NSW Transport Minister David Campbell has resigned after Channel Seven aired footage of him allegedly using his government car to visit gay sex clubs.
A gay sex scandal. The papers couldn’t have written it better themselves.
With the Keneally Government’s popularity already in the dumps, will this prove an appropriately tabloid ending to the ongoing soap opera that has been the NSW ALP Government? The pundits are trying their best to make sure it is. Here’s what they’re saying today:
The Australian
Imre Salusinszky: Discgrace for the man, and the media
If there was ever a chance the popular Keneally could drag Labor back into electoral contention, it has evaporated.
Sydney Morning Herald
Sean Nicholls: Whiff of disrepute just got a whole lot worse for Keneally
… [it] has removed any gloss she might have brought to the leadership after Nathan Rees was ousted.
Andrew West: Plot lost first, credibility, then interest
… Campbell had lost all interest in the job.
Andrew Stevenson: The days of privacy in politics are gone
He has committed several wrongs but paid a higher price than most.
Daily Telegraph
Editorial: State riding on a bumpy road
… as an outcome of the latest scandal to hit this Government, it could barely be worse
Geoff Field: Stupid and morally wrong but an absolute tragedy
… this story is an absolute tragedy in so many ways.
Wow. Behold the enlightened society.
What, precisely, is the reason for David Campbell’s downfall?
Being gay?
Visiting a s*x club?
Being unfaithful to his wife?
Being caught?
Using his ministerial car to go somewhere other than his home, the office, or church on Sunday? (I had no idea those cars came with such restrictions; they’re hardly worth having, are they!)
Almost any reason, it seems, except the only one that matters — that he was a lazy, incompetent transport minister who should have been sacked solely for his work performance.
How rediculous! So he’s gay – who cares? I agree that he should be sacked for being incompetent. It’s a bloody scandal that a journo can get his rocks off by exposing someone’s personal life.
I hope he has trouble sleeping at night – but I get the feeling he doesn’t.
The media has been completely shameful in all of this. Props to crikey for putting together all the editorials.
I’ve written up a brief piece on the whole fiasco here: http://dailybludge.com.au/2010/05/david-campbell-media-shame/
It’s just your classic “sex scandal” and, let’s face it, it gets the incompetence of the Federal Coalition of the front page.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, the rabid response to this “issue” along with the fact that Australia is now the only country in the world to ask for porngraphy in customs shows that we are vying for second place in the “uptight about sex nations”. Currently held by the USA, I’d say we’re coming in close.
The Vatican is, of course, the most uptight 😉
Who is the ‘Redmond’ Government? Has Premier Keneally stepped down overnight? (Oh, that she would and take the lot of the rotten bunch with her…)