Al jazeera Newshour here in Istanbul has just run an item about the Howard Sattler incident with the Australian Prime Minister (demanding she respond to rumours that her partner is gay because he was a hairdresser). They reported that this was an example of a string of incidents showing sexism and disrespect for the first female Prime Minister of Australia.
[Hangs head in horror and shame.]
On the caravan road 
Between flights in Dubai heading home from Greece. Loving your history bits and on practical matters there is very good fish eating under Galata Bridge ( where I think bridge might have been ‘invented’ during the Crimean War) at some water side restaurants. mm
We were just there under the Galata Bridge today, wondering if the fish was any good. Will give it a go (and maybe a game of cards). Hope you enjoyed your Greek visit. Do you think there’ll be such an uproar in Australia when Tony Abbott sells the national broadcaster?
Hate to be a grump but I was told all the fish sold in the restaurants under the Galata Bridg always flown in frozen from Scandinavia.
We could happily just drink Efes and watch the ships come and go.
Better to be out of country at moment.You probably dont know about the Brough ‘menu’ stuff that also surfaced a few days ago. It really feels like we live in a disgusting sexist selfish gutter.
We’re fully across what’s happening – still reading The Age on-line each morning.
Personally I can only take small doses. Good time to be away! HH
This week the PM was ridiculed for raising the issue of what life might be like for women under a future coalition government. Many said she was resorting to ‘gender and sexism wars’ as a way of diverting attention from the leadership issue. Yet in the same week following her speech there was the ‘menu’ from the Coalition fundraiser for Mal Brough, the incredibly disrespectful interview from Howard Sattler, followed by yet another round of sexist behavior by men serving in the army. Yep – no sexism to see here…move along…..
The level of hatred of women in anything other than a subservient position has been well and truly on display – not that it comes from everywhere or all men (or even women themselves). But you can’t avoid the ugly truth that it is a strong strand in Autralian culture and politics. The shocking thing about the army episode is that it is across the ranks from al Lt Col through Major, Captain to NCOs and enlisted soldiers. Impossible to say it is restricted to an uneducated group. The good thing is that the Chief of Army is going for it big time – no cover up, no excuses.
The way the PM has been treated over the last few days seems to me to be part of this same ugly effort from some quarters to keep uppity women in their place. I think it’s seriously problematic that TAbbott and his Deputy let this go through to the keeper. Where are their boundaries? When is behaviour egregious enough for them to call it out?
Completely agree. The bar is as low as they can get away with at the moment. Suits the story that politics has become unpleasant since Gillard has been PM, so it must be her. Didn’t Hockey say she didn’t deserve respect? HH
The story I hear is that it was the chef at Richards and Richards restaurant who heard Hockey make his crack on Tuesday morning about her not deserving respect after her ‘blue ties’ speech and that that hyprocrisy was what prompted the chef to then Tweet the menu… Hockey was bursting with indignation … after all …. ‘Julia Gillard once called me a’ ..wait for it .. ‘fat man’ ….and that is relevant because …?