The NSW Liberal Opposition Leader, John Brogden, has been caught sprouting a racist obscenity. Again. During an "alcohol fuelled night" - according to the Sydney Morning Herald that placed the story across its front page - Brogden pinched a journalist's behind and called former NSW Premier Bob Carr's wife, Helena, a "mail-order bride". On July 29, soon after Carr's resignation, Brogden says he was "very happy with the change and events in NSW."
Brogden should resign immediately.
This is not the first time Brodgen has displayed racist tendencies. In 2004, during the Orange Grove controversy, he said this in relation to Frank Lowy: "Bob Carr is a Judas to the people of Western Sydney. He has taken his 30 pieces of silver from Westfield and they get a good deal."
The Australian Jewish News rightly condemned the comments as alluding to anti-Jewish stereotypes.
It is amazing, however, that Brogden comes under heavy fire - deservedly, to be sure - and yet any number of Federal Liberal MPs rave on about "Australian values" and banning Muslims headscarves and it's considered an acceptable part of civilised debate.
UPDATE: Good riddance, John.
Brogden should resign immediately.
This is not the first time Brodgen has displayed racist tendencies. In 2004, during the Orange Grove controversy, he said this in relation to Frank Lowy: "Bob Carr is a Judas to the people of Western Sydney. He has taken his 30 pieces of silver from Westfield and they get a good deal."
The Australian Jewish News rightly condemned the comments as alluding to anti-Jewish stereotypes.
It is amazing, however, that Brogden comes under heavy fire - deservedly, to be sure - and yet any number of Federal Liberal MPs rave on about "Australian values" and banning Muslims headscarves and it's considered an acceptable part of civilised debate.
UPDATE: Good riddance, John.
I believe all religions should be able to display their beliefs, clothing etc, without issue. That includes Jews, Christians, Muslms etc. For me, France is not a model in this case.
ReplyDeleteOf course, your dislike - and ignorance - of Islam makes you uncomfortable with any Muslims being here at all. Sorry you.
Have heard that a young lib, with a bit of a history, was the man behind the blab!
ReplyDeleteBlogdens behaviour ,reprehensible, but was this the inevitable shift further to the right, by so called liberals, in extremist N.S.W.?
Dont know much of that states politics,obviously,but was it a further flushing of any small l liberals who RESIGN when they fuck up?
What do you reckon Antony
PM reported the leaker as Alex Hawke, the neo-con in training himself...
ReplyDeleteAs for religious attire, doesn't freedom of religion mean the right to wear the headscarf or any form of clothing if one wishes?
Yep, Alex Hawke it is.
ReplyDeleteHe's long thought Brogden is a bleeding heart (God help us!).
Read this for some background: http://antonyloewenstein.blogspot.com/2005/05/liberal-future.html
Hawke and some of his friends are connected to the far-right Christian movement and have essentially taken over the NSW Young Liberals.
Thanks for the link Antony....interesting (and quite scary) stuff when you consider that the likes of Hawke, Clarke et al could be our future political masters.
ReplyDeleteThe Monthly also ran an interesting article a couple of issues back on the Young Liberals conference in Wrest Point, Tasmania.
The Australian Jewish News rightly condemned the comments as alluding to anti-Jewish stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteAs would Margo's comments here?
Why the Coalition hates Barnaby on Telstra, a reminder of their Judas day in 1998
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The Judas National Party Senators
Margo a Jew-hater? But I thought one of her best friends was you-ish.