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Australian PM Scott Morrison under fire for handling of rape scandal


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Australian PM Scott Morrison under fire for handling of rape scandal
Critics have demanded an overhaul of what has been called a toxic and sexist culture in Canberra politics
Published: 17th February 2021 03:11 PM | AFP


Scott_Morrison_AP.jpg

Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison was under mounting pressure Wednesday after a former government staffer who said she was raped in parliament accused the government of revealing sensitive details of the case.

Critics have demanded an overhaul of what has been called a toxic and sexist culture in Canberra politics, after Brittany Higgins this week alleged she was sexually assaulted by a male colleague two years ago.

The 26-year-old has said she was treated like a "political problem" when she reported the incident in now-Defence Minister Linda Reynolds' office and the case was badly mismanaged.

Higgins said Wednesday the government had now publicised key elements of the alleged attack that had not been shared with her previously.

"The continued victim-blaming rhetoric by the prime minister is personally very distressing to me and countless other survivors," she said in a statement to local media.

"The government has questions to answer for their own conduct."

The prime minister initially defended his government's approach to the case before apologising, but on Wednesday faced further questions about what he knew and when.

Morrison has claimed he knew nothing of the allegation until five days ago. 

"I'm not happy about the fact that it was not brought to my attention, and I can assure you people know that," Morrison told reporters in Canberra. 

But it has emerged that staffer who handled Higgins' initial complaint now works in Morrison's office.

And Higgins has told local media that a "fixer" for Morrison called her to "check in" late last year when other women accused two male ministers of sexism and bullying.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull -- also a member of the conservative Liberal Party -- declared it "inconceivable" that the case was not discussed at high levels.

"I find it incredible. That's to say very, very, very hard to believe, that the Prime Minister's office would not have been aware of that incident as soon as it occurred," he told public broadcaster ABC.

"I mean, if they weren't, it was a complete failure of the system."

The opposition Labor party is ratcheting up the pressure on the government, suggesting Reynolds should resign for her failings.

"If I was the prime minister and these events had occurred and a minister in my cabinet had kept any information from me or my office, then they wouldn't be still maintaining that position," leader Anthony Albanese told Sky News.

On Tuesday Morrison announced two female government officials would lead reviews into the sexual assault complaints process and workplace culture in the parliament.

But critics believe that work needs to be carried out at arm's length from the government.

Women lawmakers from minor parties on Wednesday wrote to Morrison demanding an "urgent external review" of current policies and the establishment of an independent body to oversee future workplace complaints, which are currently handled by the Finance Department.

"We think it's really important that there be for an independent pathway for people who have experienced (this) -- and we know there's been many similar situations to Brittany," MP Rebekha Sharkie said.

Australia's parliament has been repeatedly criticised for a "toxic" workplace culture that has allegedly spawned persistent bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct against women. 

The ruling coalition has also been accused of having a "woman problem", with a spate of high-profile female politicians quitting parliament ahead of the 2019 election and several citing bullying as a factor. 

In response, Morrison boosted the number of women in cabinet and has said other steps were taken to improve the parliamentary workplace. 

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8 hours ago, horn said:

DISGUSTING

I expect nothing less from this...devout Christian! I'm actually still trying to figure out what this moron represents or even does for this country. He just plods along capitalising on the stupidity of a nation...this party gets away with everything. He'll be re-elected.

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2 hours ago, San said:

I expect nothing less from this...devout Christian! I'm actually still trying to figure out what this moron represents or even does for this country. He just plods along capitalising on the stupidity of a nation...this party gets away with everything. He'll be re-elected.

He is such a moron. He sickens me . Also, if I have to hear him talk about his wife Jenny again, i will scream. Jenny made him see that rape is bad because he had to think if it was his daughters. Give us s bresk 😡 so only men with daughters can understand how damaging sexual assault is. How ridiculous. 

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2 hours ago, San said:

I expect nothing less from this...devout Christian! I'm actually still trying to figure out what this moron represents or even does for this country. He just plods along capitalising on the stupidity of a nation...this party gets away with everything. He'll be re-elected.

I still can't believe that party won the 2019 election. When that happened i was like... HOW, after all the shit they did?? This is just insane.

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2 minutes ago, Jazzy Jan said:

He is such a moron. He sickens me . Also, if I have to hear him talk about his wife Jenny again, i will scream. Jenny made him see that rape is bad because he had to think if it was his daughters. Give us s bresk 😡 so only men with daughters can understand how damaging sexual assault is. How ridiculous. 

Jenny and his apparent inability to function without her guidance has become a hysterical humiliation point for him! He is so pathetic.

6b514e039eb662b4ae297a683f2917e5?width=1

 

But the satire on this has been great! :lmao: 

image.png

image.png

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6 minutes ago, madonnasuperfan01 said:

I still can't believe that party won the 2019 election. When that happened i was like... HOW, after all the shit they did?? This is just insane.

I actually do believe it, and they will win again. All it takes here is to threaten that some obscure tax break will be taken away by the opposition and people run scared. We live in a selfish nation when it comes down to these things, and they will fall for any scare campaign the liberals run. And honestly, they would actually be better off without the libs, and that's what frustrates me the most. BLIND GREED

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33 minutes ago, madonnasuperfan01 said:

I still can't believe that party won the 2019 election. When that happened i was like... HOW, after all the shit they did?? This is just insane.

That election win was dreadful. I was so depressed that night. 

23 minutes ago, San said:

I actually do believe it, and they will win again. All it takes here is to threaten that some obscure tax break will be taken away by the opposition and people run scared. We live in a selfish nation when it comes down to these things, and they will fall for any scare campaign the liberals run. And honestly, they would actually be better off without the libs, and that's what frustrates me the most. BLIND GREED

I know.  It is so frustrating. 

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32 minutes ago, San said:

Jenny and his apparent inability to function without her guidance has become a hysterical humiliation point for him! He is so pathetic.

6b514e039eb662b4ae297a683f2917e5?width=1

 

But the satire on this has been great! :lmao: 

image.png

image.png

😂 Yes, the Jenny satire posts are great.  

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3 hours ago, San said:

I expect nothing less from this...devout Christian! I'm actually still trying to figure out what this moron represents or even does for this country. He just plods along capitalising on the stupidity of a nation...this party gets away with everything. He'll be re-elected.

Gladys Berejiklian is the real true hero of Australia. She should be PM - or she should be rule the entire world. The only true uncorrupt premier that truly cares for the people

 

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3 minutes ago, Creepy Insane Person said:

Gladys Berejiklian is the real true hero of Australia. She should be PM - or she should be rule the entire world. The only true uncorrupt premier that truly cares for the people

 

She can get taken out in the trash with the rest of them. Next!

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2 minutes ago, San said:

She can get taken out in the trash with the rest of them. Next!

BahahaahahahahahahahahahahahhaababaabababaahhaHahahhaHanAngahahahahahahahahas She should rule the entire world. I voted for her as US President as she has a massive following over there where she lost just by 0.01% to Biden ❤️

But she’s girly 

She can easily rule the world ❤️ the world is missing out on the greatest thing that has ever happened to humanity ❤️

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4 hours ago, Creepy Insane Person said:

Gladys Berejiklian is the real true hero of Australia. She should be PM - or she should be rule the entire world. The only true uncorrupt premier that truly cares for the people

 

Is this a joke?

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8 hours ago, San said:

I expect nothing less from this...devout Christian! I'm actually still trying to figure out what this moron represents or even does for this country. He just plods along capitalising on the stupidity of a nation...this party gets away with everything. He'll be re-elected.

I detest him. I still can't get over our PM being a member of a religious cult. It boggles the mind.

And as for what he and his party does for Australia - nothing unless it helps him/them politically. He only ever does anything if is makes him look good personally. 

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Just now, swimtoshore said:

I detest him. I still can't get over our PM being a member of a religious cult. It boggles the mind.

And as for what he and his party does for Australia - nothing unless it helps him/them politically. He only ever does anything if is makes him look good personally. 

It could be worse. We could have Tony Abbot where we would have been in the same boat as UK/US in terms of covid numbers. As he’s against closed international borders and lock downs. 

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1 minute ago, rebelheart said:

+ 1, Gladys is the best Premier in Australia, wish we could swap her with Dictator Dan down here in Victoria...:yes:

Gladys is corrupt as all hell. The media love her because she is a liberal ( for international people, liberal party in Australia is Conservative party ) . If Victoria did not have the lockdown, we could of ended up like the rest of the world with thousands dying. We were on the same rate as London with covid cases before the lockdown. 

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Lockdowns are horrible and difficult. Watching world wide news though, have seen the alternative which is worse. . Hospitals overloaded, thousands dying.  Just heartbreaking. I just hope now that Australia becomes Australia again and not states fighting with each other. Hated the state against state stuff. Hope too that industries such as tourism, entertainment and hospitality will be fully supported and helped to the highest degree.  This pandemic has been so cruel and unfair on the world. 

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44 minutes ago, Creepy Insane Person said:

It could be worse. We could have Tony Abbot where we would have been in the same boat as UK/US in terms of covid numbers. As he’s against closed international borders and lock downs. 

This is true - it would have been worse under TA, who is next level awful.

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16 minutes ago, Jazzy Jan said:

Lockdowns are horrible and difficult. Watching world wide news though, have seen the alternative which is worse. . Hospitals overloaded, thousands dying.  Just heartbreaking. I just hope now that Australia becomes Australia again and not states fighting with each other. Hated the state against state stuff. Hope too that industries such as tourism, entertainment and hospitality will be fully supported and helped to the highest degree.  This pandemic has been so cruel and unfair on the world. 

+1

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8 hours ago, San said:

She can get taken out in the trash with the rest of them. Next!

 

4 hours ago, swimtoshore said:

Is this a joke?

 

3 hours ago, Jazzy Jan said:

Gladys is corrupt as all hell. The media love her because she is a liberal ( for international people, liberal party in Australia is Conservative party ) . If Victoria did not have the lockdown, we could of ended up like the rest of the world with thousands dying. We were on the same rate as London with covid cases before the lockdown. 

Well she spent far too long obsessing about what the Queensland, Western Australia (and now Victoria) borders were doing when she should of been just focusing on her own state. Yet I never heard a peep from her about NT, South Australia or Tasmania... go figure..

 

I think her tactic with Sydney was good though. Allow the economy to keep running while tackling each covid case individually and now its been eliminated. 

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2 minutes ago, horn said:

You need your wife to tell you "rape" is wrong? :manson: 

IKR...welcome to Australia, where some of our government idolise the likes of Trump and aspire to be just like him.

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3 minutes ago, horn said:

Do you remember his children going to private school thingy? :1251: 

https://www.mamamia.com.au/scott-morrison-children-school/

Clearly he's not LGBT friendly.

Jesus...no! He's a piece of shit. Why are all the ultra religious such bastards. Hypocrites!

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You know, he doesn't appear to be very intelligent. He never discusses anything complicated, just tea and toilet crap. No articulate analysis on local or international policy/politcs. Just low brow garbage. It astounds me continually that there aren't some minimum qualifications for being a politician, let alone PM.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/19/2021 at 9:18 PM, San said:

You know, he doesn't appear to be very intelligent. He never discusses anything complicated, just tea and toilet crap. No articulate analysis on local or international policy/politcs. Just low brow garbage. It astounds me continually that there aren't some minimum qualifications for being a politician, let alone PM.

 

He is such a moron.  That phony daggy Dad image he gleefully pushes is so transparent.  Covid is actually saving his arse at the moment and all of his broken promises, sportstorts, Robo debt disgrace, corruption and previous Trump loving is being ignored. His handling of the rape allegations  involving government employees is pathetic. Dutton and Porter have always been poisonous and have shown it. Scotty from Marketing is exactly the same but covers it up better. 

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2 hours ago, Jazzy Jan said:

He is such a moron.  That phony daggy Dad image he gleefully pushes is so transparent.  Covid is actually saving his arse at the moment and all of his broken promises, sportstorts, Robo debt disgrace, corruption and previous Trump loving is being ignored. His handling of the rape allegations  involving government employees is pathetic. Dutton and Porter have always been poisonous and have shown it. Scotty from Marketing is exactly the same but covers it up better. 

I like him simply because of the far generous government payments we receive hehe 

I’m not paying rent and am able to live like a king in Melbourne and splash on everything as well as save a huge amount of money each time without going to work so I’m happy. Thanks Scomo

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