Have you ever dated someone and they have a when-it’s-the-right-time-rule-book for intimacy? Sadly, once, I did. He was older than me and stated that it would be disrespectful to rush straight in. We were to take it slowly and get to know one another first before we became intimate. I was young and I thought, “Ok, this must be how grown-ups have relationships.” After too many of these slowly, slowly dates I just thought Fuck! – Can I get some disrespect here? Discussions, like the decision, were one sided. Needless to say, by that point I wasn’t too clear if it was less about passion and lust and more about power and control. I found a new date.

I very quickly realised that things that are organic should not have non-organic elements super-imposed.

This is exactly what has happened to the leadership speculation between HoWARd and Costello. Our PM is using his power to control what is a natural dynamic of a group- that being the progression of a new Leadership. He is doing this to the detriment of the wellness within his party and the confidence of the voters. The longer it goes on, the happier I am as it destabilises the coalition’s position and we may finally vote them out. The longer it goes on the more we realise just what sort of a person HoWARd is. And isn’t he looking like nothing more than a mendacious, compulsive excuse-maker.

By the time HoWARd and Costello wrestle through the power and control and the “but you promised”- the voters will cease to care and the electorate will be dating someone new.

This last week whilst our regular PM traveled to Washington, Chicago, Ottawa and Ireland meeting its people and defending the indefensible in Iraq, we were treated to the acting PM Peter Costello.

While HoWARd was talking up the war in Iraq, Costello was reveling in the power of the big chair in parliament. Curiously, Downer coming to the defense of A/PM Costello only underscores what I have thought for a long time. This government is an old boy’s club and only pays lip-service to a woman’s right to an equal role in society and Costello (second only to Abbott) finds it the hardest to hide his entrenched misogyny.

From a woman’s point of view the current government is a lot like the gang of likely-lads in Form II (14 – year olds) at High school. HoWARd has the Principal’s role and Vaile is his senior master. Abbott, Costello and Downer are the tough boys who leer at the girls and swagger in the hallways. They resent authority and undermine it wherever they can. Once they identify a power vacuum they stomp right in. Question time last week was such a stomp.

Costello, in particular, comes across as the natural leader of these sleazoids. When he sniffs some power he reminds me of a teenage boy who is arrogant, dismissive and has an overdeveloped sense of entitlement. Costello the adult, pretends to be inclusive and egalitarian, but he really hasn’t matured from his youth when it comes to equality, and I can sense that as a woman (and only because in his eyes I am inferior) he would politely listen to my position and all the while scan behind me for someone, anyone more male and important to interrupt us…OR he hears nothing of what I have said and he’s thinking “blah, blah, blah, nice tits.”

Ok, some of you may say, well what’s wrong with that, we all have crimethink don’t we, he’s cool and he keeps himself civil doesn’t he? Well almost. He can hold it in until he has ultimate power and then he just lets it rip. Costello took the opportunity to attack two powerful women – Julia Gillard and Claire Martin (who rejects removing customary law from sentencing).

I speak to my female friends about Costello’s sleaziness and they agree to varying degrees. Here is a snapshot of what they said:

“Oh yes, suki, he’d [Costello] never be able to truly respect a female boss.”

“That sleaze, [Costello] eeeeeewwwwwwwww…”

“I’d hate to have him as my boss and ask him [Costello] for some time off for my sick child.”

“My brother was at Monash Uni with him and said he was an insufferable prick even way back then.”

“During the RU486 conscience vote he [Costello] told a story where a medical emergency during his wife’s pregnancy forced him to decide between saving the life of his wife and that of the foetus. He told the doctor to go ahead with the pregnancy.”

I don’t think Peter Costello is at all popular with women voters or people who value and embrace equality. Future polling will reflect this, if it’s not been found already. Put him in charge- I’ll highlight his structural, endemic, deep-rooted misogyny from now until the ALP/Greens coalition forms government, or more realistically, HoWARd et. al. is voted out.

Image from here

Browsing the news today I came across this article.

Instantly I smiled as I thought it referred to his skills crisis. Finally, I thought, he is realising that as Mr. 37%, he is woefully unskilled as a future Prime Minister and more importantly- unelectable.

Sadly, there is no such story. Instead it’s a piece inviting me to listen to the Labor party’s response to the budget.

Dutifully I listened- then very quickly wandered off. In my under whelmed state I went searching for something of substance from someone of substance. My search took me to the ABC’s 7.30 report from 8 May 2006, where in a recent interview Kerry O’Brien and former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating meet. Whilst I am aware that the majority of Australians were not saddened by Paul Keating’s demise in 1996, I was. Once I had distracted myself from fantasising about a Kerry and Paul boy-sandwich, and I read the transcript, I realised why I can’t abide the feckless Beazley. Compared to lichen and lint he comes across as insipid and uninspiring. I want a Labor leader who has leadership qualities and can manage presence and passion.

I need a leader (and a party) who will not be frightened by the coalition’s campaign against them. Someone who can convince Australian voters that they can vote out the mendacious HoWARd (or Costello) government and it will be the right thing to do.
This is what Paul Keating’s advice is:

“First of all you take him [John Howard] on. John Howard had the highest interest rates in Australian history – 21 per cent bank rates in 1982. What did he leave? He gave us a huge recession and 11 per cent inflation. We had interest rates peaking at 18 per cent, but we came out of it with 1 per cent inflation. I mean, we had stagflation under Howard. We had stagnant growth and inflation.”

I know Keating is gone. But why not Julia Gillard? She’s a talented politician poised and primed for consideration of the ALP leadership.

Please, anyone, but the bomb- Beazley.

Tuesday is ANZAC day. A day where many Australians honour the men and women who laid down their lives to make this country free.

This year the Victorian RSL is giving official permission to the descendants of WWI Turkish soldiers to join in the march of veterans. The Victorian RSL President, Major-General David McLachlan says,

“the Turkish were a very honourable enemy.”

On the same day, Veterans who feel that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has abandoned them and their claims for acknowledgement of their PTSD, and compensation for their PTSD, have been told they cannot use the day to highlight their frustration by wearing an orange armband.

What is the message being sent to Australians? Is the right to march as a veteran only reserved for those that don’t challenge the ANZAC story of honour, bravery, sacrifice and compliance? Or are we as Australians mature (and honest) enough to have the discussion that might be-

“War can physically and psychologically injure our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Airwomen.”

Recent polls would suggest that Australians are not as sympathetic to the Iraq cause as they once were. Australians are also not voting with their marching feet as they walk past military recruitment centres around this country.

NewsRadio mentioned an Australian Soldier ‘incident’ in Iraq this morning. I will continue to search the news to find the story.

Whilst, of course, I hope for an end to the deaths in the war in Iraq, I know this to be impossible as the reality is that people are still dying daily.

I wonder how many ‘hurt’ Australians it will take for this government to feel the backlash?

I wish the orange armbanders nights of sleep with only one nightmare.

Image from here

I recently attended a public seminar offering practical advice and information for the creators of content. Defamation and Sedition Laws “A New Way of Talking?”

The standout speaker was Julian Burnside QC. He spoke eloquently, clearly and economically about the changes to basic rights we as Australians naively believed were somehow enshrined. Rights such as knowing what you are being charged with. Within the new legislation the only words permitted for utterance, by a detained person, when making a phone call are “I’m safe.”

I was left chilled by the lack of resistance to this legislation. Just how easy was it for Ruddock and HoWARd to push this through.

We are not safe from our government. We are also not being served by an opposition to the government.

Update: The ABC’s Media report recorded on the night and played it today (13 April).  Audio download available here.

L-R Professor Jill McKeough, Raena Lea-Shannon, David Marr, The Hon. Bob Debus MP, Kate Gilchrist, David Levine QC RFD

Listening to questions from the floor

Julian Burnside QC

The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP