Women in Management Great Debate

The Canberra Times Tuesday, 8 July 2008

“A Woman’s Place is in the House” was the topic for this year’s Women in Management Great Debate, with 800-plus gathering in the dimly lit AIS arena to clap their clackers, hoot, boo or holler for or against the topic.

And you’d think with a predominantly oestrogen-charged gathering that the affirmative would be a high-heeled shoo-in. No, this crowd clapped and cheered for the negative, showing yet again they can be easily convinced by the power of a good speaker. Moderator Stephen Parker kept good control until restrained by the negative’s Patricia Scott – with a telephone cord loosely wrapped around his neck – as we were shown pictures of men behaving badly in parliament around the world. This was when I decided that women should definitely be in those houses, with a threat of the wooden spoon if people didn’t behave.

Lin Hatfield Dodds, for the affirmative, teaches her children well, telling them a man can do anything a woman can do, but Steve Longford, for the negative, needs our sympathy as a man who on one hand describes us as beautiful, soft, sexy, smart and bitches, but as frauds with our push-up bras, make-up, hair extensions and “chicken fillets”.

But Katy Gallagher, also for the affirmative, had all the bases covered as a woman who does have a place in the house. And then bringing it home for the negative was Brigadier Lyn McDade, director of military prosecutions, performing to a jury of 800 who weren’t game to dissent. It’s always good fun, and a credit ot the Australian Institute of Management with this, the 10th year of the debate.