Can federal parliament’s new women crossbenchers change politics, or will it change them?
When filming an interview with a politician it's not normal for them to describe a hard-to-win part of their electorate as "the Badlands". Or to have them suddenly discuss the merits of their weight-loss surgery. Or to let out an exasperated "shit" and "Jesus Christ" when they misplace their glasses ahead of being sworn in at Parliament House. But then, "normal" in federal politics has changed. Over a period of two months, I followed a group of women crossbenchers who have transformed the political landscape, vanquishing Liberal and Labor frontbenchers, ousting a Senate stalwart. They were all underestimated, much to the peril of the people they replaced. In a political system of talking points and mass-produced party MPs, voters elected these women who are not afraid to speak their mind. ...