Look, Anne, genuine sexism
Tony Abbott looked at his watch, which set Julia Gillard to ranting about the then-Opposition leader — “this man” — and his irredeemable sexism. Her speech, it is often forgotten, was an attempt to get Peter Slipper’s random thoughts about bivalves and female private parts off the front pages and, in this regard, the harangue succeeded mightily. On cue, the likes of Anne Summers were hailing that address as a high-water moment in the emancipation of women. It was one of Ms Gillard’s finest moments in that, for once, it actually achieved what she set out to do. Ms Summers’ ardent advocacy of her heroine’s spittle was also something of a plus for garden-variety readers, as her noted feminist admirer had found a topic sufficiently engrossing to see her set aside the production of further essays on her favourite abortion.
Abbott is gone, perhaps for good, and Ms Summers has been getting by on the thinner gruel of far less serious offences than the wearing of blue ties. Indeed, so…
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Sep 02 2024
0 mins
The Society of Jesus mourns the death of Father Gerald (“Gerry”) O’Collins SJ AC. Fr O’Collins died in Melbourne on Thursday 22 August at the age of 93. He had been a Jesuit for 74 years and a priest for 61 years.
Aug 31 2024
3 mins
How could it not be the Jews? That was the immediate surmise of, let us be frank, noxiously aggressive bigots and anti-Semites. Tayah’s restaurant was in Caulfield, the heart of Jewish Melbourne, there was a synagogue nearby.
Aug 30 2024
4 mins