Julie Bishop Says A Group Of Dudebro Lib MPs Call Themselves The ‘Big Swinging Dicks’ Club

Julie Bishop Liberal MPs

Former deputy leader of the Liberal Party and ex-Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has claimed that a group of Liberal MPs, who called themselves the “big swinging dicks” club, tried to undermine her leadership ambitions.

In an interview with Leigh Sales last night on ABC’s 7.30, Julie Bishop was questioned about the sexist male culture that exists within Parliament House, as well as former Liberal minister Sharman Stone’s claims that a group of Liberal MPs called the “big swinging dicks” attempted to block Bishop’s goals towards leadership.

Stone claimed that these individuals conducted “secret men’s business”, and now, Bishop has backed up those allegations.

“I believe it was the ‘big swinging dicks’. So there was obviously an overexcited imagination on the part of some, I would suggest,” Bishop said.

“Nobody self-identified to me, thank goodness for that. But if they were seeking to block my aspirations, well, they didn’t succeed because my ambition was to be the foreign minister of Australia, and I’m very proud to say that I served in that role for five years.

“And likewise I was deputy leader of the party for 11 years. So if their ambition was to thwart my aspirations, then they failed.”

Naturally, Bishop was also questioned about the rape allegations against Christian Porter. She told Sales that an inquest into the accuser’s death would be the most “logical step” to take.

“It’s within the criminal system, there are checks and balances, there are statutory powers, it has legal standing and so that is the next step, and I understand from media reporting that that’s what the family would welcome,” Bishop said.

After a string of allegations and cover-ups, it seems clear that there is a culture of masculinity within our Government.

Bishop detailed that this “powerful” culture has been developing over the years, and constantly works to ensure the image of the greater party is never damaged, “particularly at election time”.

“If the events of the last few weeks haven’t led political parties to embrace change, I don’t know what has to happen,” she said.

“A culture has developed over many years. I think it‘s embedded in parliament because the environment, the conventions, the protocols, were all established at a time when there were no women in parliament or very few women in parliament.”

It’s pretty fucked that anyone in politics would consciously align themselves with a club called the “big swinging dicks”.

For legal reasons, I will not be suggesting a more apt club title, but just think of the exact opposite and add in the word shrivelled. Yeah, that seems more fitting, but you definitely didn’t hear it from me.

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