in brief: gillard slams abbott over misogyny, hypocrisy
Parliament sittings may be Australia’s least favourite afternoon programming, but Julia Gillard’s words in Federal Parliament today have made many search for the footage.
This afternoon, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott moved a motion to have Peter Slipper removed as Speaker.
The motion was brought by the Opposition Leader after developments in a sexual harassment case that involves Slipper. It was defeated 70 votes to 69, with Labor along with independent MPs Craig Thomson, Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Greens MP Adam Bandt voting against it.
The vote itself has not captured nearly as much media attention as Prime Minister Gillard’s rebuttal of Mr. Abbott’s assessment that Mr. Slipper does not have the required ‘dignity’ to remain in the parliament.
In her response, Gillard gave a fierce appraisal of Abbott’s attitudes, saying that if he ‘wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn’t need a motion, he needs a mirror’.
The response, found here, outlines Gillard’s objections to Mr. Abbott’s ‘repulsive double standards when it comes to misogyny’.
The rebuttal outlines both her objections to the Opposition Leader’s conduct as an MP and her offence at his comments on such issues as abortion and the work of housewives.
‘I was offended when the Leader of the Opposition went outside and stood next to a sign that described me as a man’s bitch,’ she said, when questioning if Mr. Abbott was genuinely upset by Mr. Slipper’s actions.
Ms. Gillard went on to question Mr. Abbott’s response to Alan Jones’ recent comments about her father dying of shame, asking why members of the Young Liberal party function didn’t leave the room when the comments were made last week.
Mr. Abbott employed similar phrasing to Jones when he said that Ms. Gillard’s support of Slipper was just ‘another day of shame for the parliament’.
‘My father did not die of shame,’ she said. ‘The Leader of the Opposition should be ashamed of…his performance in this parliament and the sexism which he brings with it.’
It was an emotional address to the House that comes as Mr. Abbott’s camp scramble to assert his connection with the women of Australia.
Ms. Gillard’s comments have caused a twitter frenzy, with footage of the speech being spread across social media.
Her words add a new emphasis on policy in the debate over Abbott and women. Last week saw such things as love for his daughters and his possession of a kayak used as evidence of his ability to understand women.
*This evening, Peter Slipper resigned as Speaker of the House of Representatives, reportedly saying that it had been a privilege to serve in the role and that his time in the spotlight had been very hard on his family. The Opposition Leader has reportedly said that this is the ‘right and honourable’ thing to do. Mr. Slipper fought tears as he delivered a resignation address, finishing off a highly emotional day on the floor.
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Actually, Ms. Gillard didn’t just ask why Young Liberals didn’t leave the room when those appalling remarks were made – she asked why *members of the front bench of the Opposition*, who were present, did not walk out or “raise [a} voice of objection”.
And what Abbott actually said – “Another day of shame for this government which should already have died of shame” – is more than similar phrasing. It may as well be a tribute to Jones’ remarks, so similarly is it phrased.