Coalition all too willing to discuss the Folau case ... when it politically suits it
As Australia struggles at the rugby union World Cup (largely courtesy of disgraceful refereeing against Wales) the rugby league community counts down to this weekend’s grand final (go the Roosters).
Meanwhile Israel Folau continues to be persona non grata. Sacked by the Australian Rugby Union, Folau has been blocked from competing for Tonga. Both decisions are under appeals of sorts.
The Coalition government has used Folau’s case as a canary in the coal mine for its new religious discrimination bill, which arguably would have made it much harder for Rugby Australia (that’s the union mob) to have sacked him.
Rugby Australia did so over tweets which they say violated its social media policy, but Folau says simply echoed his religious views. The government’s laws are designed to protect people of faith putting their beliefs into words.
Despite the government using the Folau case as it has to push for the need to legislate religious freedom laws, when asked what he thought of the Australian Rugby League wanting to block Folau from returning to the code, the Prime Minister batted away the question, saying he doesn’t involve himself in such administrative decisions by sporting codes.
Really? Given Morrison has legislation before the House of Representatives that does exactly that, in response to the exact individual he was asked about, Morrison’s answer sounds more like he simply didn’t want to answer a question which distracted from his daily narrative.
Because this government has been all too willing to discuss the Folau case and legislate so that future cases turn out differently when it politically suits them. Throwing red meat to the Liberal Party base has a purpose.
But Morrison was asked the question in the middle of his official state visit to the United States, and didn’t want the focus to shift elsewhere. Hence why he wouldn’t engage with the issue and quickly moved on to more important questions directly related to the visit.
That’s called “controlling the message” as the former Liberal Party state director turned PM would professionally call it.
Peter van Onselen is a professor of political science at the University of Western Australia and Griffith University.
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