Andrew Bolt: Kimberley Kitching’s allegations spell trouble for Albanese

The Kimberley Kitching scandal has robbed Labor of one of its juiciest attacks on Scott Morrison, as a supposed misogynist blind to the trauma allegedly suffered by women.

Here’s Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s big problem, which could make Wednesday’s surprising polls the first sign of his doom.

A month ago, Kimberley Kitching offered a lift to Liberal vice-president Teena McQueen after one of their debates on Sky News.

That was typically generous of Kitching, the Labor senator who died of a suspected heart attack almost two weeks ago. It was also typical of her to reach out even to people with whom she did not agree – so rare in this Twitter age of tribal rage.

But as they drove to McQueen’s Canberra hotel, McQueen looked at Kitching’s face and saw something was troubling her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. And Kitching, usually beaming and bubbly, started to cry.

Senator Kimberley Kitching told of alleged bullying that was driving her to despair.

McQueen, shocked, brought her into her hotel to comfort her. And there Kitching told her of the alleged bullying that was driving her to despair – naming two of the three Labor women she called the “mean girls”, senators Penny Wong and Kristina Keneally.

Of course, it wasn’t just McQueen who knew. Kitching – actually, may I call my friend Kimberley? – Kimberley told me much the same over lunch, six days before her death.

She also told her husband Andrew and many of her friends, including Diana Asmar, a union leader, and former Labor MP Michael Danby.

So excuse me if I was stunned when Albanese on Wednesday gave his latest excuses for not holding an inquiry into the bullying that Kimberley complained of and that the “mean girls”, including Senator Katy Gallagher, deny.

Let me quote his pathetic words on TV, after he emerged from hiding.

First, he suggested there was actually nothing to investigate: “There were no complaints put (by Kimberley) in any formal sense at all about issues.”

Senator Katy Gallagher, Senator Kristina Keneally and Senator Penny Wong were dubbed ‘mean girls’ by Kimberley Kitching.

Oh, right. No “formal” complaints filed in triplicate on Labor letterhead.

So is Albanese seriously saying he can ignore all the complaints that Kimberley’s friends recall in meticulous detail, and laid before the public by well-briefed journalists?

Talk about a Sergeant Schultz. “I know nuuuuuthing!”

Second, Albanese said he’d never heard of Kimberley being bullied: “At no stage were any issues raised with me.”

Hmm. Even Liberals saw Kimberley cry from the stress, but her own leader didn’t have a clue? Wow.

And third, Albanese came closest to admitting his real reason for rejecting the inquiry demanded by Asmar and former Labor MPs such as Danby and Jennie George: “Kimberley Kitching would want us to move on, to dedicate ourselves to a Labor victory at the election.”

Ah! Now some honesty, kind of.

Albanese wants us to ‘move on’ to a ‘Labor victory’. So let’s not have an inquiry that costs Labor votes. Picture: Sarah Marshall

Albanese wants us to “move on” to a “Labor victory”. So let’s not have an inquiry that costs Labor votes.

And this, says Albanese, is what “Kimberley Kitching would want”.

Really? Having heard Kimberley at length on this topic (unlike Albanese), I’m sure, yes, she’d want Labor to win. But I reckon she’d also like some women she named to be held to account.

But I do understand Albanese’s panic.

It’s not just that this scandal has robbed Labor of one of its juiciest attacks on Scott Morrison. It was primed to attack him – again – as a supposed misogynist who was blind and deaf to the trauma allegedly suffered by women even in parliament. Boy, has that smear now boomeranged on Labor. There’s also Wednesday’s polls of nine marginal electorates, reported in this newspaper. More reason for Labor to worry.

True, national polls suggest Morrison and his Liberals are toast. Newspoll puts them 10 points behind Labor.

But the battle seems closer when we look at just marginal seats Labor must win or hold to form government.

Morrison could just – just – pull off a second miracle win, with support from independent MPs, if everything possible goes right for him. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

KJC Research polled 800 voters in each of the nine seats, and its results suggest the Liberals could actually hold Chisholm, Victoria’s most marginal seat, and could even pick up Gilmore, in NSW, with former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance its popular candidate.

I’d still put money on a Labor win, but Morrison could just – just – pull off a second miracle win, with support from independent MPs, if everything possible goes right for him, and very wrong for Labor.

At least the past few weeks have finally run Morrison’s way. National security is now a real issue, with Ukraine burning. Unemployment has hit amazing lows. Morrison’s plan for a new Queensland dam offers can-do optimism after two years of pandemic gloom.

And Albanese is meanwhile tied in knots trying to not seem a rank hypocrite over the death of a woman who some friends insist was hounded to her grave.