‘I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not,’ Prime Minister Julia Gillard declared on 9 October 2012 in a speech excoriating Tony Abbott, then leader of the Opposition. Gillard made international headlines with her ‘misogyny’ speech, which criticised Abbott for the apparent hypocrisy of his attacks on the disgraced Speaker of the House, Peter Slipper. ‘And the Government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man,’ she continued. ‘Not now, not ever.’

On the same day, largely unnoticed by political commentators, the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Fair Incentives to Work) Act 2012 was passed. The Act ensured that as of 1 January 2013 recipients of the Parenting Payment would cease to be eligible for the payment once their youngest child turned six years old, in the case of partnered parents, or eight, in the case of single parents. Most of these parents would instead be moved onto Newstart, the general jobseekers allowance.