“Liar” is a tag that’s really started to hurt Scott Morrison. It sticks to him like tar. His instinctive response to its exposure — lying some more — isn’t exactly helping. The same might be said to apply to the prime minister’s other obvious negative character descriptor: “bully”.
Bullying is an insidious behavioural trait whose social unacceptability is almost universally accepted. It was effectively declared aberrant in schools long ago, and in recent years has become explicitly unlawful in the workplace. Its relationship to coercive control and other forms of abuse is obvious. All in all, we now consider bullying to be a reprehensible thing for anyone to do in any context.
The allegation that Morrison is a bully has been around as long as he’s been in politics. It was sharpened dramatically by former Liberal MP Julia Banks’ revelations of how he dealt with her during her departure from Parliament — “menacing, controlling wallpaper” is how she memorably described his presence — and last week honed further by the story of Bridget Archer.
After multiple government MPs crossed the floor last week, Morrison declared:
In the Liberal Party, we encourage our members to be themselves. I don’t lead a team of drones and warm bodies that I just move around in the Parliament. I want people in my team who speak their mind.
My team. Can’t help himself.
Anyway, Archer, a backbencher, exercised her right by crossing the floor to vote against the government on a procedural motion in support of Helen Haines’ anti-corruption commission bill. It was an act of independence and courage, given Morrison’s determination that no such body will exist under his watch.
Archer, on her account, went to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s office directly afterwards to be comforted by him. She found herself then being immediately manipulated/coerced into walking with Frydenberg to Morrison’s office where the prime minister awaited with Marise Payne, of whose presence Archer had no forewarning. Frydenberg has confirmed it was all prearranged with Morrison’s office.
Archer was explicit: she had earlier been summoned to Morrison’s office by text message, and had said she was not ready, she needed a break. She did not want to have the meeting.
Finding herself in Morrison’s office nevertheless, she “felt emotional. I couldn’t think straight. I needed to calm down.”
She went on: “I spent the first half of the conversation crying and apologising. I just really felt that I would have liked to have had the conversation later in the day.”
As reported by Niki Savva in The Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday, there had been an earlier occasion when Archer had given Morrison’s office advance warning that she was considering crossing the floor. Two senior members of his staff, according to Archer, then came after her: “She felt bullied, threatened and intimidated by the staffers … seeking to persuade her to vote with the government.”
Savva says that is why, this time, Archer gave no notice of what she was going to do. When she was hauled into Morrison’s office she didn’t back down and asked Morrison to keep his staff away from her. Apparently, she told Morrison she was neither a “drone” nor a “warm body”.
Morrison’s version of what happened in his office is that he and Archer were close friends and colleagues having a chat and he was only interested in ensuring she felt supported.
Identify her by her first name only: check. Allude to her mental frailty: check. And, as it turns, out, co-opt her own words against her. Gas burners on full.
Workplace bullying, as proscribed by the Fair Work Act, is defined as occurring when someone repeatedly behaves unreasonably towards a worker at work, and the behaviour creates a risk to health and safety.
Bullying is one of those things we all recognise pretty easily when we see it, because we’ve all experienced it. Unless you’re one of those rare beings who have never been on the receiving end of it, you also know how debilitating and destructive it is.
Reducing that to a legal definition is hard, and the courts understandably struggle to apply a coherent and consistent set of principles. That’s one reason why, in the legal context, the only available remedy for a finding of bullying conduct is a protective order, not damages.
But legal niceties aside, you’d have to be Scott Morrison to not instantly recognise the indicia of bullying in his treatment of Archer, as plainly as it was present in his handling of Julia Banks. And they’re just the ones who’ve been prepared to speak up — at enormous personal cost.
The point is that the evidence is clear: Morrison is a bully. Watch how he reacts as he is increasingly held to account for this aspect of his character and behaviour.
“Morrison is a bully”.
Morrison, Prime Minister . . . is many things. He harbours undeclared ambitions. He does not tolerate accountability. And he certainly could never present as transparent. Morrison is not the leader of an Australian Nation that warrants a further term in Office.
Clearly, that responsibility rests solely with the Australian people?
“The point is that the evidence is clear: Morrison is a bully. Watch how he reacts as he is increasingly held to account for this aspect of his character and behaviour.” – By who? Our press gallery? Small chance of that.
I think we can safely assume that Morrison is both a serial liar and a bully. I would contend that we may safely add racist to his CV as well. Morrison’s track record here is crystal clear from his demonization of asylum seekers. These people were singled out as criminals who would extend waiting lines for doctors and hospitals at the expense of ordinary Australians. Note again how he goes after those unable to fight back. His bully boy tactics extended to threats to jail any health professionals who dared to make public the treatment dished out to these people under his watch
This is the same good Christian (aka daggy dad) who as opposition immigration spokesman in 2011 urged the shadow cabinet to capitalize on the electorate’s growing concerns about Muslim immigration and the “inability” of Muslim migrants to integrate. In other words he was prepared to fan the flames of division and racism for electoral gain. Muslims in Australia were to be used as a means to an end by fueling the flames of Islamphobia.
Do you really such a worthless piece of trash as Australia’s leader?
Alas, many do.
Whether because they actively approve or inactively don’t care.
A country has the government it deserves when Demos speaks.
Bear in mind that Bridget Archer & Julia Banks are strong women (daring not to toe the Liberal line is proof) but that was no deterrent to Morrison. One wonders how he behaves with female Libs who have weaker spines. It’s unlikely we’ll know while he’s still in The Lodge.
The PM staffer actions need to be looked at by Ms Archer
“My team” – well spotted Michael. I hate that expression. I first pulled our section head up on his use of it in the public service over 25 years ago. It’s so belittling to the team members who are the ones actually doing the work, rather than just taking the credit for it. And, when used as it was for Archer, it’s so exclusionary. Reminds me of the movie Heathers.
The fit being in with Frydenburg acting as Morrison’s pretend friend and chief comforter to Archer was painfully obvious watching the dynamics. Apparently portraying her ‘friend’s they shared a pizza together in the office in week before the debate. Beware of Norrison’s henchmen bearing pizza and simulating friendship around time you might cross the floor. Let’s call it what it was – surveillance disguised as concern. Ditto standing with Archer allegedly comforting her and looking out for her welfare after she crossed the floor. Archer may still have believed at that point he was being her friend. Then propel her to his office when she refused to meet with Morrison for her own well being. Then propel her into Morrison’s office for a meeting they all knew had been refused by Archer. Then the so called ‘pastoral chat . All the while with Minisyer for Women pre organised to be sitting there. How many times have I seen executive level men wanting to pile in on a woman draft another senior woman in to act as cover to – in their twisted logic – provide proof men are not ganging up on and intimidating a woman on her own. Reminds me of the same moral reasoning an Anglican Minister used to rub by me for engaging in orgies – “safer” than one on one encounters as the more people involved, the less likely of a complaint or disclosure. My only surprise is Frydenburg admitted it was the pre arranged facade that was bleeding obvious to us. The Liar from the Shire might not have expected that. Frydenburg and Payne are forever tainted for assisting deliver up to the PM a woman and elected member of parliament who made it crystal clear she refused such a meeting at that time. I think we need to look hard at criminsl offences in ACT as well as Federally for detaining someone against their will. See how many boxes this ticks off.
One wonders whether Frydenberg actually knows that he too is now a bully!
“I was only following orders died on the gallows”, Joshie boy, your parents will be able explain for you.
Bullies like Morrison can only prosper when they have their prearranged henchmen “wolves presenting as sheep” to funnel the victim into their office. And let’s not forget the handmaiden Payne whose presence was a cover for this male coercive power play over a woman they knew was distressed and said “no” to the meeting. How many women say “no” are ignored and the henchmen and handmaidens deliver them up and shield the bully? I see gradations and echoes of the same sick behaviour in many situations. The gang rapists for example use a kindly seeming ‘friend’ as the lure. Ditto other woman. They work hand in glove with the organiser to get a woman in a room she does not want to be in with people she does not want to be with.
Yes Morrison’s a certifiable b-u-l-l-y – with public actions to prove it.
And as for poor Julia Banks. What was the independently wealthy member of the Coalition government doing to those on welfare when she said she could “live on 40 bucks a day knowing that the government is supporting me with Newstart looking for employment” – if she wasn’t using her position in authority to talk them down and shut them up in their complaining?
A member of the Robodebt government – what did she say about that? “Refugees”?
Why isn’t that sort of history of behaviour and language rolled out when talking about “b-u-l-l-y-i-n-g”?
…. It’s all right ’til their “wheel of fire” turns over to them?
One word, used in the article’s headline – condemns a post to the purgatory of “Awaiting for approval“?
Well, klewso, I too have that title.
Its called “punching down”. Morrison punches down on Banks, and Banks punched down on the long-suffering unemployed.