What Neil Mitchell thought of Scott Morrison’s ‘prime minister for women’ comment

Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday unveiled a cabinet reshuffle, increasing the number of women amid backlash over women’s rights.

Announcing the changes, Mr Morrison described Minister for Women Marise Payne as “effectively the prime minister for women”.

He also announced a new cabinet taskforce on women’s equality, safety, economic security, health and wellbeing.

Neil Mitchell says he has “concerns”.

“This reshuffle is a political firehose designed to dampen down anger from women,” the 3AW Mornings host said.

“Does anybody really believe this would be happening if the government wasn’t into a full blown panic?

“It’s being done for political reasons, not the right reasons.

“Really, a prime minister for women? If the real Prime Minister was doing his job you wouldn’t need it.

“This is an admission they’re not doing their job properly.

“I really hope it makes a difference, we’ve got problems that need to be addressed.

“But it concerns me this is just political window dressing rather than a considered, balanced, necessary strategy.

“It has been thrown together in five minutes because of intense pressure.”

Press PLAY below for more.

But federal coalition backbencher Katie Allen says Scott Morrison’s creation of a new cabinet taskforce on women’s equality, safety, economic security, health and wellbeing was “an absolutely brilliant stroke of genius”.

The member for Higgins says the taskforce addresses the three issues women most want addressed.

“Women want to be heard, they want to be safe and they want to be economically secure and, in fact, empowered, and that’s exactly what this taskforce for women portfolio is going to do,” she told Neil Mitchell.

“Having women inside the tent, part of the conversation, is absolutely critical to changing the culture. We think about things differently, we are more collaborative, and we think about things in a less hierarchical way.

Press PLAY below for Neil Mitchell’s interview with Dr Allen.

Image: Sam Mooy/Getty