Lucy Carne: Palaszczuk and Berejiklian’s border feud damages all women in politics
The border spat between Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian would be laughable if livelihoods and lives weren’t so at stake. Sadly, the only outcome from their Mean Girls antics is to set back women in politics, writes Lucy Carne.
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Could we please be spared this petulant, belligerent and immature behaviour?
No, I’m not referring to Donald Trump’s unhinged inability to graciously respect democracy.
As we’ve watched the US election with anxiety and impatience, we’ve nurtured a superior pride at our functioning electoral commission and compulsory voting system.
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Why are we so shocked by empathetic leaders?
To think we considered it a bellyache deciding between Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten. Oh, those poor Yanks, we tittered.
But then ‘textgate’ dialled down our smug.
We now have our own obnoxious subplot unfolding Down Under courtesy of the spat between Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian.
It apparently all started when Berejiklian, in yet another attempt to end the border wars, texted Palaszczuk.
“Hi Annastacia. Congratulations on your election win. I can imagine how difficult that was during a pandemic! Hope we can work together to get our borders open. Gladys,” the text, sent at 8pm Sunday, said.
Perhaps offended that her nemesis didn’t call her, Palaszczuk allegedly left the NSW leader on “read” until Wednesday.
“Queenslander!” she reportedly texted back in a burn at her state’s victory in State of Origin.
Gladys was not happy, Ann.
“I didn’t know whether to be shocked or bemused, frankly, because I’m worried about jobs and I’m worried about people not seeing their families,” she said.
“And she just rubbed in the fact that Queensland won the game; that’s fine.
“She didn’t mention borders, she didn’t mention a thanks for the congratulations.”
On Friday, the Queensland leader snapped back, saying: “I’m always happy to speak to Gladys, she has my phone number.
“It’s misleading for her to go and tell the media that she had phoned me when she did not phone me.
“Every New South Wales and Queensland premier has had bets and talked about the State of Origin and obviously New South Wales was a little bit upset that the mighty Maroons won.”
It would be laughable if livelihoods and lives weren’t so at stake.
Instead, we are subjected to a Taylor Swift vs Katy Perry petty feud. This isn’t Mean Girls.
No one comes out of this looking good.
Read the room, Berejiklian. It’s only been a week since Palaszczuk’s historic third-term win at the Queensland state election.
She romped home on a platform of absolutely nothing, other than keeping the borders closed.
No Budget, no viable plan for economic recovery, no new measures to address domestic violence. Zilch. Just a conveniently deluded promise to keep Queenslanders “safe” from COVID-19.
She gave the majority of Queenslanders what they wanted to hear. And they voted for her.
Certainly Berejiklian and her staffers knew it was too soon to force the border issue, no matter how necessary the conversation is.
And a text message? That’s harsh.
Even Scott Morrison managed to telephone Jacinda Ardern to personally congratulate her on her recent win.
Likewise, Palaszczuk could do with behaving more like an elected head of state than a Real Housewife. Perhaps rise above the drama rather than engage with it. The portfolio of pathetic jibes is being capably covered by her deputy manchild Steven Miles.
I’ve mediated more articulate disagreements between my three-year-old twins fighting over whose turn it is to play with a twerking llama toy.
Just as in our household in moments of crisis we turn to the gospel of parenting, the two leaders could also take a few lessons from Bluey.
In a new episode of the beloved children’s cartoon, Bluey and her sister Bingo bicker over how to cross “ground’s lava”.
“I think let’s try where I agree with me and you agree with you,” Bluey suggests.
But their attempts to navigate the treacherous living room floor solo (a metaphor for the handling of border closures, if ever there was one) fails.
“Maybe we should just agree with each other on everything,” Bluey finally concludes.
The sad and inevitable fallout from both Premiers’ behaviour is to continue to demean female politicians.
Both leaders have had their share of gender swipes deflecting from their ability to lead.
Berejiklian faced criticism over her choice of boyfriend, and Palaszczuk copped a misogynistic attack at her childlessness and penchant for designer clothes.
The last thing we need is to return Australian politics to the “ditch the witch” era, where women are too emotional and too dramatic to hold office.
As a country, we have an issue with a lack of female MPs. Women, as do men, deserve the right to represent the public without being dragged by their counterparts.
Come on, ladies. You are both better than this. Australia is better than this.
To quote Veep’s Selina Meyer: “How about for once in your life you stop whining, you stop complaining and you just man up.”