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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 63 ..

MR QUINLAN (continuing):

Let me say to Greg Cornwell, who unfortunately did miss the funeral, that it was one of those funerals that was a celebration of a life well spent. Several of her family members spoke, several of the younger generation of the family spoke, and the admiration they held for Joan, or Auntie Joan, was palpable. So I think we can also celebrate a life well spent, a life of tremendous contribution, at the same time as offering our condolences to those who now miss her.

MS DUNDAS: Mr Speaker, I did not have the pleasure of meeting Joan Taggart but I rise to speak to this condolence motion in recognition of her role as a trail-blazing woman in politics, which has always been, and still remains, a male-dominated profession.

I have no doubt that Joan's example inspired many women in the ALP to run for senior positions in their party, after seeing her rise to a position on the federal executive and serve so capably. Women have always been active in political struggles but too often they have remained in the background. As recently as 1972 only 2 per cent of federal parliamentarians were women, and I suspect that the proportion of women holding executive positions in political parties was even lower. It is only in the last 25 years that women have really been seen in our parliaments and in the executive bodies of Australian political parties. Joan was one of those groundbreaking women who pushed her way into a male-dominated area.

The earlier waves of feminists had been forced to create their own political organisations to raise awareness of women's concerns such as suffrage, married women's rights to own property and adequate female wages. Joan's generation of courageous women finally breached the wall that had kept women out of the most powerful political organisations in Australia.

As a result of the involvement of women like Joan in Australia's political parties, I am confident that Australia now has a stronger public education system and a stronger network of publicly funded social services. I think we should all agree that Australia is a better place for having these things. I salute Joan for her contribution to building a nation focused on equality.

MR STEFANIAK: I, too, knew Joan Taggart and, unfortunately, like Mr Cornwell-I was not overseas but I think I was out of town at the time-I was unable to get to her funeral.

I first met Joan in the 1980s and I was immediately impressed by her. I had a lot to do with her in the late 80s and early 90s, especially with the Australia Day Committee, on which she held a senior position. She was a very hard and, indeed, a tireless worker in making Australia Day in the national capital the wonderful success it has been over many years.

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