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.
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.
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.
For such a long time it seemed as if nothing could touch them. Now they face the glare of a spotlight they can’t seem to evade – for all the support of the phallocratic phratry. They wriggle and they pout and they slouch and they weep copious uncomprehending tears at the frightful persecution.
It is this incomprehension that is doing the most damage. With a cultural mindset anchored somewhere in the 1970s they simply do not understand the depth of public disgust. Sure, they say all the right words their media advisers put on their cue cards, but their lack of conviction or belief amplifies the cognitive dissonance.
These are the highest elected officials in the land. Since this issue started to gain momentum in the middle of last year they have plainly failed to realise the visceral public disgust at their behaviours and attitudes. They just don’t get it. And they don’t get that they don’t get it. And that is painfully obvious with every interview and press conference where they try and make it all go away.
So with you Griselda. They don’t get it, they don’t get that they don’t get it, they don’t get that they don’t get that they don’t get it…
Infinite reflections in mirrors directly opposed, the extent to which they don’t get it carries on ad infinitum.
While it is true that “they don’t get it” the greater problem is that they don’t give a flying.
Not directly relevant to this discussion Bernard, but your excellent excoriation of Porter today (Porter shredded the rule of law. He shouldn’t hide behind what’s left of it) deserves an extra donation to Crikey. Which I will do now. Thank you.
Absolutely. Porter, helped by the rest of the Morrison gang, trying desperately to hide behind principles he is deliberately misapplying and has relentlessly assaulted is one the more ghastly aspects of this whole vile affair.
I totally agree.
I was hoping someone would draw the clear comparisons able to be made between the AG’s role in the cases of Collaery and witnesses J and K and how differently he sees his own situation.
And BK did it extremely well..
Oh yes, there’s this guy called Assange who could also use the support of an A-G with courage.
Do we have one?
Porter :- Attorney-General in the government that continued Robodebt after being advised it was illegal….
… not unlike the buggery of East Timor?
What standards in brazen, cant hypocrisy does Boss Hogg plumb then – to condemn the possibility of “mob rule” : considering how he and his mob rule?
FFS that’s already the case under the rule of his own government….. one law for them and their mates : and another for everyone else.
The Minister is facing the lesser of the charges, but on the balance of probabilities, her judgement is lacking. Mr Porter cannot stay in his position unless and until an independent inquiry clears him on the balance of probability. In the mean time, and beyond, he his entitled to the presumption of innocence of criminal conduct…the inquiry would not resolve that, merely his fitness for the role.
All of these questions add to the equal but similar fitness for his role question that has hung over Morrison’s head since the Sports Rorts spreadsheet was sourced to his office, as a modern echo of Ros Kelly’s whiteboard.
The fish rots from the head.
Any inquiry could barely come to the conclusion you suggest. So where are we left then. Half of Australia believing the allegations, and the other half not. Great!
Unlike a dead, rotting fish, this government has no ‘head’ – just an echoing, moral & ethical, void where there should be one.