Joan Kirner

John Cain Jr.
Succeeded by	Jim Kennan
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Williamstown
In office 1 October 1988 – 27 May 1994
Preceded by	Gordon Stirling
Succeeded by	Steve Bracks
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Melbourne West
In office 3 April 1982 – 30 September 1988
Preceded by	Bon Thomas
Succeeded by	Licia Kokocinski
Personal details
Born	Joan Elizabeth Hood (1938-06-20)20 June 1938 Labor
Spouse	Ronald George Kirner (m. 1960)
Children	Michael, Kate and David
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Profession	Teacher
Signature

Joan Elizabeth Kirner

At the 1988 election, Kirner shifted to the Legislative Assembly, becoming MP for Williamstown, and was promoted to the Education portfolio.^[4] In this portfolio Kirner carried out a series of controversial reforms aimed at reducing what Kirner saw as the class-based inequity of the education system, culminating in a new system of assessment, the Victorian Certificate of Education.^[5]

Premiership

Later in 1988 Kirner was elected deputy leader of the party and became Deputy Premier of Victoria. When Cain resigned after a collapse in his political support in August 1990, Kirner was elected Labor leader and thus became Victoria's first female Premier. By this time the Labor government was in deep crisis, with some of the state's financial institutions on the brink of insolvency, the budget deficit unsustainably high and growing and the Labor Party deeply divided on how to respond to the situation. The party hoped that the elevation of a popular woman as its new leader would improve its position, but Kirner never succeeded in gaining control of the crisis into which the state had plunged. The conservative-leaning Melbourne newspaper, the Herald Sun, reacted unfavourably to a Premier from the Socialist Left, dubbing her "Mother Russia". She was lampooned alternatively as a sinister commissar and as a frumpy housewife in a polka-dot dress. She seemed unfazed by the Herald Sun and gradually won some respect, though she was unable to improve the government's standing significantly.

During 1991 and 1992 Kirner took several decisions to cut government spending and raise revenue to some extent, however her government failed to cut spending in many areas including education. Most of the Kirner Government attempts to cut spending were actively opposed by trade unions and some members of the government. The interest bill alone was $3.5 billion per year,^[6] the government sold off trains and trams and leased them back. Another decision was the sale of the state-owned State Bank of Victoria to the Commonwealth Bank in 1991.^[7]

Kirner went into 1992 knowing she faced a statutory general election, one which opinion polls gave her virtually no chance of winning. She waited as long as she could, finally calling an

The campaign attracted controversy with ALP ads stating that if the Liberals won the election it would institute the same policies that were implemented in New Zealand by the then Fourth National Government. New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger responded in reference to the campaign, "You know, they say that the show’s never over until the fat lady sings. Well, I think it was her we heard warming up in the wings this week".

The "fat lady" was in reference to Kirner being overweight. Bolger refused to apologise for this remark citing that he himself was overweight and did not want to make "an international incident" out of it. It did, however, anger women from Bolger's own National Party.^[8]

The Coalition won the election in a landslide, scoring a 19-seat swing—the second-worst defeat that a sitting government has ever suffered in Victoria. The Liberals actually won enough seats that they could have governed in their own right. Kirner remained Opposition Leader for a short period before resigning. She retired from Parliament in 1994 and was succeeded by one of her former aides for the electorate of Williamstown, future premier Steve Bracks.^[9]

A portrait of Kirner painted by Adelaide artist Annette Bezor in 1994^[10] hangs in Queen's Hall at Parliament House Victoria.

Life after Parliament

After leaving Parliament, Kirner remained active in community affairs and politics. Initially this led her to a leading role in the Landcare movement. Subsequently, she devoted her energies to the Australian affiliate of

Kirner was also a board member of

In 1993, she famously appeared on The Late Show with colleague David White, MLC for Doutta Galla, in a musical skit performing Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". This brief performance was covered nationally by the media.

In an August 2009 interview with

In August 2013, it was announced that Kirner had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment.^[13] Kirner died on 1 June 2015, 19 days short of her 77th birthday.^[14]

Honours

On 26 January 1980, she was named a Member of the Order of Australia for her community service.^[15]

On 1 January 2001, Kirner was awarded the Centenary Medal.^[16]

On 11 June 2012, she was named a Companion of the Order of Australia for "eminent service to the Parliament of Victoria and to the community through conservation initiatives, contributions to gender equality, the development of education and training programs and the pursuit of civil rights and social inclusion."^[17]

In May 2017, the Victorian Government recognised her legacy by offering 25 scholarships to young women, who will participate in the Joan Kirner Young and Emerging Women Leaders program.^[18]

In May 2019, the new specialist maternity and paediatric centre at Sunshine Hospital was named the Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital.^[19]

One of two tunnel-boring machines (TBM) to be utilised on the Metro Tunnel project is named Joan, in honour of Kirner.^[20] This TBM was officially launched on 15 August 2019.^[21]

See also

• List of female heads of government in Australia

References