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PRIME MINISTER KEVIN Rudd has said there was “no place” for sexism, racism or homophobia in Australia, as election rival Tony Abbott laughed off his touting of a candidate’s sex appeal.
Abbott came under fire after praising the female conservative colleague while campaigning in western Sydney yesterday, renewing debate over misogyny in Australia which raged during former leader Julia Gillard’s time in office.
Rudd, who ousted Gillard as Labor leader in June, condemned the remarks.
“If any male employer stood up in a workplace anywhere in Australia and pointing to a female staff member, said: ‘This person is a good staff member because they’ve got sex appeal’, I think people would scratch their heads at least and I think the employer would be finding themselves in serious strife. My policy’s pretty simple, that in modern Australia, neither sexism nor racism nor homophobia has any place whatsoever. I believe people look to our national leaders to set that sort of example.
Abbott
Ex-trainee priest Abbott defended his blunder – the latest in a series of gaffes he has made about women – describing it as a “dad moment, a daggy moment maybe”. Daggy is an Australian term for uncool, or not trendy.
He was under fire again almost immediately over remarks made in a radio interview about gay marriage.
I’m not someone who wants to see radical change based on the fashion of the moment.
Rudd has vowed to introduce a bill legalising same-sex unions if re-elected in the September 7 polls, becoming the first Australian leader to promise to support marriage equality.
Abbott later back-pedalled, saying it was a “very significant issue” among many for his party ahead of the elections.
Opposition Liberal Leader Tony Abbott at a press conference. Pic: P Photo/Mark Graham
Yesterday, Abbott, the frontrunner to become prime minister, was asked about similarities between candidate Fiona Scott and her female predecessor in the western Sydney seat.
"They're young, they're feisty, I think I can probably say have a bit of sex appeal, and they're just very, very connected with the local area," the Liberal Party leader said.
His finance spokesman, Joe Hockey, rose to Abbott's defence, saying the conservative leader did not mean any offence and was known for these kind of remarks.
"As long as it's not offensive, I think we shouldn't be afraid to say what we think," he said, adding that Abbott described him as the "parliamentary George Clooney" to his colleagues.
Colin Barnett, conservative premier of Western Australia state, also defended Abbott, saying the comment "doesn't matter that much" and people were a "bit sensitive these days".
"Each party looks for young, fit, healthy-looking candidates," Barnett said.
Former leader Gillard accused Abbott of misogyny and sexism in a galvanising parliamentary speech which went viral online last October and saw her become a torch-bearer for women across the globe.
Labor has repeatedly accused Abbott of sexism and Finance Minister Penny Wong, the most senior woman in the government, said she was unsurprised by his latest remarks.
"This is consistent with some of the views Mr Abbott has expressed over many, many years," she said.
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jaysus these politicians don’t half come out with populist statements do they. Also in Mr Rudd’s extensive speech, he stated that the sky is actually
blue and the grass is indeed green.
Rudd is the pm who recent ly changed policy so that asylum seekers successful in their application for refuge in Australia get to settle in poverty and corruption riddled papau new Guinea
So parties called Labour in every country are overly politically correct then?
There were numerous articles in Ireland about how young and good looking Alan Kelly was in the last EU election. I wonder should men feel objectified?
Except there is no party in Australia called “Labour”.
You must be feeling very clever after that Sean. I’m aware that due to linguistic differences the party in Australia is spelled without a ‘U’, but as I’m sure you’d agree it is still the same name.
Absolutely not, the Australian Labor Party is nothing like the Irish Labour Party, never had been.
*has
They couldn’t be any worse, could they?
Worse than something there not and have never been, the Australian Labor Party are identical to the Democrats in the USA, so you’ve lost me ?
Ineffective in Government?
Abbott is following in the vein of all politicians, he is embellishing the facts and misleading people. have you seen Fiona Scott? she doesn’t have sex appeal, not a looker!!
Q the haters.
What’s the difference between labour labor democrats republicans fine fail Fine Gael ???? Absolutely nothin full of empty rhetoric and populist bullish!t who put down the other party to cover up there lack of ideas
Fianna Gael & Fianna Fáil are two sides of the same coin, the choice you have when your not having a choice.
That’s because not alone can they not run a country, but they can’t spell either..
Political correctness is gone mad- you can’t even call gay people ‘faggots’ and black people ni##ers; you can’t sexually harrass female colleagues at work or even make anit-Irish jokes on TV! What is the world coming to? Lynching and gay bashing aren’t ‘PC’ either and you can’t even fire gay teachers (oh sorry- you can actually fire gay teachers from Catholic schools). Almost all the fun is gone thanks to Political Correctness…
Sarcasm red thumbers…
People need to actually hear the comment. Rudd is a complete embarrassment to the office of Prime Minister. He is in this for one reason only.. Himself.. The ultimate non team player..
He could not even debate Tony Abbott without breaking the rules and referring to notes despite agreeing that they would not be used.
Rudd is a self serving egomaniac.. Abbott is a volunteer Fire Fighter, surf life saver and charity runner and cyclist who actually gets out and participates in all the above without seeking acclaim. He is also a Rhodes scholar.
Most politicians are not worth the air they expend but I know where my money would go when seeking someone to at least make a fist of running the country.
Or take the comment in context. Abbott has a fair bit of form in this area, his finest moment would have to be when he accused the previous Prime Minister of being out of touch with families because she was childless. That out did his previous finest moment when he made the following appeal to women: “what the women of Australia need to think about as they do the ironing….”.
Sean, I don’t know where you are based. Ireland or Australia.? I am guessing not OZ, because only a blind person would see this for what it is.. A desperate ploy in the middle of an election campaign.. Nothing less, nothing more.
Personally, my choice would probably be Malcolm Turnbull, who has a great business brain and is a self made man with terrific values. But I will say in Abbotts defence, he is married to a highly intelligent and strong minded woman and father to three equally well adapted daughters, so the sexism argument does not ring through at all. Unless of course you actually want to believe it and read only one side of the press..!!
I just noticed Sean’s earlier comments.. Now it all becomes clear.. A card carrying Labor (very poorly spelt name that) party supporter.. That will do me. I thought we might be having an intelligent discussion here.. I’m out..!
Good news is that judging by the pundits, this election will hopefully bring some sanity to the running of this country, after the mindless incompetence of the past 6 years..!!
Farewell and good riddance to the corrupt inept Labor mob..
I wouldn’t put too much trust in the pundits, their opinions are based on the published polls. The Australian pollsters are canvassing landline phone owners exclusively. This skews the polls by over representing the views of the 55 plus age group. The Aussies are repeating the same mistake the pollsters, and pundits, made in the US presidential election last year.
What is it with Labour parties and p.c.nonsense.?
Kevin Rudd is another politically correct liberal dressed up as a conservative.
Google ‘australia calling’ to get some real news from oz.
Aussie Elections as seen from the USA:
http://youtu.be/xx9eH3qOJXw
What a choice we have the Mad Monk or Mr SHeen AKA The Milky Bar Kid! From here it looks like a choice of Dumb or Dumber! GOd help OZ, would Malcolm TUrnbull please step forward.
The two main contenders have both said contentious things, it’s the same everywhere. Politicians are not normal people, they’re all egomaniacs because they think they know better than 99.9% of the population.
have your say