What do you expect as an illustration of rape?
This is really quite wondrous. There are two entirely different things going on concerning sex in the Australian Parliament. One is an allegation – claim? – of rape. Yes, this is a vile crime, the perpetrator should be brought to book. The other is a series of reports about sex – consensual sex – taking place in the Parliament building. Most of which seems to be gay sex taking place on desks and so on.
That these are both sex of a form is true. But they’re not really the same thing at all, are they?
‘A scandalous swamp’: how the Australian parliament’s toxic male culture hit global headlines
The rape of a female aide could indeed be evidence of a toxic male culture. One bloke giving another a bj on a desk is not, really and wholly, quite something we would describe as a toxic male culture. And yet the two things are being swirled together:
As the Australian government responds to yet more revelations about toxic male culture inside parliament, newspapers worldwide have reacted in horror, with Germany’s Der Spiegel warning that the news has put the prime minister, Scott Morrison, in “dire straits”, in a story headlined “Australia’s government is sinking into a scandalous swamp”.
This week a whistleblower alleged that Coalition staffers were swapping videos of themselves engaging in sex acts in Parliament House, including on the desk of a female Coalition MP. The whistleblower claimed that the building’s prayer room was often used for sex and sex workers had been invited into Parliament House by a former minister.
The revelations follow accusations made by the former staffer Brittany Higgins that she was raped by a colleague in a ministerial office, and a cabinet member being accused of sexual assault in 1988.
Berliner-Zeitung reports that “sexism in politics has sparked an avalanche of indignation in Australia” and that Morrison’s critics have accused him of “dealing awkwardly with the affairs”.
In France Le Monde reports that Morrison, “whose position was already shaken by his handling of several cases” has seen his executive “further weakened” by the videos of staffers engaging in sexual acts in Parliament House.
It is possible, I suppose, to note that greater promiscuity, that willingness to have sex when and wherever, is a male attribute and therefore a gay one. But it’s also considered terribly un-woke to do so.
But even so it does seem terribly strange to be associating consensual gay sex with heterosexual rape as this reporting is doing. They’re really, really, not the same thing.
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I naturally think this is all a sinister conspiracy to sink the boot into SCMO after he so wickedly won the election that all the pollsters said would go to Labor the Righteous. (I'll let you guess who I vote for.)
That's why Brit decided to drag this one out and put it on display after two years. The claim that Porter raped someone when he was 17 has also been dragged out of the closet. Such evidence as I've read doesn't really support the claim - but then if I had to remember something back in 1988, I might have a bit of trouble too.
As for the gay lads, I'd say that Labor feel that the homophobic conservatives will reel in horror and eagerly vote for those who think it's the only way to do it. Must admit the WA Liberals put a leftist nong in charge of their latest campaign and were reduced to two seats. So maybe their guess is right and the party'll be that stupid.
So perhaps Labor will leap in next time on the back of the female vote. The solution for the Libs is of course to recognise that Labor has won the posher part of town with its green garbage, and the Libs are now the party of the working class.
We should therefore push the policy that won us the last election, by supporting the jobs of the coal miners, gas producers, live animal exporters, and all the other things the woke consider are just too, too, too horrid for words.
"The revelations follow accusations"...from 33 years ago. As they also "follow" the Blizzard of 1978. This means some hack reporter has a grand narrative of causation, and does not have evidence.
1988? This is morning after regret taken to new levels.
so far sounds like the tribal lefties ignoring the logs in their eyes while trying to splinter their foes. IMHO, the Oz government broadcaster with its obsession with blackening anyone not of like mind (for want of a better term) "broke" a story about the AG that fails any standard. Hearsay, alleged complainant dead, alledged complainants parents not wan
On the gripping hand, one wonders why HR hire immature and foolish staff. I would suggest ScoMo sack entire recruitment staff first. Replacing them with some old school and hopefully, skeptical, cynical older women may improve the quality of speeches and policies delivered to the pollies, as well as behaviour. Much as it pains me to say it, an previous employer had a policy of no booze in office. That meant one sip of a beer meant you could not re-enter the workplace without risking immediate sacking. Sounds eminently sensible policy at moment. Certainly it would cull the idiots.
As for the current contrempts I am baffled about seemingly contradictory attitudes taken by the whining classes. As for ScoMo weaponising some accusation, is that when a victim of wokeness fights back ?
rats, can't edit where some auto edit deleted text. Apologies for comment incoherence in places
True Snarkus. I understand the poor woman who accused Porter was a lunatic who later committed suicide. The family didn't wish to reveal her or their name, but were happy to make the accusation.
I do believe Porter should have kept his mouth shut about this anonymous accusation. Of course I would be really, really pissed off if someone pulled that one on me. So if they named me I'd point out that all my innumerable sexual experiences gave exquisite joy to all parties, and I simply couldn't remember what they were talking about.
I've always felt that Wello was right when he said 'Publish and be damned.' Naming and shaming should go both ways.