The anger of Karen Andrews carried so much heat on Tuesday morning it could have fired up an entire government if there was a way to bottle it and share it around.
Andrews, the Minister for Industry and Science, was livid over the story of a Liberal adviser filming himself masturbating on the desk of a female MP, in another sordid insight into a problem that goes beyond Parliament House.
Karen Andrews’ anger when she spoke to the media on Tuesday could have fired up an entire government.Credit:Rhett Wyman
There seemed to be years of frustration in Andrews’ voice as she asked for heads to roll among Liberal staffers who shared the video. The blood seemed to drain from her face as she spoke to journalists in a Parliament House corridor, to the point where she really was white with anger.
Nobody asked Andrews to speak out that morning. The Prime Minister’s Office did not send her out to help the boss. She was just fed up. So she chose to speak to Radio National and a gaggle of journalists. Unlike many around her, Andrews was not raised in the hothouse of Parliament House. She never worked as a staffer. She is a mechanical engineer who worked in business before entering Parliament at 50. Perhaps her revulsion was stronger because she had a life outside politics.
She is not alone. Some of the best people in parliament are those who never worked in it before being elected to it. But Andrews acknowledged her fury had been too long in coming.
Some of the best people in parliament are those who have worked elsewhere before being elected.Credit:Rob Homer
“I have had an absolute gutful,” she said. “My conscience will not allow me to remain quiet.”
About time, some might say. Like so many others, Andrews chose loyalty to the government over the past few years rather than causing a storm over the treatment of women. Yet the storm is more powerful because it had all those years to build.
And Scott Morrison is taking the most damage. The Prime Minister reached the lowest point in his leadership this week, as if the trough over the east coast had lashed him with wind and rain.
If Morrison does not fix this he is finished. That is one view within the ministerial wing over the scale of the backlash from women who are turning away from the Liberals and Nationals over what they see in Canberra.
This is worse than his holiday in Hawaii during the bushfires at the end of 2019 because that mistake could be repaired with money, the Army Reserves and a strong response to the pandemic soon afterwards.
The Prime Minister reached the lowest point in his leadership this week.Credit:Mark Evans
This is about a repeated struggle to get the tone and policy right on a lasting problem. It is almost six weeks since Brittany Higgins went public with her allegation of rape in Parliament House, yet the government is still stumbling in its search for a convincing answer about sexual harassment, assault and the broader issue of fairness for women.
The pressure was palpable in Morrison’s press conference on Tuesday, when he began with contrition and a reminder of the women who are central to his life – heartfelt comments, with real meaning about why he wanted change – but then veered into frustration, anger and brush with self-pity. His glass jaw was never more brittle.
So the reset turned into a repeat. Morrison apologised for turning on News Corp but his bigger problem was the inertia that followed his cathartic moment. He promised action, and then nothing happened.
How long will voters wait? Morrison condemned the alleged rape of Higgins but he also promised a review into who knew what inside his office. That is now paused. He responded to the allegation of rape against Christian Porter by seeking legal advice on the Attorney-General’s position. A decision is still pending. Morrison answered calls for change on sexual assault by promising action on a report, Respect@Work, which his government has had for a full year.
The Prime Minister responded to allegations of rape against Christian Porter by seeking legal advice.Credit:Trevor Collens
The government looks passive. It bides it time. It considers. Yes, it sacked the man who filmed his solo sex act, but it did not seize his phone or chase down others involved. It is waiting, instead, for any accomplices to step forward.
Symbols matter, too. Morrison chose not to speak to last week’s rally for women. Perhaps the protesters would have shouted him down, anyway. That means he must find another way to show he is listening. He is planning a summit to discuss the next round of funding to counter violence against women. That gathering cannot come soon enough.
A cabinet reshuffle, likely within days, is only the start of a wider response. Liberal MPs want a series of measures including the response to Respect@Work, changes in Parliament House, the summit and greater spending to stop violence.
It is hard to see the Liberals embracing quotas, given the resistance at the grass roots of the party, but the government will only survive at the next election if it finds women to contest the marginal seats it wants to win from Labor.
Morrison’s last reshuffle, just before Christmas, was a missed opportunity because he did not promote enough of the Liberals who need to be on the first rung of the ministry, ready for bigger jobs. He should have done it then; he has more reason to do it now.
The best candidate to replace Porter as Attorney-General is Paul Fletcher, the Communications Minister, even if all the speculation is about Employment Minister Michaelia Cash. The obvious candidate to move up is Jane Hume, the Minister for Superannuation, who has the profile of a cabinet minister without the formal status.
While it is logical to move Peter Dutton to Home Affairs to Defence in order to replace Linda Reynolds, this only opens another gap. Stuart Robert is a likely choice. Keeping Porter and Reynolds in cabinet could avoid making enemies, even if it prevents promotions that could give the government a stronger team.
But a reshuffle is not a reset. Morrison will only recover if he has an answer for women that is compelling in both its message and its funding.
A good starting point would be to listen to the anger of Karen Andrews and other women. Maybe it is powerful enough to save the government.
David Crowe is chief political correspondent.
David Crowe is chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
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2021-03-25 18:30:00Z
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