democrats

Australian Democrats, Ephemera Formed Collection 13 [Federal Elections]

Pamphlet with the words ‘Vote 1, Australian Democrats, you can depend on us!’ with a woman with glasses and the southern cross constellation.

National Library of Australia, Courtesy of Australian Democrats

Description

This pamphlet promoting the Australian Democrats features Senator Janine Haines, Leader of the Australian Democrats. Janine Haines was the first woman to lead a political party in the Australian Parliament.

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