Pub tests, dressing downs and thin air — How the PM is failing in his response to sexual assaults which occurred under his watch.
There is nothing in the way that Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his government has responded to claims of allegations of sexual assault within parliament that would ‘pass the pub test’ — a fictitious poll the government loves to wheel out against against the opposition when it wants to critique them while also appealing to the everyman and everywoman voter out there in the cities and regions.
No one wants to hear more about dressing downs, or of how upset Scomo is at hearing about the sexual assault allegations, or about how down to earth he is because he has a wife and daughters and confers with them to make decisions on criminal matters. No one wants to hear about how those within his party who knew about these serious criminal allegations have been publicly rebuked by him or have been told that he is not happy with them.
These words are hollow.
Australians do not deserve hollow words — they want and deserve people to be brought to account for their actions or inactions and for that holding to account to lead to consequence.
You cannot have actual cultural change until you ensure there are consequences for inappropriate actions — and right now there would be few who could say what of consequence has occurred to the man that is the perpetrator of the sexual assaults that occurred, or to those in the government that have sought to cover up the issue — attempting to approach it as a political matter rather than a criminal one.
“I don’t hold a hose, mate” Scott Morrison said with a smirk while answering a question regarding his level of responsibility and accountability for the devastating 2019/2020 bushfires. Well he doesn’t hold people to account for failing to appropriately escalate allegations of serious crimes within his government either, or so it seems. The culture of no accountability and unconcerned posture in the light of serious criminal acts starts at the top, and is visible through Scott Morrison’s empty words and inaction.
There is no proof that dressing downs or rebukes have in fact even happened, and by suggesting that these ‘talking-tos’ carried out by Scomo are enough action to be taken against ministers and staff who have failed in their duty of care to staff and duties to inform the Prime Minister — shows just how unfit Scott Morrison and his government are to lead the country.
Heads should roll.
