Gosh, what a big week for women!
Yesterday, Australia caught up with the rest of the developed world on parental leave. The scheme is far from perfect, but it’s a start.
About bloody time.
But the feel good pictures of happy mums, babies, and Rudd’s smiling head have been punctuated by various other pink-tinted news items such as the PM commenting on a press gallery member’s Panama hat (s-xist! bad fashion!); Senator Fielding suggesting women could deliberately set up a late term abortion to gain the payment (seriously); the media in a titter over *gasp* Julie and Julia facing off across the floor at question time yesterday (two women! ladeeez in charge!); and, as we go to press, Crikey is listening to the live David Jones press conference regarding CEO Mark McInnes’ resignation after admitting to behaviour “unbecoming of a chief executive to a female staff member”.
The company are now scrambling to protect their female-friendly Megan Gale/Miranda Kerr plastered brand in light of this highly embarrassing and damaging revelation.
The more things change…
So the Prime Minister commenting on press gallery hats is sexist, but him commenting on press gallery ties is not. Or is the new belief that men can only comment on the threads worn by other men?
Either way, there appears to be something more sexist in the coverage of the Prime Minister’s faux pas, than what he has actually done.
Gee, I hope Julia Gillard or Nicola Roxon don’t ever dare compliment a male journo on his tie or the cut of his suit. Or is there one rule for can’t-currently-take-a-trick PM Rudd and another for everybody else?
Why are we even discussing this piffle, it merely gives oxygen to the original numbskulls who wasted time writing about it.