Peter Brent writes in Inside Story (17.2.18) that, in the wake of revelations of Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce’s extramarital affair with an office staffer, Malcolm Turnbull’s handling of events raises questions about the strange nature of the federal Liberal-National coalition.
‘On Friday, Barnaby Joyce put the gloves back on. After long days of morose self-flagellation, the deputy prime minister sprang up and about, doing what he does best: lashing opponents with those considerable verbal skills. Only this time the attack was directed at his senior partner and prime minister. Still, it must have felt good to be back on the front foot, seizing the day, marshalling the troops.
‘Let’s hope Barnaby squeezed every bit of enjoyment out of the experience, because he is finished as Nationals leader. Joyce can’t survive this — he will be gone long before the next election — and the chief question is: when he falls off the cliff, will he drag Malcolm Turnbull with him? Whether Joyce fully knew how much damage he inflicted to Turnbull at his press conference — behatted, in the shade, surely self-parodying even to a rusted-on Nationals supporter — or whether he truly hopes that if he hangs on long enough the media will move to something else, is unclear. Probably a bit of both.
‘Media frenzies do subside, caravans move on, our journalists quickly shift to the next obsession, but that can’t happen in this case. Those things that should have claimed his scalp — the creation of jobs in ministerial offices for his girlfriend, accepting (and perhaps seeking, although he denied this in parliament) free rent from a local businessman, and questionable travel claims — could have by themselves blown over. But what he can’t survive is the less important, salacious stuff: the marriage breakup and its surrounding soap opera, because there will always be the new partnership and baby to remind us.
‘We do not know what has been said this week behind closed doors, but Turnbull was presumably frustrated by Joyce’s unwillingness to budge. The prime minister’s Thursday press conference also scores generously in the wackiness stakes: in its attack on his deputy, and the very unwise addition to ministerial code of conduct, the ban on sex between ministers and their own staff.’
- The Coalition goes existential »
- Turnbull has lost control of the Coalition »
- Turnbull’s sex ban has thrown petrol on a political bonfire »
- Joyce fires broadside at Turnbull, as Coalition crisis deepens »
- Turnbull’s ‘sex ban’ speech reveals that politics is still not an equal place for women – but it is changing »
- Emma Husar allegations show a need for clearer rules about what MPs can – and cannot – do »
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- Achieving culture change in politics requires leaders to listen when women speak up »
- To fix the culture in Canberra, we need to take a sledgehammer to male privilege »
- Rape scandal at the heart of Australia’s parliament leaves PM exposed »
- Dealing with toxic parliaments »
- Where do we go from here with the allegations about Christian Porter? »
- Liberals’ men in blue go zap and hope we forget their women problem »
- Morrison’s response to the allegation against Christian Porter raises uncomfortable questions »
- Christian Porter allegations: independent inquiry no threat to rule of law, legal experts say »
- Rage and despair: how the culture of parliament follows women after they leave »
- Australia’s women are roaring, but where are their Coalition sisters? »
- Could the Morrison government’s response to sexual assault claims cost it the next election? »
- Female Liberal voters may decide the status quo is not worth voting for »
- Parliament’s toxic workplace culture started long before Scott Morrison, but now it’s his task to handle »
- Grattan on Friday: The gender wars become yet another partisan battlefield »
- Never mind the doghouse roses, PM must do more to show women he gets it »
- The Liberals can promise women equality all they like, but nothing changes until the party does »
- View from The Hill: Morrison sets up his own women’s network but will it produce the policy goods? »
- Leaked Liberal report shows concerns about women and culture in the party were raised as early as 2015 »
- Grattan on Friday: Scott Morrison finds strong women can be tough players »
- View from The Hill: Christine Holgate presents a compelling story of Morrison’s bullying »
- Women abandon Coalition, with fewer than one in three backing it, Essential poll shows »
- Former Liberal MP Julia Banks on the Canberra bubble’s bullying boys’ club »
- Julia Banks: Book reveals – again – that men are behind sexist politics »
- An unwanted advance, ‘bully boys’ and backgrounding: former Liberal MP Julia Banks on her time in Parliament House »
- Jenkins review: push for code of conduct on Parliament’s workforce, MPs, journalists »
- Women’s cabinet’s stance on Kate Jenkins sexual harassment law recommendations is utterly baffling »
- ‘I felt that rage’ – PM vows to do more to protect sexual assault victims »
- High-profile Liberal woman quits party to run as independent after alleging ‘inappropriate’ behaviour »
- The Jenkins review has 28 recommendations to fix parliament’s toxic culture – will our leaders listen? »
- Tudge stands aside while claim of kicking former staffer investigated »
- Grattan on Friday: Allegation against Alan Tudge hits Morrison government where it hurts »
- Grattan on Friday: Pesky female independent candidates are the PM’s latest ‘women problem’ »
- Parliament makes formal apology to victims of harassment, bullying in wake of Jenkins report »
- Scott Morrison says he is sorry, but what has he learned? »
- The Australian government must walk the walk on gender equality »
- Outgoing senator shines light on bullying »
- Election 2022: Who is better for women? Independent scorecard gives one major party the edge »
- Grattan on Friday: Liberal post-mortem urges party to address flight of female vote – but not by quotas »
- Senator Jane Hume says Liberal Party is facing an ‘existential crisis’ over female representation »
Yes, the culture in Parliament House is appalling. But there are systemic problems that also need urgent reform
Anne Tiernan writes in The Conversation (24.2.21) about recent revelations of sexual abuse and harrassment of political staffers, arguing that it is vital that the structural issues around ministerial staff and accountability be properly addressed.
‘Since news broke last week of Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape in a ministerial office in 2019, three other women have come forward, alleging sexual assault by the same Morrison government ministerial staffer. Higgins is expected to make a formal complaint to police this week.
‘Each allegation sheds light on a system that privileges political considerations above everything, and enables and emboldens systematic and highly gendered abuses of power.
‘By Friday, four separate inquiries had been launched. … Two of these reviews seem designed to address the Coalition’s lingering “woman problem”. The other two focus on the toxic workplace culture of Parliament House.
‘While it is understandable in the context of these deeply disturbing allegations, the focus on toxic workplace culture risks obscuring more fundamental, structural issues at play. That is, the the ambiguous position that ministerial staff occupy within Australia’s political system, and the recurrent controversies it produces.’
- Yes, the culture in Parliament House is appalling. But there are systemic problems that also need urgent reform »
- Labor questions Linda Reynolds over handling of Parliament sexual assault claim »
- Scott Morrison pushes ‘professional behaviour’ changes after Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations »
- Why political staffers are vulnerable to sexual misconduct – and little is done to stop it »
- Brittany Higgins’s rape allegations speak to basic questions of accountability in politics »
- Grattan on Friday: Scott Morrison dealt poorly with a young woman’s shocking story »
- Late nights, high stress and plenty of booze »
- The Brittany Higgins allegations have unearthed fury among women staffers and politicians »
- Scott Morrison won’t guarantee releasing report into who knew what in his office about the Brittany Higgins rape allegation »
- Legal experts call for independent investigation of historical rape claim against minister »
- Paula Matthewson: Coalition’s women problem goes far beyond politics »
- Kate Jenkins to lead independent inquiry into Parliament House culture following Brittany Higgins allegations »
- Canberra’s pale, stale and male tribe is missing the moment – as it did with Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech »
- More allegations likely to stem from Parliamentary cultural review, Labor warns »
- Independent body to handle complaints in Australian Parliament may be needed in wake of rape allegations »
- Parliament’s culture has been rotten for a long time now »
- Female Labor staffers share details of workplace sexual harassment and abuse »
- ‘What are you afraid of ScoMo?’: Australian women are angry – and the Morrison government needs to listen »
- After Women’s March 4 Justice, it is clear anger runs deep – so what happens next? »
- The women’s march was a huge success. Now comes the hard part: how to actually get something done »
- Sexism, harassment, bullying: just like federal MPs, women standing for local government cop it all »
- Memo Liberal women: if you really want to confront misogyny in your party, you need to fix the policies »
- Bad times call for bold measures: 3 ways to fix the appalling treatment of women in our national parliament »
- Politicians need expert help to change culture of sexual violence and impunity. We don’t need yet another review to tell us that »
- The government’s ‘roadmap’ for dealing with sexual harassment falls short. What we need is radical change »
- Fully, partly, in principle – or not at all? »
- No public outrage, no vigils: Australia’s silence at violence against Indigenous women »
- Scott Morrison’s warm welcome to Andrew Laming is a rebuke to Australia’s women »
- Sexual assault survivors are gaining confidence to demand justice, but will governments deliver? »
- Australian advocacy groups push for government investment to stop sexual violence »
- If Australia is serious about fixing the culture at parliament, this is the code of conduct we need »
- Binding code of conduct needed for safer workplace at Parliament House »
- Union calls for recognition of ‘systematic bullying and sexual assault’ in Australian parliament »
- National Summit on Women’s Safety goes virtual, with government under pressure to address domestic violence problem »
- Review finds 1 in 3 staff in federal parliament experience sexual harassment »
- The Australian parliament, the whole arse-covering and ego-driven apparatus, should be paralysed by shame and remorse »
- Australia’s parliament must not be blighted by bullying and harassment – and the Jenkins report is a vital step forward »
- Federal Parliament: If this were a schoolyard, you’d lock it down »
- In 2021 #MeToo finally made it to #Auspol – what happens next? »
- Women’s anger is not dissipating – and politics as usual won’t solve it »
- Not done yet: Tame, Higgins lash PM in blistering rebuke of politics as usual »
- Concetta Fierravanti-Wells criticises ‘Liberal sisterhood’ for staying quiet on toxic culture in parliament »
- Whistleblower ‘deeply disappointed’ by investigation into claims of sexual misconduct in parliament »
- Our new parliament will have record numbers of women – will this finally make it a safe place to work? »
- ‘Subtle racism’ and ‘micro-aggressions’: Can a code of conduct fix Australian parliament’s culture issues? »
- Kate Jenkins says more workplace complaints in Australian parliament ‘not a backward step’ »
- Clean-ups and clean-outs and we’ve arrived at this: Canberra as toxic as ever
- New report into Lehrmann prosecution mires case in yet more controversy