Bronwyn Bishop has written to preselectors in the seat of Mackellar urging them to vote for her based on her age. “As you get older you really concentrate on what matters,” a letter dated April 6 begins, focusing on issues such as including the family home in the pension assets test and proportional representation for people over 65 in parliament.
“For me,” she writes, “it’s the nation and individual Australians, not the next promotion and how you can get further ahead in the political world. That’s why we need a balance between youth and experience.”
The former speaker lists her policy priorities, including “a fair go for Seniors and keeping the family home secure by not including it in the pension asset test and keeping the family home free from capital gains tax”. She also lists local issues like housing density, roads and combating drug-related crime.
And she takes aim at her younger colleagues, calling herself a voice for seniors.
“The largest proportion of Members in the House of Representatives are those in their forties, and they make up one third of the parliament yet represent only 17.8% of the voting population. On the other hand seniors over 65 years represent 22% of the voting population and in Mackellar represent 25.2% of the voting population, which is way above the national average. After the next election this large group will only be represented by just 5% of the Members of the House of Representatives who are or will be over 65 years. I will be the only female.”
Bishop also makes reference to her work as shadow minister for seniors, but does not mention that she was the minister for aged care in the Howard government. She was dumped from that role after the “kerosene baths” scandal, in which an aged care facility washed residents in diluted kerosene to eradicate scabies.
Bishop believes she has much to contribute for seniors, writing “together we have achieved a lot for Mackellar and the nation but there is still more to do”.
Bishop faces a tough preselection fight in Mackellar, falling out of favour during the Choppergate scandal last year. She is challenged by former senior adviser to state Transport Minister Andrew Constance, Jason Falinski and advisor to Tony Abbott, Walter Villatora. Her refusal to stand down as speaker, and Tony Abbott’s unwillingness to sack her, were contributing factors in the lack of confidence in Abbott’s leadership before the spill.
Crikey has also obtained a copy of a postcard sent to Liberal preselectors on Friday. It is unsigned, and features a photo of Bishop and a quote attributed to her in 1995:
Preselectors will make their decision on Saturday.
Just go, please.
Bronwyn Bishop is right. This unfair age discrimination is rife in our society. It’s intolerable that there are no 73 year old surgeons or commercial airline pilots too.
Fair crack Bronny! As far as I can see her entire career has been charchterised primarily by naked personal ambition and a truly breathtaking sense of entitlement.
And the issues she mentions in her letter are already taken care of and won’t be changed by anybody any time soon.
Bronny should retire gracefully. I’ve been retired for 10 years, and they’ve been the best 10 years ever.
I do like how she characterises youth as people in their 40’s
What about those of us under 30, were is our proportional representation?
How many 18 year olds in parliament? Or as hyperstimulated suggests, the 20’s, the 30’s.
Bloody hell Bronny.
“For me,” she writes, “it’s the nation and individual Australians, not the next promotion and how you can get further ahead in the political world.
That is just the polar opposite of the entirety of Bronnie’s political career. The only reason she doesn’t challenge for leadership is because the caucus might die of laughter, having already suffered a hernia from Kevin Andrews’ comments.