High five, Clementine Ford: call on ‘harassment’ backfires

Plus: Russian Foreign Minister and the NSW parliament one-up each other on Trump.

Fairfax feminist Clementine Ford checks some male privilege, promoting a complaint about a man who allegedly harassed a woman named Laura on a Melbourne tram to her legions of followers, Monday:

Thank you for standing up Laura.

Whoops. Wendy Tuohy with more on the supposed incident, Melbourne’s Herald Sun, Wednesday:

The online shaming of a man for giving high-fives to young Asian women on a Melbourne tram, who was subsequently revealed as having a disability, should give social media activists huge pause for thought … (the person who put up the original post) included a photo of the man in her post which clearly identified his face, after which people who recognised him revealed he was autistic and “harmless” and just enjoyed giving high-fives.

Who knew Ford had a medical degree? Ford defends herself on Twitter, yesterday:

That man is not autistic.

Ford, taking another tack, Twitter, yesterday:

Neurological conditions and disabil­ity are not excuses to harass women.

Always a class act. Sharri Markson, The Australian, August 21 last year:

Fairfax Media columnist Clementine Ford has sold “F..k Tony Abbott” T-shirts, abused an Iranian-born rival for not being a white male and tweeted profanities with vicious abandon.

Ford wrapping up her defence, Twitter, yesterday:

Finally, f..k off.

Better late than never. The Australian’s Phillip Hudson, October 3:

It is 428 days since Tony Abbott declared the political entitlements system gravely in need of reform to give the public confidence their money was not being abused in the wake of the scandal that forced Bronwyn Bishop to resign as Speaker. It’s 194 days since an eminent five-person panel handed the government the latest report on how to fix the system … Nothing moves quickly when it comes to cleaning up the mess of political entitlements. Scandals come and go, promises are made, inquiries are held and sweeping blueprints prepared, but the system remains opaque and a disgrace.

Baby steps. ABC News website, Wednesday:

Four former federal MPs have lost a High Court challenge after arguing against reductions to their retirement allowances and Life Gold Passes, which entitle them to free travel.

Taking credit, but is credit due? Independent MP Andrew Wilkie announcing a motion to reform parliamentary entitlements, media release, yesterday:

Once again it’s left to the crossbench to stand up for common sense. It’s time for the government to put political self-interest aside and make the changes that the community demands.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offers his take on the US election, Wednesday:

English is not my mother tongue, I don’t know that I would sound decent. There are so many pussies around your presidential campaign on both sides, that I prefer not to comment about this.

Is that better or worse than what the NSW parliament said? The Australian website, yesterday:

The NSW parliament has passed a motion describing US presidential candidate Donald Trump as a “revolting slug and completely unfit for public office”.