Gladys Berejikilan should stay out of federal politics in the national interest. There is a range of issues at stake.
First, she has herself rightly described the Liar as “evil” and expressed an earnest desire that Peter Dutton had become PM. For her to go back on this striking judgement would be to show bad faith with her NSW fanbase.
This tips into the second issue. Regardless of the official ICAC outcome, all Australians have heard the tapes in which Berejiklian consorted with her boyfriend about NSW grant flows. Her former boss, Mike Baird, expressed incredulity at her behaviour and delivered a public dressing down for it.
The moral judgment of ICAC is in and it is crystal clear. Gladys behaved corruptly.
Given the parlous debauchery that the federal Liberal Party has descended into, it is absurd that she join it as some kind of saviour in any terms that you care to mention.
Third, if Gladys gives two hoots about Australia she will allow the Liar regime to face the electorate unencumbered by confusion about the pandemic and/or state performance. To do anything else would be to put herself ahead of the nation, which effectively rules her out as an appropriate reform candidate anyway.
Finally, Gladys must stay out of it on behalf of all Australia’s women and civilised society. The federal Liberal Party needs to be burned at the stake for its behaviour in Parliament House. Deviant sexual practices in the national forum are appalling. Combined with prothetylising it is an abomination.
This is not a question of feminism. It is an issue of basic human decency and social standards. If Gladys joins the Liar’s brothel as its branded strumpet then she is endorsing all of it.
The press gallery is musing about it:
The federal Liberal Party’s obsession of the moment – former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian – is driven by its failure towards women, and the failure of one woman.
Marise Payne is the Foreign Minister, Minister for Women, the most senior female minister in the federal government, and a leader of the largest faction in the NSW Liberal Party, the “moderates” group.
From her position of enormous latent power and influence over policy, the Parliament, her party and public opinion, Payne has chosen to hide rather than lead.
In a year when the treatment of women, in ministerial offices, on social media and elsewhere became the defining perceived failure of the Morrison government for many voters, Payne maintained the monk-like silence that allowed her to stealthily, through factional patronage, ascend government.
Maybe Maris Payne is as disgusted as the rest of us about the behaviour of her disgraced party and has decided discretion is the better part of valour while the Liar is still in power.
Gladys Berejiklian should take note.
