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PM Abbott Launches ‘Blistering Attack’ On Misogyny During Defence Of Chief Of Staff

By theunaustralianblog on 15/12/2014

In a speech that has gone viral among international news sources, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has launched a“blistering attack” on Coalition MPs’ comments, actions and views during a defence of his Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin.

As the Minister for Women, Mr Abbott deals first hand with the misogyny and sexism affecting women in Australia today and the struggles they face achieving any sort of power in politics, let alone society.

Ms Credlin has been criticised within the Coalition government for what is seen to be micro-managing, and she’s privately blamed among backbenchers for the government’s current popularity problems.

The prime minister sees a more nefarious motivation for the attacks, however, suggesting: “Do you really think that my chief of staff would be under this kind of criticism if her name was P-E-T-E-R as opposed to P-E-T-A?

“I think some people within the Coalition need to take a long, hard look at themselves with some of these criticisms. A little self-awareness can go a long way.”

But while the speech has received international accolades, most notably from Jezebel, the Huffington post, and even the BBC, it has come under attack by sources closer to home.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop refused to categorise Ms Credlin’s critics as sexist; “I’m not one to play the Harper’s Bazaar’s ‘Woman of the Year’ card, but I don’t consider these criticisms sexist, no. And Harper’s Bazaar awarded me their title of ‘Woman of the Year’.”

Mr Abbott, however, rejected this assertion with a stunning criticism of the Coalition’s past instances of sexism.

“I will not be lectured by this government on sexism, I will not. This is the same government, when in opposition, had a noted minister during an interview with a man called Stavros about women being under-represented in institutions of power within Australia stated, and I quote; ‘If it’s true, Stavros, that Men have more power generally speaking than women, is that a bad thing?’”

Perhaps it can best be summed up by Mia Freedman, on her blog mammamia.com.au: “It’s about time someone in Australian politics stood up for gender equality.”

Matthew Farthing is the Canberra Correspondent for The (un)Australian. He once predicted Arthur Sinodinos would be the future of the LNP. Follow him on Twitter.

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