As a man, I feel like I am not qualified to discuss this subject.
But the inaction and arrogance of the men in power of our country in the last few weeks seriously disturbed me.
This Prime Minister was once the person who made big statements about women should come out and report, and speak up and they don’t need to worry about not being believed because he believes. That is until when it involves his MPs and his friends. From ‘supporting women’ to thinking he and his friends are above the law and they represent law themselves, to a thinly veiled threat about ‘women can march without fearing about bullets’ under him as an achievement, the sheer scale of arrogance is beyond comprehension.
I am not going to talk about whether someone has actually carried out the alleged crime, but about how this government is handling the issue in a fluid, non-committing, and ‘do nothing so won’t do anything wrong’ way.
As a man in power, and in a position to lead a country, you do not need to be a husband to a wife or father to a daughter to understand the need to respect women. Respecting women is a basic human standard, which should be applied in the same principle to respecting other men. Women are also human beings, just the opposite sex. To announce that you had to think about the issue in such an indirect way so you can lift yourself as a man to respect other women is absurd and condescending. Do you expect a woman to have a husband and a son to be able to understand the importance of respecting other men, or simply other human beings? That kind of convoluted standard of ‘understanding’ demonstrated how shallow this pool of understanding is for this person.
And then you have the relentless effort to shove aside evidence and facts in the hope of cruising through a political crisis of a government. From this approach it is quite obvious that all he cares about is the government majority he currently has, not the women whom in the past when it was not close to home, he called them to come forward and talk about. As the centre of power of this country, how could one dismiss a case without looking at the evidence? In this case the actual statement made by the alleged victim? Also, how could you just create a false impression that investigating the issue is a violation of the rule of law? When all the legal experts in the country said the contrary? And then you have the case of you not being aware of a serious rape crime happened right in the place where laws were written and bills were passed, for like two years, until the news broke on public broadcast? This can’t help but get people thinking ‘for Christ’s sake, what kind of joint is this ‘loving Christian father and husband’ running?’ And also, is taking pictures with the Australian of the Year who spoke out about rape crime and violence against women nothing but just another photo opportunity for you? Do you mean it when you uttered those words about supporting women, or you are just paying lip services to them to please them? If that’s the case are you still fit to proclaim yourself as a devoted Christian when lying is just a way of life for you?
Then we have the grand gesture of the granting of a holy closed door audience with the organiser of the March 4 Justice event, instead of going out to actually show support to these people, who actually pay for your salary through their taxes. Setting aside that there will be tough questions being asked about a close friend’s alleged criminal act in the past, if, as the man in the highest power of the country, did not come out to support victims and their supporters, where does your moral compass lies, both as a Christian and the leader of our country? Also, if you think your achievement is that the democracy you did not fight for allowed these women to march and voice their discontent without bullets being sprayed over them, what kind of standard are you setting for this government when it comes to social political issues related to average day to day Australians who paid for your salary and supported your current livelihood? When your Minister for Women, who is a woman, did not even bother to join the women outside the Parliament House to show support, is she the Minister for Women or the Minister for Powerful and Privileged Men?
There should be no denying that both sides of politics could have the same women problem, but simply trying to deflect the alleged criminal act of your highest law and order official in the government by insinuating the other side of the politics could have the same issue, thus cannot cast the first stone is not a Biblical act or argument, but magnifying the speck in other people’s eyes without acknowledging the gigantic beam in yours.
It is not my position to tell who the truth telling one is unless evidence and facts are being laid out and scrutinised properly, but I do think I am in a position to ask for better and proper leadership for this country. Especially when it comes to basic social, political and moral issues.
Australia deserves someone who doesn’t fly over to Hawaii when half of the country is burning. Australia deserves someone who doesn’t throw women Ministers under the bus when rorting was carried out from his own office and people. Australia deserves someone who doesn’t force people’s hand for a photo opportunity without acknowledging other people’s lost. Australis deserves someone who doesn’t attack Premiers of the opposite parties during a pandemic response and then take credits internationally for their achievements. Australia deserves someone who doesn’t support women only to an extent that it does not involve his friends and MPs.
However, it is not just up to me. I am just a lone voice among the 25.36 million people who called Australia home.
