Scorn and vile insults deal feminism a crippling blow
The rabid actions of some of its most extreme exponents have dealt feminism a crippling blow, with Yumi Stynes, Clementine Ford, Zali Steggall and Julia Banks in the spotlight this week, writes Piers Akerman.
The true feminist cause has been dealt a crippling blow by the rabid actions of some of its most extreme exponents.
The savage ill-disciplined or insulting commentary offered by its most vocal proponents has eroded any standing activists may have achieved.
Instead of promoting a gentler, more caring brand of politics, as often claimed, they have degraded the political process with their scorn for debate and their embrace of vile insults, including the great debate-stopper — their fevered and repeated rush to brand opponents of discourse as racist.
Playing the gender card, some activists have introduced an extremely divisive vitriolic and hate-filled element into political discussion.
Others, under the umbrella of the equality and diversity arguments blindly supported by left-wing media organisations like the ABC and Nine Entertainment (formerly Fairfax), ultra-feminists have been given free rein to slander and vilify those who politely wish to debate points of difference.
The trashing of civility was nowhere more obvious in the past week than in the nauseating attack on veteran television presenter Kerri-Anne Kennerley by a nonentity named Yumi Stynes who, for unfathomable reasons, was selected by producers at Channel 10 to appear on a program to discuss the minor controversy created annually by a small group of the usual suspects who challenge the date of Australia Day.
Despite the weary predictability of this issue, and overwhelmingly popular support for the existing date, it apparently rankles with a handful of activists claiming to represent indigenous Australians, who would prefer to see Western settlement in Australia as Invasion Day — though changing the name would in no way contribute to the wellbeing of those whose interests the always-outraged claim to represent.
Ms Stynes’ insulting and appallingly ignorant series of non-sequiturs should ensure she never reappears on a free-to-air television program.
Her illogical performance places her in a category with the self-styled feminist warrior Clementine Ford, who shrilly screamed foul after she was sacked by Nine as a columnist after calling Prime Minister Scott Morrison a “f … king disgrace”.
Under the impotent former Fairfax board, the misandrist Ms Ford’s vomitous commentary was protected. Her revolting diatribes against other women in the media were overlooked by both Fairfax and the ABC. Those days are now apparently gone at Nine, along with her pay cheque. Whether the ABC collective will stick by her is to be seen.
The wave that washed Ms Stynes and Ms Ford unpleasantly into the public arena has also brought out former Olympian Zali Steggall, who has announced she will challenge former PM Tony Abbott in the seat of Warringah in the May Federal Election.
Ms Steggall, who, like other candidates challenging seats held by the Coalition, is supported by the foreign-backed leftist organisation GetUp! and will received the tacit backing of the trade union movement — whether she acknowledges it or not — has slalomed into the murkier world of political unreality in her obsession with Mr Abbott.
In an interview last week with David Speers on Sky television, Ms Steggall tried to skitter around the poles as she did when a downhill ski champion.
When asked whether she was a Labor voter or a Liberal voter over the years, she replied: “Look, I haven’t been a Labor voter, I am from a traditional Liberal family. My grandmother was a lifelong member of the Maitland Liberal Party … she probably would not be happy that I’m running as an independent.
“Look, I feel as many moderate Liberal — centre-aligned — people, we feel very dissatisfied and disenfranchised … it’s gone to the far right. It doesn’t represent sensible centre views any more and the positions they’ve chosen to take on climate change is simply unacceptable.”
So, the answer is no.
MORE FROM PIERS AKERMAN
She is claiming to be a moderate Liberal, but given she admitted she never voted for her local Liberal MP, Tony Abbott (elected in 1996), who did she vote for? There were no independents (according to the AEC definition) in 1996, 1998, 2010 or 2013. The only non-Liberal, non-Labor and non-Green parties running at the 2013 election were the Palmer United Party, Rise Up Australia, Christian Democrats and the Stable Population Party. So which was her choice?
As her climate policy promises to be even more extreme than Labor’s, although the government is on target to meet its international emissions targets, Ms Steggall’s inclinations appear to be Green, though she also says she has never voted for them either.
Not a moderate or a Liberal, just another dupe being played by the left in the hope that sufficient foreign money will remove the conservatives’ most tried and proven weapon — Mr Abbott — from parliament at any cost.
To this brew of unbridled resentment at Liberal achievement add ex-Lib MP, now independent, Julia Banks, who has thrown her support behind Ms Steggall, using former boss Malcolm Turnbull’s favoured medium Twitter.
“Australia and Warringah needs strong independent, genuine people like you,” the disloyal Ms Banks tweeted, turning her back on the party that gave her its unstinting support.
Given the number of strong women both indigenous and non-indigenous in Australian political life, and given the number of articulate and civil female commentators, it is disappointing some of the media find it necessary to provide space and airtime to this group.
Ms Stynes appears to have her own identity problem, Ms Ford represents a dystopian and inconsequential segment of the community, Ms Steggall is a political naive who has attracted a claque representing every lost cause, and Ms Banks’ paragraph in political history is marked under treachery and malice.
When there is no better time for good women to shine, it is a pity that the spotlight falls only on some of the worst the sex can offer.
Black Friday ahead for retailers
Let’s call this rail dispute for what it is. It’s industrial warfare that is a dagger to the heart of our city and its still struggling economy, writes Paul Nicolaou.
Transport minister Jo Haylen’s service could be terminated by train stoppage
Sydney’s train strike has not come as any surprise. The transport minister had weeks to plan for this but instead basked in the glory of a Metro she did nothing to build, writes James O’Doherty.