Political hypocrisy exposed

It’s said the Coalition has a problem – a cultural problem – with women. This image has been projected relentlessly by the Labor Party that Anthony Albanese leads. It has become a meme recycled by journalists feeding the rage machine of social media. From the troubles of former MP Julia Banks, who became an independent to escape a reportedly toxic Liberal Party, to more recent cases that should have been left to the courts, Labor and its “strong women” have been cheered on as they stood up to the “misogynist” Coalition.

Now a Labor woman, Senator Kimberley Kitching, is going to her grave after a tragic and early death, but accounts of her being bullied and demeaned survive her. Under the headline, “How Labor’s ‘mean girls’ ostracised Kimberley Kitching”, we reported claims of hostile and cruel behaviour from her sister senators, Kristina Keneally, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher.

If the ALP has not been, all this time, exploiting a narrative for crude political advantage, you would expect Mr Albanese as party leader to condemn the kind of treatment that Kitching received – without prejudging anything – and to go on to announce a robust, independent inquiry.

That, of course, has not happened. Instead, Mr Albanese has sought to deflect the substance of the story evolving about the treatment of Kitching, including misdirecting the invention and use of the term “mean girls” to The Australian rather than the victim and her friends.

Of course this is uncomfortable territory for all concerned as so many involved in Canberra politics grapple to come to terms with the death of such a memorable and engaging character. Labor MPs, led by Mr Albanese, have sought to dampen discussion about the treatment of Kitching given her death is so raw, and her funeral is yet to take place, suggesting that to deal with such a critical part of her political life in recent years is disrespectful, at a time of grief and mourning.

It has also emerged that Kitching had complained to the party’s deputy leader, Richard Marles, and other officials about her treatment; apparently to no avail. We have also reported the concern of her friends that what they saw as the ill-treatment of Kitching not be ignored now.

Politics is brutal and Kitching would not have cast herself publicly as a victim. She valued her place as a serious lawmaker and was well-versed in the turbulent rough and tumble of factional politics. But that doesn’t excuse mistreatment or bullying behaviours that cross a line. Curiously, Labor MPs and Mr Albanese have acknowledged this and sought to inflict maximum political damage on Scott Morrison and his government by alleging poor behaviour of this kind only manifests itself in conservative circles. A willing section of our national media have metaphorically joined hands with Labor on a vociferous mission to politicise abuse and bullying. It has always been disengenous to capitalise on bad behaviour of conservatives while turning a blind eye to similar accusations on your own side. The hypocrisy from Mr Albanese and his team is there now for all to see.

We see cruel and callous behaviour from primary school to the boardroom and, of course, to parliament as well. In politics, interpersonal relations have always been at risk of getting mangled in partisan conflict. But in the progressive parties of the West, there is a new social justice-style of self-righteousness in which conservatives are not simply wrong but evil. This sanctimony is bound to degenerate into double standards because it gives “progressives” a free pass for bad behaviour. It also misdirects energy that should go into public policy and practical politics.