When power is secured at the point of a sword
Former PM Julia Gillard has accused Kevin Rudd of physical intimidation when he was leader, one of the latest instances in one of politic’s more colourful chapters
Today in History
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Politics can be a nasty game. Former prime minister Julia Gillard claimed this week that she was physically “menaced” by then PM Kevin Rudd when she was his deputy. Bullying of any kind is deplorable, yet by any account the Gillard-Rudd confrontation seems mild compared to some past instances of political menace.
Politicians at loggerheads have often resorted to threats, insults, physical abuse and even outright violence to get their way or in an uncontrolled venting of frustration.
Perhaps the most dangerous political environment was ancient Republican Rome.
In 133BC Tiberius Gracchus dared to take on the authority of the traditional lawmaking body, the Senate, by getting elected to the office of Tribune of the Plebs, a representative of the lowest social class.
Gracchus was worried that conquered land was becoming concentrated into the hands of wealthy senators and maintained the land was better off going to landless plebs, who would then qualify for military service.
When Gracchus bypassed the senate, passing laws in the plebeian assembly where it would be binding on all of Rome, the senators were incensed, partly that their privileges were threatened, but mostly that their authority as lawmakers had been circumvented.
The senate tried to counter Gracchus but when he stood for another term, proposing more reforms curbing their interests, the senate snapped. Senators strode down to the venue for the tribunes’ election and clubbed Gracchus and hundreds of his supporters to death.
A similar fate awaited his younger brother Gaius who was also elected tribune and passed reforms that ticked off the senate. They killed him and his followers in 121BC.
These events sparked a period of political violence that culminated in the assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar in 44BC by senators who felt their political careers had been stifled by his being named dictator for life.
Caesar’s assassination ended the republic and resulted in a civil war from which Caesar’s heir, Octavian, emerged as Rome’s first emperor Augustus.
While assassination is no longer in vogue, centuries later the Italian parliament can still be a volatile place. Tensions in parliament were running high in July, 2010, because of austerity budget measures when a member of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s government called opposition member Francisco Barbato a “piece of shit”.
Several members of Berlusconi’s party then punched Barbato before ushers stepped in.
In December voting had to be suspended in the chamber of deputies when Berlusconi, up to his ears in scandal in allegations of bribery, narrowly defeated a no-confidence motion. Fists were flying between rival parties and chaos reigned until ushers separated the brawlers.
In a similarly nasty exchange in 1995, in Russia’s lower house, Yevgeniya Tishkovskaya attacked Vladimir Zhirinovsky for instigating violence between two other deputies. Zhirinovsky hit back and pulled her hair then later distributed defamatory leaflets about Tishkovskaya. She sued him and was awarded damages by a Moscow court.
In 1804, when US vice president Aaron Burr’s ambition to become president or, when that failed, to be elected governor of New York, were thwarted by former secretary of the treasury Alexander Hamilton, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. Hamilton was fatally wounded in the duel and a warrant was issued for Burr’s arrest. He fled to try to plot an invasion of Mexico where he planned to set up an independent state. He was captured and tried for treason but acquitted. He later fled to Europe to escape the disgrace but returned to the US in 1812 to practise law.
In 1809 British foreign secretary George Canning blamed secretary of state for war and the colonies, Lord Castlereagh, for military setbacks in Spain and Holland. The two fought a duel in which Canning was wounded in the thigh. The fight set back his political ambitions but his reputation recovered and he became prime minister in 1827.
WORDS AND WEAPONS IN GREAT AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL DUELS
ALTHOUGH nothing like the antics of Europe, Asia or America, Australia’s halls of power have seen some memorable dust-ups.
● In 1965 when Liberal minister Paul Hasluck told deputy Labor opposition leader Gough Whitlam “You are one of the filthiest objects ever to come into this chamber”. Whitlam retaliated by throwing a glass of water in his face across the parliamentary table.
● In 1988 arch rivals prime minister Bob Hawke and opposition leader Andrew Peacock had a mock duel with scissors (above) while opening a new radio gallery at Parliament House.
● In 2005 NSW roads minister Joe Tripodi was assaulted by National Party MP Andrew Fraser. Fraser was annoyed at Tripodi’s lack of action on fixing the Pacific Highway and had allegedly been drinking.
Originally published as When power is secured at the point of a sword
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