Who is going to open the batting: Gendered codes of Conduct in parliamentary debates

Some feminist political scientists have argued that an increase in the numbers of women in politics might contribute to a more democratic, civilised and accountable Parliament. Such arguments are generally dependent on the premise that women and men differ in their political behaviour. This paper proposes that ‘difference’ in women's political behaviour is actively constrained by the gendered codes of conduct operating in the federal Parliament. The methodological tenets of network analysis are applied to the transcripts of an inquiry conducted by the (female dominated) Senate References Community Affairs Committee on the GST and a New Tax System. The analysis concludes that women’s capacity to make a distinctive contribution is mitigated by individualised practices and gender relations taken for granted within the masculinised institution of Parliament