MP Julie Banks resigned after being bullied at the time of the leadership spill.

She cited her reason for leaving was “Cultural and gender bias, bullying and intimidation of women in politics.” (Quoted from The Guardian 29.08.2018) Her actions resulted in what is called victim blaming in family violence – blaming the person who has been subjected to abuse and intimidation, claiming that they are the cause of the abuse. I was particularly interested in the liberal ‘boys club’ defense of their “robust” strategies of forcing others to do what they wanted them to do.

The reality is our Prime Minister (Malcolm Turnbull at that time in case you have lost track) was voted in by the people, but in a “bloodless coup” (which seems to have become acceptable practise in Australian Politics) people from his own party conspired and collaborated against him and therefore against the voter consensus to remove him from office and replace him with Scott Morrison – thereby shooting themselves in the foot and weakening their own party. The party is now divided against itself (as is the Labour Party) losing respect and support from voters. Who do we choose to elect from this time forward when both parties have clearly self-destructed and are choosing not to see that the issue at hand is of their own creation?

Bullying is evident –

• In business
• In the workplace
• In the schools
• In elite sports in the form of excessive unwarranted aggression

Bullying starts in the homes and what has been created is what I call a ‘new normal’ of aggressive behaviour in the minds of children. That bullying mentality is now playing out on the floor of the Australian Parliament where the Politicians are acting out these aggressive, bullying behaviours in a public and private arena just like children. (Which most people can attest to after witnessing their Question time.)

Defending coercive strategies as “robust” politics

Defending the undermining of female MP’s who are speaking up against these tactics and then victim blaming them – the same strategy I witness in cases of Family Violence, because it serves the “bully” by deflecting attention away from themselves and their aggressive behavioural choices and onto their victim. Why? So they don’t have to be held accountable for their actions and so they don’t have the spotlight focused on them.

In relation to family violence, people are so busy asking “why didn’t she leave the violent relationship?” that they have forgotten what was done to her that caused her to leave was unacceptable.

A hypothetical question:

Maybe we should pre-select and groom existing bullies who are academically bright in schools to become Politicians and short-cut the process – reward them for their bullying behaviour so they can feel confident and fully supported, then systematically blame their young victims so that they will come to know ‘their place’ in society and just shut down – eliminating resistance?

Crushing any opposition to current party tactics in order to get the outcome they want, results in an entire party filled with like-minded individuals who cannot trust their own party members and a Prime Minister who has a target painted on his or her back as they head down the road towards the next leadership spill. It honestly sounds a bit communistic or dictatorial – like a dictator saying “kill the people who threaten my supreme power and control”. Our Politicians are just psychologically “killing” perceived threats to their power instead of using actual physical weapons and then asking people who have witnessed the massacre to vote for them.

When the bullying or systemic abuse is evident at the very top (Prime Minister/MP’s) it cannot help but filter all the way down the chain.

It’s fine for the government to claim they are addressing bullying and abuse in broader society, but I recommend that it’s time Politicians turned their focus to the mirror in front of them – pluck out the plank in their own eyes before addressing the splinter in someone else’s eye.