The Morrison Government is drowning in smut, rape and cover-up as another horrifying day of media unfolded late yesterday.
It began with new revelations that at least one Liberal Party staffer has been sacked after being caught sharing video of himself masturbating over a female colleague’s desk in Parliament. More are rumored to follow given at least four men are involved. (And no, I did not just make that up).
Later in the evening, 4Corners aired a new program investigating what happened to Brittany Higgins. It is an appalling catalogue of mistreatment, abuse and cover-up by the Morrison Government:
It included an extended interview with the security guard that allowed Higgins and the alleged rapist into the Minister’s office and then found her naked and disoriented later. She trashed PM Morrison’s line that the alleged rapist was sacked for a “security breach”, suggesting that all knew something else had happened. The program also made it clear that it is virtually impossible that PM Morrison didn’t know about it all. As well, the guard declared, extraordinarily, that she is yet to be interviewed by anybody in the Government or police.
Then again, why would she be? There is no inquiry. It was also revealed late yesterday that PM Morrison has been hiding the fact that his mock inquiry into the Higgins affair has been suspended and he has misled parliament about it:
Scott Morrison had a chance to speak plainly last week about the review he ordered into what his office knew of the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.
But the Prime Minister botched it. He hid the truth from Parliament rather than being straight about his response to claims of a terrible crime in a minister’s office two years ago.
“He has not provided me with a further update about when I might expect that report,” Morrison told Parliament on Thursday, March 18.
Wrong. Gaetjens had given Morrison an update on March 9 that was all about this very question of when the review might be finished.
Gaetjens revealed this in a Senate estimates hearing on Monday. He said he paused the inquiry on March 9 after talks with Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw. He said he told Morrison of the decision the same day.
The denials were predictable:
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said in question time on Monday that Mr Morrison had misled Parliament.
“The Prime Minister is an empathy vacuum and an accountability black hole,” he said.
Mr Morrison denied misleading Parliament and said Mr Gaetjens’ inquiry was being done “at arm’s length”.
Which is code, apparently, for not happening at all.
Meanwhile, another of the Liberal Party’s protected alleged gropers sank deeper into hot water with five allegations of sexual misconduct being thrown around. The story is complex that you’ll have to read it yourself. But, it makes clear that PM Morrison backed Craig Kelly for political expediency despite full knowledge of the harassment allegations underway in his office.
Another of the alleged, Attorney-General Christian Porter, will return to work on full salary as he sheds swathes of his duties in order to prosecute the ABC for defamation, effectively on the taxpayer’s dime. And Linda Reynolds, who was destroyed in the 4Corners episode, remains on full pay with her feet up.
We have never seen anything like this in public or private professional life. The Liberal Party has been running a den of iniquity in the heart of our parliament. If this were a corporation it would be out of business tomorrow. It goes without saying that the Morrison Government is doomed.
The two questions now are can the Coalition Government remain intact until the election? And can the Liberal Party survive this at all given it is on the verge of losing half of the electorate permanently?
