Australian PM under fire for interrupting female minister

[discocrisco01]

Source: BBC News

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been criticised for interrupting a senior minister who was responding to a question about what it's like to be a woman in parliament.

Anne Ruston, minister for families and social services, was asked if the political culture for women had improved.

But she was interrupted a few words into her response.

The incident comes amid reports of sexual misconduct in parliament.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-54889528

[irisblue]

1. Says a good bit about male politicians globally

[Doodley]

2. When Trump does that kind of thing, it's called normal.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. His behavior answered the question she was asked

[treestar]

4. Looking at it, it does not seem so bad

He in general complains of their unserious description of the ban against relationships between people in government. It is more directed at the reporter. She says he is supportive of her.

[skypilot]

5. That was my take as well.

His timing was horrible but his intention was to draw attention to the trivializing way the law is referred to. "Bonk Ban" is pretty obnoxious.

[niyad]

9. See post 8.

[skypilot]

12. That's one way to interpret the situation...

...and that is the way I fully expected to interpret it when I clicked on the video but what I saw was someome who was justifiably annoyed at the way a serious piece of legislation was being trivialized with a childish moniker. His timing was bad, like I said, but I really got the sense that he had simply heard the words "Bonk Ban" one too many times.

[niyad]

13. Does not matter. The rude interruption matters. The question was not addressed to him, period.

[skypilot]

14. Have a nice day.

*

[robbob]

6. It looks bad because the camera is shifting over to the woman when he jumps in with his comment

Which makes it look like he was trying to steal her spotlight. I seriously doubt he was aware of the camera, he just felt he had to jump in and protest the ridiculous media framing of the anti-harassment bill as a “bonk ban”, which (as he points out) is a demeaning and trivializing way to refer to sexual harassment. Having chastised the reporter he immediately turns the question over to his colleague.

[niyad]

8. He was interrupting the person who was responding. Typical. This arrogance is so widespread,

so common, that most do not see it for the patriarchal bs it is.

[Towlie]

7. Kamala Harris wouldn't have stayed silent through that.

"Mr. Prime Minister, I am speaking."
"Mr. Prime Minister, I am speaking."
"Mr. Prime Minister, I am speaking."

[sandensea]

11. Talking to Republicans makes almost anyone sound like a 1st grade teacher

Dense Pence is even worse than Cheeto!

[sandensea]

10. An Australian acquaintance hated the Labor Party because "they ruined the traditional Australia"

i.e. they let in too many Asians.

She wails about multi-culturalism, and (of course) is a rabid Trumpette here in the U.S.

My impression is that people like her may explain a lot of the Scott Morrison/Tony Abbott vote down there.

[OneBro]

15. Media got it wrong on this one.

Last edited Wed Nov 11, 2020, 06:42 PM - Edit history (1)

Yes, he interrupted, but he likely would have done the same with a man. He wasn't upset with her response, he was upset with the form of the question. More on point, Ruston went on to speak well of the Prime Minister and said she had felt nothing but support from him.

[Towlie]

17. "Jump the shark" means to run out of ideas.

When Fonzie put on water skis and his black leather jacket, and jumped over a shark, critics declared that the Happy Days writers had run out of ideas.

[OneBro]

18. Interesting. Still sorta kinda fitting, but you're right. Danke'!

[stopdiggin]

16. came away with a different take

there was an interruption (and that's a bad no doubt)
but it also seems clear that the interruption was directed at classless tabloid style reporting, rather than at the minister.

(Does Australia have a testosterone problem? Oh, you bet. And so do a lot of other places and organizations. Is this a real good illustration of that privilege? Meh. I'll bet that same minister can give you 20 other examples, within her work experience, that rank far worse than what took place here.)