So-called “men’s rights activist”, Order of Australia Medal recipient, and domestic abuser apologist Bettina Arndt may be stripped of her medal thanks to her recent remarks on the murder of Hannah Clarke and her children.
Last week, Arndt spoke out about what she said was “misplaced outrage” over the horrific deaths of Clarke and her children Laianah, 6, Aaliyah, 4, and Trey, 3, by her estranged husband. When the investigation’s lead detective Mark Thompson said his job was to keep an open mind (comments QLD Police have since apologised for), Arndt jumped to his defense.
“How dare police deviate from the feminist script of seeking excuses and explanations when women stab their partners to death, or drive their children into dams but immediately judging a man in these circumstances as simply representing the evil violence that is in all men,” she tweeted.
Liberal MP Tim Smith, Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, and Victorian Attorney General Jill Hennessey have all written to the Governor-General’s office asking for the honour to be rescinded in the wake of the comments.
The Governor-General’s office confirmed today that it received correspondence calling for the award to be rescinded. It will now be reviewed by the independent board which hands out the awards.
These calls join over 45,000 other Australians who signed a petition for Arndt’s award to be revoked. Labor MPs Catherine King and Peter Khalil, and Coalition MPs Luke Howarth and Dave Sharma have also condemned Arndt’s comments.
These comments about a man who doused his wife and children with petrol and burnt them to death are abhorrent. I don’t believe the values which underpin @thebettinaarndt’s views on this horrific family violence incident are consistent with her retaining her Order of Australia. https://t.co/gyTLUIjEQm
— Senator Sarah Henderson (@SenSHenderson) February 22, 2020
“In all matters relating to the Order of Australia, the Governor-General acts on advice from and recommendations made by the Council for the Order of Australia,” a spokesperson for the Governor-General’s office told AAP.
“Following this standard process, the Governor-General has referred correspondence in relation to the appointment of Ms Arndt to the council.”
Arndt was included on the Australia Day honours list for her services “to gender equity through advocacy for men”. Much of her supposed advocacy on behalf of men has included defending pedophiles, dismissing survivors and trivialising sexual assault on university campuses.
Having the award revoked would be a more apt form of recognition for Arndt’s long list of cooked achievements in recent years. In 2018, she interviewed convicted pedophile Nicolaas Bester on her YouTube channel and accused his victim of engaging in “sexually provocative behaviour.”
Earlier this month, Arndt slammed a Griffith University sex and dating handbook which she claimed taught women to be “uncaring, demanding bitches.” The passage in question simply advised students about setting boundaries in the dating world, and made no reference to gender.
Young women at Griffith University are being taught to be uncaring, demanding bitches. Take a look at this list of women’s dating rights on the unis digital dating guide. It’s all about me me me me me me, my wants, my needs. A great ad for MGTOW! https://t.co/CjiPSTn6FM pic.twitter.com/pmXjc5CQVW
— Bettina Arndt (@thebettinaarndt) February 8, 2020
While Arndt has been described as a clinical psychologist and doctor for much of her career, she does not hold any relevant qualifications, a New Matilda investigation found. Arndt says she has never claimed these titles and that they were mistakenly attributed to her by others.
Just when it seemed as if politicians and citizens alike had come together to cancel Arndt, Pauline Hanson, in her infinite wisdom, went on Sunrise to defend her.
