By now there have been so many scandals involving the Morrison government and gender issues that there’s a well-established template for how they unfold.
There’ll be an initial revelation, shocking in and of itself. The nature of the revelation will be such that further information is almost certain to emerge.
From there, Scott Morrison’s office will determine how to manage the government’s response, inevitably choosing the most cack-handed and inadequate option possible, ignoring the inevitability of further revelations.
The latter will then combine with the angry reaction to the tone-deaf nature of Morrison’s response to exacerbate the whole thing.
That’s how the latest scandal, about LNP MP Andrew Laming, played out, to the letter.
Laming is a troll with a long-term record of shitposting and offensive behaviour. Once a light was shone into his garbage can, it was inevitable that further scandals would emerge. But that thought didn’t occur to Morrison’s office, where the initial response was simply to order Laming to apologise for bullying two women online.
Within 24 hours Laming was mocking his own apology and suggesting he had no idea what he was apologising for. Onto the next stage: having been openly defied, Morrison then told Laming to undertake an empathy course, and told the media he’d told Laming to undertake an empathy course.
An empathy course.
And so we proceeded: out came the disgusting story of Laming upskirting a young woman. Most upskirters try to hide their actions while lurking on escalators with phones in bags, and then deny it if sprung. Laming — who has also lurked behind bushes to photograph a victim of his trolling — did it in front of people and admitted to doing it. “I thought it was funny but your reaction was awkward,” Laming responded to one of the people involved in the incident.
That’s the mentality of the troll summed up perfectly. “I thought it was funny”. It’s the decency of other people that is “awkward”.
Apart from anything else, upskirting is a crime. Laming should be being investigated by police, given he’s confirmed his actions.
By this stage of the cycle, Morrison had gone to ground, or at least to the footy, where perhaps he thinks he’s safe from all this women’s stuff. It was left to leader-in-waiting Josh Frydenberg to announce Laming wouldn’t be standing again. Laming himself said he was taking leave to get some therapy and hilariously asked for “privacy”.
Laming defiles Parliament with his presence. He’s a walking, talking, upskirting example of the Coalition’s profound problems with women. He embodies Scott Morrison’s utter cluelessness about why he has been smashed by gender issues and the explosion of rage about the abuse, disrespect, harassment and assault of women that characterises so much of Australian life.
Yet he will apparently sit in Parliament until the next election.
As a further demonstration of the once contested, now accepted view that Morrison can only respond to gender issues as political problems to be managed away or toughed out, Laming is perfect. Half-arsed apologies, “empathy courses”, taking leave at taxpayers’ expense, but continuing in politics, because Morrison is on the edge of minority government.
Morrison insists he’s not part of the Queensland LNP and has no control over it. Keeping Laming on the books between now and the next election would add to the LNP’s track record of vile actions, including preferencing One Nation.
But Morrison has the moral authority of the prime ministership, if he believes a principle is at stake. And he can decide if Laming sits in the Liberal Party room, and the joint party room, and if he accepts his vote in Parliament (that, of course, would be an issue for the leader of the House, who happens to be — oops, Christian Porter).
And with Laming, it’s likely only a matter of time before the next scandal emerges. When it does, and Morrison is forced to abandon Laming fully, it will look too late and reactive. He and his advisers have learnt nothing over the last few weeks. They’ve learnt nothing because they just don’t get it.
How should Scott Morrison have handled the Andrew Laming scandal — and is it too late for him to change course? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say section.
Morrison has no moral authority. As far as I can recall he has failed at just about every test of moral fiber since becoming P.M.
All he projects is a moral and ethics free zone of political management – behaviour and policy are always seen and managed at their heart through the prism of keeping his bum in the prime ministerial seat.
This is overlaid with several personal deficiencies – a lack of empathy, a lack of curiosity, a lack of mental agility and the inability to recognise, accept and personally invest in changing community behavioural and cultural norms. This is all projected in a bland communications style limited to smug platitudes, obfuscation, half truths and deflection obscured within gossamer thin veils of religiosity and familial rectitude.
Once you have seen one press conference on one issue you can pretty much write his presentation and stage directions for any other appearance. He really is a one trick pony, presentationally and thematically.
On the policy front he is an agnostic in the sense that whatever it takes to remain as P.M. is the only consideration. Any good outcome for the private members of the Australian electorate is nothing more than an unintended by product – on the other hand, donation paying corporate entities are another matter entirely. He knows where his bread is buttered and by whom.
According to friendly jordies his failure started at school, as a creepy weird Prefect.
Well said. I heartily agree. The interesting thing is the question of how long we all have to wait for some change.He actually does something sane!ethical and moral. Or someone shafts him from his present position .Or he calls an election! I am not betting on any of these at the moment.
Excellent, sums him up perfectly!
Terrific summation, Rod. And may I remind everyone that Morrison is what ended up floating to the surface of the LNP pond so just what does that say about the water quality of that particular breeding ground and the cesspit that is the MSM which has, until so recently, been lauding this … empty vessel and accrediting him for all manner of achievements that he hasn’t bloody achieved? And may I also remind that Laming has been an MP since 2004. His objectionable online behaviour is well-known and has been going on for years. It has also been ignored for years by the LNP and, largely, the media.
Morrison is the perfect Pentecostal. All fraud, fluff & puffery. Not a shred of honesty or decency. The sooner he is a bad memory, the better. Oh, & he can take his new improved whiter than white LNP with him. Like a 1950’s washing powder advertisement, there is no place for this toxic cesspit that calls itself a government in contemporary Australia.
Rod: I agree with most of what you say, except for the fact that Morrison being a policy ‘agnostic’ has paradoxically benefited the country in 2020. Can you imagine how a government last year lead by Howard, Abbott or Dutton might have fared? It would have be driven by blinded, ideological thinking and our results would have been a lot closer to Brasil or the USA.
Good point – imagine how much worse this Idiocracy could be if it were also ideological.
If only they or the eleoctorate were more familiar with the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Ignorance may be blissful but only for a limited time.
How could anyone expect better. Most of this mob are the remainders of team Abbott. Enough said for me.
I thought Abbott was the worst PM ever leading the worst government ever. Lately…… I am not so sure.
Hard to choose for sure.
Don’t forget that it was Howard who laid the groundwork for this current rot.
And my…hasn’t it prosperously festered so well over the years..
A bit like comparing two turds, a most unrewarding activity.
That’s an interesting idea, “remainders of team Abbott.”!
How can there even be such a category and yet there they are,daily on show bumbling along, struggling in the web of mendacities spun daily.
Ew. The scrapings of the barrel after Abbott. Hard to think about, let alone give them the keys to the country….
Watching this government self-implode and Scott Morrison disintegrate and finally reveal his other nasty side, is one of the great joys of my life. But, if the Australian people, and especially women, vote them back in, I will be relocating with my Kiwi wife to Christchurch.
Surely there is not a single woman left in Australia that could vote for the LNP at the next election?
Check out his FB page – he still has women supporters though why I have no idea.
Many of Morrison’s facebook supporters are fictitious. Many are followers of QANON. Many are possibly Liberal staffers pretending to be women. Many are American pentecostals who believe in the Great South land garbage, and a few are deluded wives of Liberal voting silverbacks.
Watch the next election.
The ratso right social media is full of women singing the joys of being governed by these criminals. There is no hope!
Pensioners should definitely be aware of Morrison’s nasty side, we had to suffer through his time as SS minister, and he has not changed one tiny bit as we see every time anyone confronts him.
I wish more media people would do their job and give the hard questions, and keep repeating when he tries to wriggle his way out of answering because the public is relying on them to do the job of keeping these bludgers honest.
My mother will!!!!
If the Federal politicians are saying that Andrew Laming should stay in Parliament as he needs to take care of his constituents (tongue in cheek), then why can’t his constituents kick up a stink and get rid of him? Is that possible?
It’s Queensland. If he stayed he’d probably win with an increased majority.
Yes indeed. Just as George, member for Manila, did.
Because this country sadly and regrettably has no process for removing unsatisfactory politicians. Similarly, we have no system for citizens to initiate referenda.
I’m a constituent, and unpopular with Dr Laming I guess, because he stopped answering my letters a while back. Keane has captured his personality rather well. However, I think he’s a perfect scapegoat for the Morrisonians – he’s unimportant, they can all express disgust at his wrong-doing, and it doesn’t matter really whether he stays or goes – it’s a safe Lib seat after all. You can be sure that the PM will point to how he got rid of Laming’s ghastly behaviour (and the man himself) as a sign of his intolerance of nasty doings. However, Laming can’t hold a candle to some of the other horrors in the government… Porter, Taylor, Dutton etc. He’s small cheese.
Remember WA, hold hope and get active to change the electorate from blue to red or Independent
I understand that the good citizens of Bowden are working towards getting a good independent to stand in the seat. It may not be so certain in the end to be a safe Liberal seat given the trashing of the brandb
You could add Cash to that list of shame….
If what he’s done is criminal why do the police need anything more in order to proceed with an investigation. Are they waiting for a formal complaint by a victim ❓Waiting for Jen’s opinion perhaps❓
Maybe waiting for Fuller after he’s had a nice phonecall with SnottyfromMarketing.
I understand that a complaint had been made by the woman who was stalked and photographed from the bushes. It doesn’t look as if the Qld police have done anything to charge this man for his numerous criminal activities
As is what’s happening in California with a petition to recall Gavin Newsom… see: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/californians-recall-gov-gavin-newsom-process-work/story
Empathy training for Laming! Teaching him how to feel for his next victim?
God help us.
Try delousing the “male entitlement” lucifer ensconced in his psyche, from his school days, through his status and riches conglomerating career, and finally, the ultimate burnishing of his credentials at the elite finishing school for male dominance and entitlement at our capital hill.
Chek Ling
You forgot his detour through medical school.
And if he is to receive the same empathy training as the PM had then ….
I can’t imagine he will have any female patients if he returns to GP practice.
He’ll be found a cushy taxpayer gig.
After all he did take one for team scomo.
He’s a sacrificial Laming.