The Morrison government finds itself in the unusual position of having not one but two senior ministers in untenable positions. Christian Porter, despite his impassioned denials of rape allegations, cannot credibly remain attorney-general. And Linda Reynolds, already teetering on the precipice over her mishandling of the Brittany Higgins rape revelations and her inability to get her story to the Senate about it straight, was pushed over it last night when The Australian broke that Reynolds called Higgins a “lying cow”.
Reynolds confirmed the story by releasing a statement admitting that it was a “comment on news reports regarding surrounding circumstances that I felt had been misrepresented”. So, she thinks Higgins is a lying cow not about the rape allegation, but about what happened afterward.
The government — from Scott Morrison down — simply doesn’t get it about sexual assault and sexual harassment. It doesn’t understand the deep cultural crisis in politics that is slowly being exposed, a crisis that parallels one out in the real world.
It’s a crisis many corporations are far more advanced in dealing with, a crisis that the community understands as it sees more and more women prepared to come forward and reveal their truths about the toxic environments they have worked, studied and lived in, and the assaults, abuse and harassment that have formed the sordid underside of Australian male culture for so long.
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Reynolds’ words may not have been intended as part of that culture and that crisis, not intended to dispute Higgins’ account of her sexual assault. But they do a pretty fair job of it.
Reynolds’ behaviour also reflects poor discipline and judgment. Ministerial offices are large suites, usually with open-plan areas where departmental liaison officers — who function as links between the office and the department — work and where public servants who come over to brief the minister and staff often congregate, along with any other visitors who happen to be there. For Reynolds to vent her anger at Higgins in such a well-traversed space, rather than in the privacy of her office or in that of her chief of staff, reflects poor judgment, which Reynolds put down to stress.
That’s understandable. Reynolds has been under immense stress. But nothing compared to the stress that Higgins has been placed under through no fault of her own. When she returns from sick leave, Reynolds should be letting the PM know that the stress is too much for her and that it’s time for her to go.
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We will see…
One hopes for a King Ralph moment.
In that film the Royal Family were lined up for a photo shoot and various cables snaked along the (eternally damp British) ground. So when the photographer hit the button and the flashes went off so too did the assembled royalty.
Can we line up one of those moments out at Yarralumla with Morrison’s photographer doing the honours?
I would prefer to just fill the Hole-in-the-Hll with quick setting cement on a sitting day.
Get rid of the lot and start afresh.
Yes both ministers should go and the sooner the better. But it is instructive to compare The Australian’s different approaches to male and female ministers – she must go, but him? – not so much.
My view is that neither is up to the demands of the job – but I think the same of all the present ministry, including the PM.
Whether they like it or not, people expect their Politicians to hold Higher Levels of Probity and Standards.
Unfortunately, a significant number of our current crop of Politicians, both State and Federal, and both sides of the Political fence, do not seem to adhere to the same ideals.
Our current Federal Coalition Government is the worst in respects to the above, and seems to be totally self centered, aloof, and above the rest of the population.
Every opinion poll contradicts your belief that “people expect their Politicians to hold Higher Levels of Probity and Standards” else they’d not be bouncing along the bottom, along with used car dealers & shyster lawyers.
Sad that it has to be the woman minister who has to go – Reynolds has never been charged with rape offences!
But I am sure Scott Morrison will decide that he will keep Porter and sacrifice Reynolds.
Yep, even when the woman is complicit in helping to do another woman over , for a man’s dirty business, it’s she who is the one that has to go..;-) A case of gender politics still working in the patriarchal’s favor..
I don’t believe Reynolds deserves any sympathy based on her gender.
She should be reprimanded for her actions as should anyone male or female, attempting to dismiss a victim’s voice.
Perhaps she could share a cab ride down the hill with the AG and the ADF chief.
And the head of nsw police, who appears to be a paid up member of lnp.
Under Mick Fuller – “Boss Hogg’s” next door neighbour – used to take the other “rubbish” for him on occasion.
Cleared “Gs’more” Taylor of “any involvement” in that ministerial parliamentary misrepresentation of Clover Moore’s “CSC travelling expenses” – without interviewing Taylor?
… Any wonder Hunt, Fraudberg, Scotty FM and all were urging “Let the police look after this first” on the week-end – a day before it was “revealed” those police weren’t going to proceed?
Talk about ‘form’?
completely agree – she is complicit – in recent allegations
Whereas who gives a hoot about 17 yearly and 16 year olds – they were kids
It is the the same as Christine Blassey Ford and the to be Justice Kavanaugh allegations
crap.
I didn’t know that any Minister has been “charged with rape offences“.
Porter hasn’t been charged either. And with the only alleged witness no longer with us he won’t be charged.
Only if Australia had a decent military we could have a coup, but even the military are corrupt and incompetent.
Bit unfair, after all our military helped train the Myanmar armed forces, and they just got rid of their elected government quite efficiently.
So Myanmar could come here and do some training, be cheaper as well.
We also trained Indonesia’s Kopassus force- just being good neighbours – as when we bugged Timor Leste’s negotiations.
You know this how. I know of a few scandals but on the whole we can be very proud of the vast,vast majority of our men and women
You know this how?
We know about Afghanistan only because it was leaked. When I used to ride in the outback I usually pulled in for a smoke where the military were stopped, I saw kids both sexes on their phones, just as lazy as the rest of the public sector. If we are invaded either suicide or buy a small flag of the invaders. But like everything, there are decent people everywhere.
Ah, the cry of the small (very) capitalist – “as lazy as the rest of the public sector” – who generously overpays employees yet, mysteriously, somehow cannot find workers to fill vacancies.
The peening of an ex public servant.
Ah, they keep spending the money on submarines. Unless and until they build one to fit in Lake Burley Griffin we’re all stuffed.