Michaelia Cash threat: naming names — how ugly

Minister for Jobs Michaelia Cash during the Senate estimates hearing today. Picture: AAP

Senator Michaelia Cash this morning threatened to “name all the young women in Bill Shorten’s office” who have been subjected to rumour-mongering.

I’m trying to think of a word that isn’t a swear word, and I’m sorry, but I can’t. Naming somebody who is the subject of unfounded, vile rumours is quite simply a shitty thing to do.

Name the women?

But of course. That’s the world we live and work in.

If you’ve ever been a young woman in the workforce, you’ll know that rumours about your sex life — vile gossip about how you got your job, or your promotion, how you’re getting ahead, what a little slut you are — comes with the territory.

It’s snide, it’s ugly, it’s rooted in misogyny. It’s designed to hobble young women before they get started, to smear their names, to make them feel anxious, and ultimately to destroy them before they can get a foothold, or go much further.

Sad as it is to report, other women are responsible for quite a bit of it. You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve heard — that people continue to say — about attractive female journalists. I’m sure it’s the same in all professions.

As everyone knows, that is exactly what political rivals tried to do to Peta Credlin. They tried to bring her down by sneering and gossiping and nudging and winking.

She point blank refused to let them do it, and good for her, and look at her now. But not everyone’s as resilient, as Amazonian, as Peta. She had already been a Prime Ministerial chief of staff when they tried to crush her by accusing her of adultery. She put them to the sword.

Former chief of staff to Tony Abbott, Peta Credlin. Picture: Aaron Francis

Compare that to Senator Cash, who this morning said to the Opposition: “If you want to start discussing staff matters, be very, very careful. I am happy to name every young woman in Mr Shorten’s office about whom rumours in this place abound. If you want to go down this path today, I will do it.”

She went on: “Do you want me to start naming them? For Mr Shorten to come out and deny any of the rumours that have been circulating in this building for many years. Dangerous path to go down, and you know it.”

Minister for Jobs Michaelia Cash makes her threat during Senate estimates today. Picture: AAP

Ugly, ugly, ugly.

Labor’s Tanya Plibersek hopped right on it, saying Cash’s comments “are disgraceful — sexist — she should apologise.”

Senator Penny Wong agreed, saying “outrageous slurs” against every young woman currently working in Mr Shorten’s office “cannot be allowed to stand.

“It’s disgraceful and sexist, impugning the character of various staff. I would ask the minister to withdraw,” she said.

Senator Cash initially refused to do so.

“The point I was making was rumours circulate in this building. It does not mean they are true,” she said.

Okay great, let’s now start spreading rumours that probably aren’t true!

Senator Wong then threatened to take the issue to the floor of the Senate, prompting Senator Cash to say: “If anyone has been offended by my remarks, I withdraw.”

That old: ‘If anyone is offended ...’

It’s offensive, Michaelia. It’s mean girl stuff, and you’re not a girl. You’re a grown up. Time to act like one.

Senator Penny Wong threatened to take the issue to the floor of the Senate. Picture: AAP