From the Oral History collection: Elizabeth Scott
Audio transcript
Miles:
Lizzy were you the first woman hairdresser?
Elizabeth:
Well, I don’t know who was before me. I think there were a series of hairdressers
that came and went, but certainly when I was given the position there, with the
advent of more women coming into politics, they wanted somebody who would do
hairdressing and barbering. So that was one of the main ideas of getting someone
who would do women’s hairdressing too, because of people like Kathy Sullivan
and Ruth Coleman. They were, I think, two of the people that were very interested
to get a hairdresser.
Miles:
Lizzy, did you have your favourite politicians as your clients?
Elizabeth:
Well, not really favourites, I suppose, but I was very fortunate to do Joan Child’s
hair. As you know, she was the first lady speaker and she’s a wonderful client. I
used to do her hair. We used to often joke about when she went away overseas,
she’d say, “I wish I could take you with me.” And I’d say, “Well look I’ll be ready.”
I’ve done some wonderful people’s hair and had some wonderful clients and of
course I used to do for a long time dear old Lady Flo.
Miles:
What about some of the men?
Elizabeth:
They were all just haircuts to me, but some of their heads of hair were challenges.
I used to do Andrew Peacock’s hair too when he was here, and now I see he’s
married again. Button with another interesting man. I can always remember one
incident here when I was just very new to the job, and a bit naïve about politics and
everything. Not that I’m very clever about it now, but there was some confusion
one morning about the Senator Button and Sir Jim Killen, their appointments got
mixed up and their times. One of them wanted to have their times changed, and in
the confusion they were both going to come at the same time because I couldn’t
get back to the other office to change the time. I thought, “Are they going to both
descend on my door and my chair at one time and what am I going to do, because
here are two men from opposing sides and I’m going to have a fight on my hands.”
I was really amazed how they were very civil to each other and I think Senator
Button gave the chair up to Sir Jim Killen because he had some meeting really
quickly. And he sat in the corner and they talked very happily about lots of things. I
don’t know what it was now.
Miles:
Would you often be party to conversations with them? Or people would talk
freely…
Elizabeth:
Not really, no. Well not about politics. I think that’s one of the reasons why I’ve
lasted so long. There would have been a few mohawks walking around if I got
upset about what somebody said or what somebody didn’t say in Question Time.