Following last night’s explosive Four Corners investigation into allegations of sexism and inappropriate behaviour towards women in the Federal Government, Sunrise has decided to give *checks notes* Barnaby Joyce a platform to share his take.
The investigation revealed a number of allegations of inappropriate affairs, including one young woman who reportedly told Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young that she felt ‘caught’ in the alleged relationship. You can read up on the whole episode here.
I know Joyce is quite literally the expert when it comes to political sex scandals in Australia, but considering he has a long history of disrespecting and allegedly harassing women, I truly don’t think anyone, especially not a breakfast TV programme, should be amplifying his voice on an issue like this.
As you’d expect from a man who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants while occupying one of the country’s most senior positions, he went on Sunrise this morning to assert that Christian Porter and Alan Tudge shouldn’t lose their jobs over the allegations.
“I don’t think we should be taking out Christian Porter, who is an incredibly good minister and Alan Tudge, who has answered for himself today,” Joyce said, asserting that the infamous “bonk ban” was just a “Barnaby ban”.
Throughout the interview on Sunrise, Joyce basically explained that workplace relationships happen all the time, and although his was morally questionable, as long as it’s consensual it’s not really anyone’s business.
But what Joyce neglected to address was the potential abuse of power involved when the likes of the Deputy Prime Minister is engaging in a sexual relationship with a press secretary.
Cabinet ministers allegedly preying on young female staffers is wrong, regardless of how “good” of a minister they are. There is a crystal clear power imbalance between the likes of Joyce, Porter and Tudge, and young female advisors, and any claims of inappropriate conduct should be thoroughly investigated.
But affairs aside, why the absolute fuck are we allowing Barnaby Joyce, of all people, to give an opinion on this?
For starters, he had his own extramarital affair with a young female staffer, which should automatically render his opinion moot. But that’s not the only time Barnaby has proven that he really shouldn’t be offering takes on issues involving women.
Back in 2018, a West Australian businesswoman came out with an allegation that Joyce had sexually harassed her in 2016, while he was the Minister for Agriculture. Obviously, Joyce denies this.
And then we can go back to 2011, where another woman claims she was the victim of a “bum pinching” incident at the hands of Joyce at a Canberra pub. Again, Joyce denied this.
If that wasn’t enough, he also spoke out against having female quotas for political parties in 2016, despite not being able to name any women he had supported in his party.
Oh, and we can’t forget last year when Barnaby used his infant son to advocate against women’s’ right to abortion, despite the fact that Vikki Campion (a staffer who Joyce had an affair with, and now shares two children with) entered a clinic and genuinely considered getting one herself after her affair with the then-Deputy PM.
No shame to Vikki whatsoever, but it’s a tad hypocritical for Joyce to consider abortion in his own situation, but do everything in his power to prevent other women having the same right.
Heck, even his own daughter has publicly condemned his actions, denouncing him on Instagram after his shit take on abortion.
Over the last decade, Barnaby Joyce has continually proved that he is not an ally to women. Whether it’s our rights to abortion, or just our right to (allegedly) not have our ass grabbed in a bar, Joyce doesn’t give a shit. So why would he care if his fellow male politicians are allegedly engaging in inappropriate affairs when he did it himself?
I’m not saying Barnaby Joyce can’t be interviewed. But when it comes to discussing issues regarding women and/or sexual conduct in the workplace, we absolutely shouldn’t be amplifying his voice.
Let’s talk to a female politician, or at the very least, a man with a shred of decency left.
Sunrise, do better.
