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To govern while in possession of a set of hooters is rare enough. To use them for their evolutionary purpose while you're doing it is unique in the contemporary age, and Jacinda Ardern — the New Zealand Prime Minister who has just announced the happy news of her pregnancy — is about to step into a new, global Colosseum of scrutiny.
The weird thing about having a baby as a female elected representative is that it is — historically speaking — an offence only rivalled in seriousness by the offence of not having one.
Childlessness in public office, in women, leads to lifelong cocked eyebrows and the suspicion that you might be unable fully to comprehend the impact of CPI on a basket of household groceries. (This is never — to be clear — a problem for male ministers of the Crown who have never stepped into a supermarket and think that Aldi is a minor Formula One Team.)
Childbearing in office, for women, brings a different brand of complication. Suddenly, everyone wants to know if you're OK, and if the baby's OK.
The parental double standard
Just ask Tanya Plibersek — who has borne three children in office — how often she gets asked about how on Earth she manages parenthood and politics. And then ask Christopher Pyne, who — like myriad male Cabinet ministers since Federation — has bred like a ferret since taking office and no-one's ever batted an eyelid.
When Ros Kelly became — in 1983 — the first woman serving in the House of Representatives to give birth to a child, no-one really knew how to handle it. Ms Kelly was Canberra-based, which made things easier, but the Liberal Party's member for Franklin, Bruce Goodluck — himself the father of five daughters — had a go at Ms Kelly for returning to work soon after the birth of her child.
"Her husband's got a good job and I'm sure Parliament would be only too happy to give her maternity leave," he said.
"If children are put into child-minding centres from birth, God help us. Who wants the socialisation of babies?"
When Ms Kelly briefly left the chamber during the Treasurer's budget speech that same year, Mr Goodluck chanted "Where's Ros? Where's Ros?" until she returned.
Seventeen years later, Anna Burke became the second woman to give birth as a member of the House of Reps. Her husband, who was an ambulance paramedic, had real trouble securing parental leave to look after their baby, as his employers reckoned it was for women only.
It was not until 2007 that Nicola Roxon — health minister in the Rudd government — became the first woman in Australian history to serve in the federal Cabinet while raising a preschool-aged child.
These days in Australia, things are changing; it's not unusual for a female MP to take maternity leave from the Parliament, and it's not unusual any more for a male partner to be the primary caregiver when she goes back to work.
Extra scrutiny for pioneers
But to be the Prime Minister and have a baby; that IS new.
And Ms Ardern will become the much-scrutinised prototypal model, adding a layer of scrutiny to what was already a tricky job.
Realistically, Ms Ardern's life will be easier than the life of many working mothers. Not only does she have a spouse who has publicly announced his intention to be a stay-at-home partner; her status will entitle her to set the rules in her own workplace, likely allowing that pipe-dream of the working parent; an on-site creche.
Essentially, Ms Ardern has a "wife" just like the male leaders who tramped before her through history. The only criticism that lingers is the one about how a mother's undivided attention is the most important thing for a child (an argument that is advanced near-uninterruptedly by certain authorities, and relieved only by periods of arguing — in instances of lesbian or single motherhood — that what the kid REALLY needs is a father).
Like Julia Gillard before her, Ms Ardern will encounter some criticism that is warranted, and some that is entirely to do with her status as a pioneer.
If there is a lesson from her experience on day one, let it be the delight on her face, the optimism of both parents, and their determination to meet the challenge of starting a family together.
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, parenting, family-and-children, new-zealand
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