PM should let women speak in fight against DV

Anthony Albanese has forgotten the first rule of the fight against violence against women: It’s not all about you, mate.

• DV rally organisers dispute Albo claim

Here is a tip for any man looking to speak out about Australia’s domestic violence crisis.

Speak, say, advocate as much as you want, but at the end of the day, it’s not about you.

Yet amazingly, no one in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s 11-strong media team clued the boss in about this little fact of life before he grabbed the mic at a Canberra rally against violence women Sunday.

In case you missed it, here’s what happened.

Video has emerged of Albanese speaking at the rally, claiming that he had originally asked to speak but had at first not been allowed to by the organisers.

No More rally organiser Sarah Williams (R) with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the No More rally in Canberra. Picture: Instagram

“To be clear we did ask to speak … but was told by the organisers that wasn’t possible, and that’s fine, I respect the organisers’ rights to do that,” he told the crowd.

At which point, a visibly upset Sarah Williams, one of the organisers of the rally says, “that’s a lie, that’s a full out lie,” as the prime minister ploughed on cluelessly with his remarks.

What really happened, of course, was much different.

The "No More! National Rally Against Violence march in Sydney Sunday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

In a blistering statement, the organisers said that the prime minister had not originally wanted to speak at the rally, but simply wanted to march with the crowd.

According to them, Albanese only demanded a microphone after he was heckled, saying “I’m the prime minister and I run the country.”

Not surprisingly, organisers were furious.

And one can only imagine the furore had a Scott Morrison or Tony Abbott stood over a group of domestic violence victims like that.

“(Albanese) demonstrated today what entitlement looks like … a man with power trying to diminish a vulnerable young woman,” the organisers said in a statement.

Anthony Albanese interviewed on Sunrise recently. Picture: Sunrise/Channel 7

Then, to make matters worse, Albanese doubled down during a Monday morning appearance on Sunrise, trying to act like the whole thing never happened.

Confronted with claims he told organisers, “I’m the prime minister and I run the country,” Albanese refused to engage.

“I’m not going to get into, you know, that sort of debate,” he repeated, despite being pressed several times by hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington to answer the question.

This is what is known in politics as a non-denial denial.

More than that, it is a catastrophe for a prime minister looking to be seen as a champion for women who hopes to lock in their votes before what will be a hard fought election.

The politics of this are incredibly cynical.

Molly Ticehurst was found dead at a home in Forbes, NSW recently. Picture: Supplied / Facebook

The alleged murder of Molly Ticehurst rightly shocked the nation, particularly given the long list of charges her alleged killer had previously been bailed on before her death.

Yet Albanese is clearly trying to hitch is own fading political star to the cause of domestic violence and cultural change.

But domestic violence is far too complex and serious a topic for such a glib political response.

Some of the commentary around the issue also threatens to drive men and women further apart on an issue that really requires everyone to work together rather than taking to opposite trenches.

And after all the revelations that flowed from Justice Michael Lee about the way Brittany Higgins’ rape claims were prosecuted in the court of public and political opinion, voters will be rightly cynical about anyone who uses crimes against women for olitical gain.

Instead of going on Sunrise to try and clean up his mess perhaps, to paraphrase a line that got Scott Morrison into so much trouble once upon a time, the prime minister should have gone home and spoken to Jodie.