Labor’s glass house has now shattered irreparably
Labor’s house of virtue is crashing down not because of what John Setka is alleged to have said, but because of what the leaders of the ALP and Union movement have collectively failed to do, writes Gemma Tognini.
Whatever you’re doing right now, if you stop and listen closely, you’ll hear the sound of shattering glass.
A glass house, to be exact. Being destroyed from within by the weak-kneed, lily-livered apologists who live there.
This is the house that federal Labor built along with their mates from the Union Movement and it’s from this house that they peddled the same fare; a relentless and frankly wafer-thin narrative accusing conservative parties of having a problem with women.
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This house is now crumbling before their eyes, shard by shard, and the overdue demolition is an inside job.
It’s not because of the widely publicised allegations against Victorian Construction Union boss John Setka. Not because the criminal charges against him — which he has told the court he intends to plead guilty to — involve serious allegations of vile harassment of a woman and of breaching a court order (the details of what’s alleged, including the witness statements, have been widely reported and are available online, you should look for yourself). And it’s not even because of subsequent comments he’s reported to have made about Domestic Violence campaigner Rosie Batty, whose violent, estranged husband murdered their 11 year old son.
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No, Labor’s glass house of virtue is shattering from within, but not because of what one man is alleged to have done and said, but because of what the leaders of the ALP and Union movement have so far collectively failed and are repeatedly failing to do.
That is, to put their money where their mealy mouths are.
Let’s have a quick recap, shall we?
ACTU leader Sally McManus has said Mr. Setka’s comments about Ms Batty were unacceptable, did not reflect Union values and that he should say sorry. He should say sorry … as if he’s a petulant two-year-old being taught the difference between right and wrong.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has shown the courage of his conviction by saying he would “not comment on a matter before the courts.” Although a spokesman did say that “bad outcomes for women start with bad attitudes.” Go figure.
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But, to his credit, Andrews did say that Setka’s comments about Batty were “disgraceful”.
Federal Opposition Leader Anthony “easy listening tour” Albanese finally, after a week long weeping sore of justifiably terrible media coverage, said he’d move to boot Mr. Setka out of the ALP, describing it as “decisive action.”
The message is loud and clear. The leadership of the ALP and the Union movement are all about women, as long as those women are there to fill quotas and stroke the woke. The other women, not so much.
What their inaction shows is simple — the Union movement and Labor, from the top down, are, in this sin of omission, defending what the rest of us know is utterly indefensible.
The fact is with each day of silence and inaction, another layer of credibility is eroded.
Leaving behind Mr. Setka’s case for a moment, let me speak in broader terms, and more bluntly.
Repudiating violence against women in all of its forms, is a political no-brainer, but with a heart that rages, I say to those who can act but hesitate, to those who should have done something by now but haven’t, you are cowards and your talk is cheap.
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It makes me think that maybe we haven’t come as far as we think we have. It makes me think how women are still the ultimate accessory and political football when time and circumstances present.
Women are super handy when you want to point out how diverse and inclusive you are, how many quota boxes are being ticked. But when an entire side of politics takes this long to show leadership on something so important in the national conversation, what else are we supposed to think?
I’m not suggesting for a moment that the vast, fraught, ugly and complex landscape which comprises vile behaviour towards women or domestic violence, such as that experienced by Batty, will be repaired if Mr. Setka were to immediately be removed from his positions of power and influence. That’s an absurdity.
But what I do say, and I know I’m not alone, is that if Labor and the Unions fail to act, it says (whether they like it or not) that if you’ve got enough power, you’ll be sweet. It says there are consequences for some, and not for others. It says to women, all women, you don’t matter unless we need you to tick a box somewhere.
And on that, what’s even more disappointing is the silence from the women in Labor’s parliamentary leadership team. So much to say on quotas, so much to say on childcare. So much to say on the federal police, raiding the ABC. Yet so little to say on this.
Gemma Tognini is the executive director of gtmedia, columnist and Sky News Host.
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