Gay marriage: Penny Wong and Scott Morrison get personal

Scott Morrison takes up Penny Wong on a friendly game of competitive victimhood.

Scott Morrison takes up Penny Wong on a friendly game of competitive victimhood.

Senator Penny Wong delivering the Lionel Murphy Memorial Lecture, Tuesday:

A plebiscite designed to deny me and many other Australians a marriage certificate will instead license hate speech to those who need little encouragement …

What a difference an election cycle makes. Wong, Ten Network, July 25, 2010:

On the issue of marriage, I think the reality is there is a cultural, religious, historical view around that which we have to respect …

Scott Morrison on ABC radio, yesterday:

I understand the concerns Penny is raising, I know it from personal experience having been exposed to that sort of hatred and bigotry for the views I’ve taken from others who have a different view to me.

Though in fairness the Treasurer can give as good as he gets. Morrison, Radio National, April 8:

Bill Shorten stands there in his ill-fitting suit …

Call out the Huffington Post Australia for playing the race and gender cards. Headline, yesterday:

SCOMOPHOBIA: Straight white man plays the sympathy card on gay marriage, claims he is subjected to “bigotry” and “hatred” for his views.

Perhaps Morrison should look to the Iron Lady for solace. British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, interviewed by Italian television, March 10, 1986:

In my work, you get used to criticisms. Of course you do, because there are a lot of people trying to get you down, but I always cheer up immensely if one is particularly wounding because I think well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.

Sour on sweets. The Australian, yesterday:

A new tax of 20 per cent would be put on sugary sweetened drinks under a policy to be announced today by the Greens aimed at tackling the growing rate of obesity … The Greens were accepting a challenge laid down this year by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to follow a plan in Britain to introduce such a tax.

Sounds delicious. From the ingredients for Jamie Oliver’s Gluten-free Christmas cake recipe, jamieoliver. com website:

300g dark brown sugar … 700g icing sugar … 125ml dark rum …

Five-ring circus. The Institute of Public Affair’s Chris Berg on the Rio Olympics, ABC’s The Drum website, yesterday:

The Olympic movement likes to affect an image of sporting valour and nobility. But it is the epitome of government waste, almost always doing great harm to its host and taking a real human toll. Once the athletes have gone home, let us hope Brazil can recover from this recklessness quickly.

Is there anything global warming can’t do? The Sydney Morning Herald, yesterday:

Red apples could be a bit less red as temperature rise due to climate change …

Cut & Pasties. Bill Shorten admits he has been to a strip club, Kyle & Jackie O, KIIS radio, yesterday:

I have … once or twice, way back in the day, uni days. I left once I realised what it was.

There goes the Queensland feminist vote. Brisbane Times, Monday:

Young women have vandalised Brisbane strip clubs, accusing them of inciting violence against women …