Time to cut off the influence of the party’s ‘big swinging dicks’ and for PM to listen – The Mandarin

Yesterday morning Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Christian Porter is an innocent man under our law.

The PM previously decided there shouldnt be an inquiry into the suitability of Australias first law officer to keep his position after a series of allegations of sexism, sexual misconduct and rape. Porter strenuously denies the allegations.

Morrison based his decision on absolutely zero expert opinion and didnt seek out the solicitor-generals advice. His own two cents (and we can assume Jens guidance) was enough to do away with the serious claims put forward by a woman who later took her own life.

This is the latest display of Liberal men protecting their pack. And this pack, former foreign affairs ministerJulie Bishop said on Monday, is a group with such disgusting machismo they called themselves the big swinging dicks.

The group name was firstouted in 2009byThe AustraliansGlenn Milne. Members reportedly included Christopher Pyne, Steven Ciobo, Greg Hunt, Peter Dutton, Jamie Briggs, Mathias Cormann, Michael Keenan and Morrison.

The claim wasrepeatedby former minister Sharman Stone last month. Bishop said a decade ago and now that this group tried (and failed) to thwart her career. Liberal men have denied the existence of this group in 2009 and today.

Whether the group existed or not, the macho pack mentality it encapsulated certainly still does. Just take a look at who leads them.

On Julian Assanges extradition, Morrisonjokedabout how plenty of his mates have asked me if they can be my special envoy to help sort out the issue with Pamela Anderson. On International Womens Day in 2019 he said thatwomen should rise but not at the expense of [men].

He suggested he needs to contextualise alleged rape victims as his daughters to muster an iota of empathy. He interrupted Social Services Minister Anne Ruston when she was asked about what its like to be a woman in Parliament. When Labors Jim Chalmers said he cried in Kevin Rudds office, Morrisonmocked himfor being sensitive.

Morrison has previously denied his party had a women problem.

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Liberal women have been abandoning their ranks in droves. Most recently, Nicolle Flint stepped down after previouslycalling out sexist abuse. Julia Banks, having previously called out a culture of bullying, said the political system was stuck in time. Bishop resigned after saying the workplace culture was untenable. Former senator Lucy Gichuhi said that male bullies of the Liberal Party need tostop beating up our women.

While women are pushed out of the party after being ruthlessly mocked and bullied by men on the same side as them, there is apack of dudeswho seem to be protected in their positions.

Theres Angus Taylor, who remains in Parliament after the watergate scandal,among other incidents. Duttons pork-barrelling allegations and au pairs have largely been forgotten. Alan Tudge holds his seat even after the alleged poor treatment of and affair with a female staffer. Stuart Robert was brought back even after robotdebt. Paul Fletcher faced nothing forland overpayment.

Lets not forget Porter who alsostacked the Administrative Appeals Tribunalwith his Liberal mates. He was promoted by Malcolm Turnbull just weeks after being reprimanded for being drunk in the company of young women.

The list goes on.

Meanwhile, former Nationals deputy leader and agriculture minister Bridget McKenzie is the only senior Coalition MP to ever face a consequence since Morrison became PM following the sports rorts affair.

Of the men alleged to be in the big swinging dicks group, few remain though they left for different reasons to recent Liberal women.

Pyne and Ciobo left after the 2018 leadership spill, Keenan left in 2019 to spend time with family, and Cormann left last year to pursue a career at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Briggs is one of the few Liberal men to lose his position,resigning in 2015after complaints about his behaviour on a night out in Hong Kong by a female staffer.

All this does little for female representation in Parliament. In the House of Representatives, just31% of members are female a statistic dragged down by the fact women represent just 19.5% of the Coalition party room.

The huge difference in treatment and accountability (and the ignorance to the gender implications that drive this) shows the mentality of the big swinging dicks group is still alive and well.

This article is curated from our sister publication Crikey.

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Time to cut off the influence of the party's 'big swinging dicks' and for PM to listen - The Mandarin