DOCSLIB.ORG

PM Will Rue Yet Another Bad Call

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
PM Will Rue Yet Another Bad Call PM will rue yet another bad call BY:DENNIS SHANAHAN, POLITICAL EDITOR From: The Australian October 10, 2012 12:00AM PETER Slipper has demonstrated better political judgment in apologising for his actions and resigning as Speaker than Julia Gillard has in digging in to defend him. Only hours after the Prime Minister voted to keep him in the chair and launched a ferocious personal attack on Tony Abbott for misogyny, she sat as a stony witness to Slipper's tearful resignation for the same failing and degradation of women. Rather than taking the initiative and leaving Slipper to fall on his sword, Labor went to full- blooded battle and tried to make political gains in its obsessive war on the Liberal leader. When it was obvious to everyone that the new trove of degrading sexual texts unearthed in court meant Slipper's career was over and that Labor should take the lead in his removal to justify its high moral stance on sexism and denigration of women, the Prime Minister dug in. Labor's defence of Slipper involved an offensive launched against Abbott as being as bad as the Speaker when it came to attitudes towards women. Although there was no moral equivalence with Slipper's sex texts to his adviser and jokes about jars of "pickled c . ts" and an ignorant bitch of an MP, Anthony Albanese and Gillard threw the allegations against Abbott to deflect the Coalition's efforts to remove the Speaker. Blind to public concern and outrage, Labor tried to hold on to Slipper to back its brilliant coup last year in getting him to defect and keep that precious one-seat buffer it lost when Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie dropped his guaranteed support after being dudded on a deal over limiting poker machines. The minority government now faces the prospect of going back to holding a tenuous and brittle margin of just one vote in the House of Representatives after providing a new Speaker -- the put- upon Anna Burke -- from their own ranks. The parliamentary agony is set to resume with the same intensity and uncertainty it had last year. Regardless of what happens in his civil court case over sexual harassment and the continuing investigation into travel fraud claims, Slipper faced a new set of insurmountable hurdles to regaining his place. A new body of evidence, which Slipper's apology statement last night confirmed and authenticated, has arisen through the sexual harassment case that prevented Slipper from acting with dignity in parliament or having respect from MPs, even the Prime Minister. The government offered a spurious cover story on not wishing to comment when court proceedings were underway; Slipper himself recognised the political legitimacy of the issue and dealt with it without public rancour. Attorney-General Nicola Roxon's own interventions made a mockery of not making a comment during the court case. Labor was defending the indefensible and fighting the inevitable. Gillard's parliamentary presentation was brilliantly ferocious, emotionally stirring and evocative of a wronged and injured party. But the substance and argument fell well short of an acceptable political strategy and risked only alienating more voters disenchanted with the grubby, hypocritical and personal abuse from both sides of parliament. The alignment of Abbott with Alan Jones's remarks about Gillard's father's death and the "ditch the witch" placards of the anti-carbon tax rally will entrench the Liberal leader's perceived "problem with women" amongst some Labor supporters, but the government risks putting off many more over the defence of Slipper. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Compliance by Former Ministers of State With
    September 2018 Who’s in the room? Access and influence in Australian politics Danielle Wood and Kate Griffiths Who’s in the room? Access and influence in Australian politics Grattan Institute Support Grattan Institute Report No. 2018-12, September 2018 Founding members Endowment Supporters This report was written by Danielle Wood, Kate Griffiths and Carmela The Myer Foundation Chivers. Grattan interns Tim Asimakis, Matthew Bowes, Isabelle National Australia Bank Hughes and Anne Yang provided research assistance and made Susan McKinnon Foundation substantial contributions to the report. We would like to thank the members of Grattan Institute’s Public Policy Affiliate Partners Committee for their helpful comments. We also thank AJ Brown, Ken Medibank Private Coghill, Belinda Edwards, Darren Halpin, Serena Lillywhite, Cameron Susan McKinnon Foundation Murray, Joo-Cheong Tham and Anne Twomey for their suggestions, and staff of the Australian Electoral Commission, NSW Electoral Commission, NSW ICAC and other government and industry bodies for Senior Affiliates their technical input. Google Maddocks The opinions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Grattan Institute’s founding PwC members, affiliates, individual board members, committee members or McKinsey & Company reviewers. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the authors. The Scanlon Foundation Grattan Institute is an independent think-tank focused on Australian Wesfarmers public policy. Our work is independent, practical and rigorous. We aim Westpac to improve policy outcomes by engaging with both decision-makers and the community. Affiliates For further information on the Institute’s programs, or to join our mailing Ashurst list, please go to: http://www.grattan.edu.au/.
    [Show full text]
  • Fairness Versus Choice: the Contested Discourses of 'Australian'
    Fairness Versus Choice: The Contested Discourses Of ‘Australian’ And ‘UnAustralian’ Values In The Industrial Relations Debate. Dr Kathie Muir Senior Lecturer, Gender, Work and Social Inquiry, School of Social Science, University of Adelaide Email: [email protected] Abstract The ACTU’s ‘Your rights at work’ campaign has broken new ground in employing SkyChannel and television advertising to deliver a unified and slick message about the dangers of the government’s WorkChoices legislation. President Sharan Burrow applauded ‘courageous working Australians’ prepared to stand up for their rights, families and communities by fighting to preserve national values of fairness, decency and a fair-go in the face of an ‘unprecedented attack’ on the rights of ordinary working people by the Howard government. The campaign therefore relied upon romanticised visions of nationalism as fairness, decency and people caring for each other, which Secretary Combet argued ‘beat as strongly in the hearts of [contemporary] Australians as they have for generations’. The appeal of this vision of fairness was (and is) essential to their on-going campaign to defeat the legislation and the coalition at the next federal election. Similarly, the government has sought to delegitimise the union campaign as undemocratic, bad for the economy, and out of date with current workplace realities; in other words, ‘unAustralian’. This paper examines the competing ways nationalism, fairness and choice have been deployed within both the government’s promotion of WorkChoices legislation and in the ACTU’s campaign to overturn the legislation. Fairness Versus Choice: The Contested Discourses Of ‘Australian’ And ‘UnAustralian’ Values In The Industrial Relations Debate.
    [Show full text]
  • The Most Vitriolic Parliament
    THE MOST VITRIOLIC PARLIAMENT EVIDENCE OF THE VITRIOLIC NATURE OF THE 43 RD PARLIAMENT AND POTENTIAL CAUSES Nicolas Adams, 321 382 For Master of Arts (Research), June 2016 The University of Melbourne, School of Social and Political Sciences Supervisors: Prof. John Murphy, Dr. Scott Brenton i Abstract It has been suggested that the period of the Gillard government was the most vitriolic in recent political history. This impression has been formed by many commentators and actors, however very little quantitative data exists which either confirms or disproves this theory. Utilising an analysis of standing orders within the House of Representatives it was found that a relatively fair case can be made that the 43rd parliament was more vitriolic than any in the preceding two decades. This period in the data, however, was trumped by the first year of the Abbott government. Along with this conclusion the data showed that the cause of the vitriol during this period could not be narrowed to one specific driver. It can be seen that issues such as the minority government, style of opposition, gender and even to a certain extent the speakership would have all contributed to any mutation of the tone of debate. ii Declaration I declare that this thesis contains only my original work towards my Masters of Arts (Research) except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text to other material used. Equally this thesis is fewer than the maximum word limit as approved by the Research Higher Degrees Committee. iii Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge my two supervisors, Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Sex and Children: a Volatile Mix in October, the Institute Released a Report by Emma Rush on the Increasing Sexualisation of Children in Australia
    Sex and Children: A volatile mix In October, the Institute released a report by Emma Rush on the increasing sexualisation of children in Australia. Over the last decade, there has been and instead adopt highly sexualised an increase in direct sexualisation of games such as modelling, makeovers children, where children are presented and imitating pop stars, this could in advertisements and magazines in have profound implications for their ways modelled on sexy adults. long-term cognitive and physical development. The Institute highlighted this new phenomenon, and the range of risks Equally, middle childhood (ages 8-12) involved for children, in a discussion is a key period in which children paper entitled Corporate develop an understanding about their Paedophilia, which received place in the world outside the extensive media coverage when it was immediate family. No. 49 December 2006 released in October. Sex and Children: A volatile mix Celebrity culture, heavily marketed to girls of primary school age in Emma Rush magazines such as Disney Girl, Total Playing politics with national Girl, and Barbie Magazine, sends a security clear message to young girls that what Andrew Wilkie really matters in the wider world is not Religion and global warming what they think, not what they care about, not what they can do, but what Kate Mannix they look like. Howard’s morality play Andrew Macintosh Eating disorders Howard’s politics of the past This message is already taking effect. Clive Hamilton One South Australian study showed The changing climate of that among seven-year-old girls of a business Reproduced by kind permission of Lindsay normal healthy weight, half want to Molly Harriss Olson Foyle/Newspix be thinner.
    [Show full text]
  • Papers Index
    PROOF As at 24 August 2012 Sittings from 5 November 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY SEVENTH ASSEMBLY 2008–2009–2010–2011–2012 INDEX TO PAPERS Index to Papers Paper MOP Page 2 2003 Canberra Bushfires—McLeod Report and Doogan Coronial Inquiry—Government agreed recommendations—Implementation report, prepared by ACT Bushfire Council, dated June 2009 293 2009-10 Budget surplus—Medial release—ACT Labor, dated 19 September 2008 103 2010 National Multicultural Festival 561 2013 Canberra Centenary—Funding and Tourism—Letter from Tony Windsor MP, Federal Member for New England, dated 24 April 2012 concerning the resolution of the Assembly of 28 March 2012 1900 2013 Canberra Centenary—Funding and Tourism—Letter to the Speaker from Hon Warren Truss MP, Leader of the Nationals, dated 28 May 2012, concerning the resolution of the Assembly of 28 March 2012 2033 2013 Canberra Centenary—Funding and Tourism—Letter to the Speaker from Senator the Hon Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, dated 1 May 2012, concerning the resolution of the Assembly of 28 March 2012 1996 2013 Canberra Centenary—Funding and Tourism—Letter to the Speaker from the Federal Member for Lyne, dated 16 April 2012, relating to the resolution of the Assembly of 28 March 2012 1892 2013 Canberra Centenary—Funding and Tourism—Letter to the Speaker from the Hon Peter Slipper MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, dated 10 May 2012, concerning the resolution of the Assembly of 28 March 2012 1996 i Index to Papers Paper MOP Page A
    [Show full text]
  • From the Tables *
    Robyn Smith is Executive Officer, Office of the Clerk, Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory From the Tables * Robyn Smith Australian Parliament Former Speaker Peter Slipper tendered his resignation to the Governor-General on 9 October 2012 after months of controversy during which he remained the Speaker but did not preside over proceedings in the House of Representatives. That job fell to Deputy Speaker Anna Burke who was elected to the position on the same evening. Slipper was the second Speaker to resign in 11 months, the first being Harry Jenkins, and the fifth time in the history of the House of Representatives that a sitting Speaker has resigned. The more usual course is for a Speaker to retire once the parliament has been prorogued for a General Election. The House Committee of Privileges and Members’ Interests continues to grapple with a proposed Code of Conduct for Members. This innovation arose from various agreements entered into by the Prime Minister with the Independents during the course of negotiations to form minority government following the 2010 August General Election. The Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings spent 12 months in consultation with media representatives, senators, members and parliamentary officers to revise rules governing media coverage of proceedings. This resulted in new media rules being tabled in the Senate and the House of Representatives on 28 November. The rules were last reviewed in 2008. The Usher of the Black Rod and Serjeant-at-Arms have responsibility for administering the rules which seek to balance the media’s right to report parliamentary proceedings whilst respecting the privacy of senators and members and allowing them, other building occupants and visitors to Parliament House to go about their business.
    [Show full text]
  • Andrew Wilkie MP INDEPENDENT MEMBER for DENISON
    Andrew Wilkie MP INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR DENISON 3 0 APR 2014 A submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee inquiry into the Incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre from 16 February to 18 February 2014 by the Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie MP This submission is a case study based on a first-hand account by an Australian G4S safety and security officer who was working at the Manus Island Detention Centre during the incident from 16 February to 18 February 2014. I am confident of the former guard's bona tides and that his motive is true. I was struck by the impact the incident has had on the former security officer who has a long military background. The former guard related his account to me because he wants the truth known about the events over this period and the poor workplace Australians worked in. He and his recollections did not form a part of the ABC Four Comers program broadcast Monday night 28 April 2014. The former guard wishes to remain anonymous because he has signed numerous confidentiality agreements with G4S and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) about the release of information concerning the operation. I have written permission from the former guard to include his account in this case study, which follows as an attachment. Andrew Wilkie MP Independent Member for Denison Attachment --·---------- ------------------- 188 COLLINS STREET (GPO BOX 32.J HOBART TASMANIA 7000 (031 6234 5255 R · 1 ·75 PARLIAMENT HOUSE CANBERRA ACT 2600 (02) 6277 4766 www.andrewwilkie.org [email protected] Page 2 of13 Attachment to the submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee inquiry into the Incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre from 16 February to 18 February 2014 by the Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie MP The following is the former safety and security officer's own words and recollection.
    [Show full text]
  • Theparliamentarian
    TheParliamentarian Journal of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth 2015 | Issue Three XCVI | Price £13 Elections and Voting Reform PLUS Commonwealth Combatting Looking ahead to Millenium Development Electoral Networks by Terrorism in Nigeria CHOGM 2015 in Malta Goals Update: The fight the Commonwealth against TB Secretary-General PAGE 150 PAGE 200 PAGE 204 PAGE 206 The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Shop CPA business card holders CPA ties CPA souvenirs are available for sale to Members and officials of CPA cufflinks Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures by CPA silver-plated contacting the photoframe CPA Secretariat by email: [email protected] or by post: CPA Secretariat, Suite 700, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA, United Kingdom. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) exists to connect, develop, promote and support Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth. Calendar of Forthcoming Events Confirmed at 24 August 2015 2015 September 2-5 September CPA and State University of New York (SUNY) Workshop for Constituency Development Funds – London, UK 9-12 September Asia Regional Association of Public Accounts Committees (ARAPAC) Annual Meeting - Kathmandu, Nepal 14-16 September Annual Forum of the CTO/ICTs and The Parliamentarian - Nairobi, Kenya 28 Sept to 3 October West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC) Annual Meeting and Community of Clerks Training - Lomé, Togo 30 Sept to 5 October CPA International
    [Show full text]
  • Faculty of Law
    FACULTY OF LAW GEORGE WILLIAMS AO DEAN ANTHONY MASON PROFESSOR SCIENTIA PROFESSOR 4 April 2017 Committee Secretary Select Committee on a National Integrity Commission PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Dear Secretary Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission to this inquiry into the Establishment of a National Integrity Commission. We do so in a personal capacity. Australia’s anti-corruption system needs reform. The diffusion of responsibilities across multiple agencies risks underreporting of corrupt conduct, while gaps in the regime mean that the system fails to hold people accountable. As a result, community and public confidence in Australia’s institutions is eroded. The solution is a national whole- of-government anti-corruption body encompassing the public sector with the power to apply a uniform standard of corrupt conduct. The existing system: the multi-agency approach Australia’s existing anti-corruption and integrity system divides responsibilities across several Commonwealth agencies. Characterised as the ‘multi-agency’ approach, this framework empowers different institutions with ‘specific responsibilities for tackling corruption in different levels of government, and in relation to specific types of corruption’.1 It is premised on the fact that ‘the risks of corruption in the Australian Public Service vary according to each agency’s operating environment’, and that anti- corruption efforts will be best realised when each agency ‘consider[s] their own risk profile[] and take[s] reasonable measures to mitigate risks’.2 1 Attorney-General's Department, The Commonwealth's Approach to Anti-Corruption (Discussion Paper, 2012) 4. 2 Australian Public Service Commission, State of the Service Report 2012–2013 (2013) 71.
    [Show full text]
  • Updateaug 2021 Vol 29, No
    UpdateAug 2021 Vol 29, No. 2 Three times a year Newsletter The thing about Bluey Dr Cheryl Hayden Member of ABC Friends, Queensland s exposed recently by Amanda Meade in The Guardian Bluey is an on 14 May, the Morrison government has employed its endearing rendition A endless sleight of hand with language to imply that it had of a world in funded the Emmy Award-winning children’s animation, Bluey, which the human through the Australian Children’s Television Foundation. The population is depicted by various breeds of dog. Bluey herself is office of Communications Minister, Paul Fletcher, had apparently a pre-schooler, the elder daughter of perhaps the world’s best not consulted with the Foundation when making this claim and, parents, Bandit and Chilli Heeler, and sister to Bingo. Yes, they as The Guardian explained, refused to accept that an error or a are a family of blue and red heeler dogs, with an extended family misleading comment had been made. Instead, his spokesperson of Heeler aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. They live came up with the lame comment that while the Foundation did on a hilltop in Brisbane’s inner-city Paddington, in a renovated not directly fund the program, it was “a strong advocate for quality Queenslander. Go on adventures with them, and you’ll find children’s content including actively supporting the success of yourself eating ice-cream at Southbank, shopping in the Myer Bluey through lots of positive endorsement and publicity, as Centre, or hopping on river rocks in a local creek. an excellent example of Australian’s children’s content, [and] Bluey and Bingo have a diverse bunch of friends, and the wit and the government is proud that it has been able to support the irony that has gone into developing their names and characters production of Bluey through the ABC and Screen Australia.” is hard to miss.
    [Show full text]
  • Submission to the Senate Select Committee Into the Political Influence of Donations
    Submission to the Senate Select Committee into the Political Influence of Donations Dr Charles Livingstone & Ms Maggie Johnson Gambling and Social Determinants Unit School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Monash University 9 October 2017 1 Introduction Gambling in Australia is a prime cause of avoidable harm, with the harms of gambling estimated to be of the same order of magnitude as alcohol, and far higher than that associated with illicit drug consumption. (Browne et al, 2016; 2017). The gambling industry is a major donor to Australian political parties and politicians and appears to hold considerable cachet with many political actors, at both federal and state level. In this, it appears to be similar to other industries that produce harmful products, such as alcohol and tobacco. Its purpose in donating to political parties and politicians is similar; it seeks to deny the harmful effects of its products, delay or wind back reform, avoid effective regulation, and continue to extract profits for as long as possible. a) The level of influence that political donations exert over the public policy decisions of political parties, Members of Parliament and Government administration; The Australian gambling industry has utilised political donations as a mechanism to exert considerable influence over relevant public policy. This has been facilitated by the current donations regime, which has numerous flaws from the perspective of transparency and support for policy that acts in the genuine interest of the public. The industry is both significantly resourced and politically organised, and has actively sought opportunities for political engagement via donations to politicians and political parties.
    [Show full text]
  • (2012) the Slipper Conspiracy – Sedition Or Contempt?
    Owen Walsh (2012) The Slipper conspiracy – sedition or contempt? This paper was prompted by community reactions to the alleged political conspiracy against the Speaker of House of Representatives, with some in the community raising the prospect of treason or sedition being committed. The paper details the background to and nature of the conspiracy claims, considers the applicability of sedition and treason offences and alternative legal responses, including exercise of parliamentary powers to punish contempt. It concludes that, in the circumstances, recourse to parliamentary contempt power is as equally problematic and dangerous as the suggested recourse to sedition laws.1 Background and political context In April 2012, Mr James Ashby, a staff member of the Speaker of the House of Representatives commenced civil proceedings against the Speaker and the Commonwealth of Australia, alleging sexual harassment by the Speaker and claiming damages for breach of his employment contract with the Commonwealth.2 The claims made included allegations that the Speaker, the Hon Peter Slipper MP, had fraudulently misused travel vouchers. Slipper subsequently announced his intention to step aside from the Speakership. That is, that he would not take the Speaker's Chair and not enter the chamber of the House, pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of travel-related fraud. The Deputy Speaker, Labor MP Anna Burke, assumed the duties of Speaker in the Chamber. The prevailing political climate and the circumstances of the Speaker’s appointment, together with the salacious nature of the sexual harassment allegations, fuelled the controversy. Slipper, a Liberal National Party [LNP] member for the Queensland electorate of Fisher, had been elected Speaker in November 2011 on the nomination and votes of the Labor Commonwealth Government and despite opposition from his coalition colleagues.
    [Show full text]