GG Sam Mostyn backs quotas saying women leaders are vital, weighs in on monoculture, grievance politics

Female leaders are authentic, optimistic and thoroughly modern, the Governor-General has told a London audience, as she publicly backed quotas to install more women into senior roles.

Sam Mostyn said it was these qualities that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had asked her to showcase in appointing her to be a “visible” Governor-General in 2024.

“Certainly, when I was appointed, I felt the full glare of those who did not think a woman should be appointed Governor-General,” she said.

She said it was the job of women like herself to step in.

“I do as my Prime Minister asked me to do in appointing me, which was to be modern, visible and optimistic, and I think women bring a certain series of characteristics to leadership roles. I think we are authentic, I think we are naturally optimistic, and I think we’re thoroughly modern.”

The Governor-General was speaking at an event at Australia House attended by prominent Australians in London, alongside Kate Jenkins, who served as Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, in a discussion hosted by the deputy high commissioner and career diplomat Elisabeth Bowes, who said that “ensuring inclusivity, including women in the politic” was a way of shoring up declining trust in democracies and institutions.

But when asked by The Nightly why women populist leaders such as One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and France’s Marine Le Pen were resonating, despite campaigning as nostalgic politicians on predominantly grievance issues, Ms Mostyn said the community was crying out for courage and compassion, not grievance.

“I’m not going to comment on the two individuals,” she said.

“If you care about the future of the country, you’re always looking for things to get better . . . Men and women I meet around Australia and the world say they yearn for people who have leadership positions — whether they’re men or women — who are kind, courageous and compassionate, and don’t just focus on grievances.

“And listen and are prepared to sit and listen to people where they find them. And I think some of what we see, which is directed sort of out to a community that might confirm grievances, doesn’t actually listen to what it is that’s really happening in the community.”

Asked if a One Nation victory in which Pauline Hanson remained in the Senate but wanted to be prime minister, would present her with a constitutional crisis, she said: “The Parliament sorts these matters out.”

She said if not enough women were reflected in the democratic systems and institutions, then “our democracy doesn’t work”.

“The strength of our democracy is absolutely tied to our ability to celebrate diversity — to talk about it as one that doesn’t undermine our unity of values or what we care about.

“That diversity actually holds us and it has created modern Australia, within a framework that relied so heavily on First Nations people with government structures and attachment to land — things that we must pay attention to.”

She said that the criticism she received when she was first appointed Commissioner with the Australian Football League demonstrated the value of quotas in being able to break the “monoculture” of “all men”.

“The process by which I was appointed attracted enormous amounts of criticism because it was a quota,” she said.

“I was attacked in the street and at footy games with women and men saying it’s a disgrace what you’ve done. The amount of commentary I got back about softening the game, the game would be destroyed, this was the beginning of the end.

“Today that sport’s in much better shape because half the commission today are women.

“It took that decision of a man, the chairman, to say I’ll change the system.”