What a sad state. A journalist can't give an opinion on something the Prime Minister does without the Prime Minister's Director of Communications (who, by the way, is a 457 Visa holder because no-one else in Australia can 'do' communications it seems) admonishing the journalist about what she wrote.
What am I talking about?
On Wednesday, Tory Maguire wrote a piece for News Limited following the Prime Minister's frolic with DJ Kyle Sandilands and his Rolls Royce. Ms Maguire wrote:
"Julia Gillard doesn't get to lecture anyone on misogyny anymore. Not with any credibility."
It's a valid point-of-view - whether you agree with it or not. Just as Ms Gillard's serve on Tony Abbott under Parliamentary privilege was a valid point-of-view - whether you agree with it or not. For the record, I don't agree that Tony Abbott is a misogynist. It just fails logic to suggest that a man surrounded by women actually hates them. Likewise, I doubt that Kyle Sandilands hates women although, in my opinion, he appears sexist and, for someone like me, I find it crude, rude and unattractive.
But it's fair game for Ms Maguire to point out that it's a bit hypocritical for the Prime Minister to rip into Mr Abbott, but cosy-up to Mr Sandilands.
The appalling thing is that Ms Gillard - and her Director of Communications - thinks this will get her more votes because "he is a talented and popular broadcaster and is listened to by more than one million people every morning."
However, putting that aside, it misses the point and let's spell it out. Prime Minister Gillard is a fair-weather feminist. She gets all uppity on our behalf in Parliament with the Opposition Leader, but she's also happy to be BFF with Kyle Sandilands - just because he hosts a radio show which one million people (none of whom I know) listen to.
It gets worse.
"Kyle," the Prime Minister exclaimed. "It is a beautiful car and you've gone to a lot of trouble to fix the flags to it. I am very, very impressed, but the problem with making it the Prime Ministerial vehicle with the top down is I would end up looking like Cousin It* with my hair."
Ms Gillard's Director of Communications said that it was unfair to "attack" Mr Sandilands because he does lots for charity. But so does the Opposition Leader. He rides - in the Pollie Pedal every year which raises money for charity.
Somehow that's different.
As Bonita Mersiades wrote for Motherpedia months ago, women deserve better from our politicians. We certainly expect better from our women politicians.
By the way, if the PM's Director of Communications wants to send me an e-mail telling me off (a) here's my e-mail address and (b) please remember I'm a teacher of 35+ years standing who works hard for not much money, to help young people get a better life through education.
And I vote.
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Cousin It from the hit TV series of the 1960s, The Addams Family. Judge for yourself whether the PM's hair could ever look like this.
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