Dutton's actions aren't for men or women

A government that favours only one group will marginalise everyone else – men included, writes Zayda Dollie.

INVESTMENT CONSULTANT Steve Moriarty spoke on his podcast recently about the men globalisation left behind.

All of those men, mainly men, were really angry because they lost their authority, increased feminism, women started telling blokes what to do, you know, "What the hell’s going on here?"

I remember the one lasting impact [for] guys now my age, 60, who were middle managers, nice house in the suburbs…along comes globalisation and next minute I’m working at McDonald's taking orders from a 19-year-old manager above me, when the world has run on seniority, where I’ve been the boss for the last 30 years because I’ve worked my way up the chain.

What Moriarty fails to say, however, is that in the good old days of pre-globalisation, those 60-year-old middle managers were in fact working for “the man”.

These men weren’t left behind by globalisation — they were left behind by men they once called their boss.

The irony is that decisions to outsource labour and cut down production costs for a bigger profit margin were made by men just like Moriarty, who were simply higher up the food chain than he was.

Men, who now feel marginalised by the flow-on effects of a globalised labour market and seem to direct their frustration toward women and migrants, presumably for taking the jobs they feel they might otherwise have.

The middle managers Moriarty describes were outranked in a system built by the very kind of men he and others like him probably aspired to become.

One week out from the May Federal Election, Moriarty’s gripe feels like déjà vu.

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While anger caused by the current economic uncertainty and job insecurity may be justified, it is grossly misplaced if it isn’t being directed at economic and political decision-makers.

In a world running on seniority, there is a rigid pecking order. This is no less true now than it was for the men, who were once left behind by globalisation and still claim to be feeling its effects.

An economic model that favours only one group will marginalise everyone else – men included.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party appeal to men who believe they might benefit under a government led by another man looking out for their interests.

If Dutton were to lead government, he might indeed end up favouring policies that cater to his own interests, but to presume Dutton’s interests might overlap with those of anyone else in his electorate seems blindingly naive.

Dutton’s economic and political model of Australia will not reward men, who already feel marginalised. Dutton’s vision of Australia will only leave these men behind. Similar to the way middle managers were left behind by men profiting off their economic demise.

The Liberal Party’s policies will make no concessions for diversity, not even when the men who voted for them eventually come to fit that description.

This can be seen by Dutton’s current track record of policies, which already marginalise and penalise ordinary Australians. Dutton has a blind spot when it comes to women, as can be seen by the disproportionately adverse impact his policies have on them.

Public service cuts

After Dutton publicly announced that the Opposition planned to downsize the public service by 41,000 jobs in an attempt to crack down on government efficiency, he corrected the statement by saying it would apply only to Canberra-based roles.

Women make up more than half (60 per cent) of the Australian Public Service (APS) workforce.

After he proposed public servants return to the office five days a week, Dutton just seemed blatantly ignorant of the fact that many of the women working in the public service rely on the flexible work arrangements the public service offers them so they can manage their caregiving duties at the same time.

Dutton made it worse by suggesting women could look for job-sharing arrangements, instead of opting not to speak on behalf of 60 per cent of Australia’s public servants.

Childcare activity test

Dutton announced the Coalition’s intention to reintroduce the childcare activity test, which would force parents and caregivers to prove they are looking for work to be able to qualify for subsidised childcare.

The activity test requires at least four hours a week of approved activity before parents can access subsidised childcare. The test has been widely criticised for the obvious reason that parents and caregivers first require childcare to be able to take up employment-related activities or look for work.

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Domestic violence

Although the Coalition has just announced a $90 million investment to end violence against women and children in Australia, Dutton’s budget pledges on the topic of domestic violence speak volumes.

Dutton has previously stated:

'As a former police officer who attended numerous domestic violence call-outs, I know the lifelong impact of these horrific crimes...A government I lead will be focused on delivering real change so that families, women and children are safer and we end family and domestic violence.'

Dutton has used domestic violence to focus on bail laws and knife crime, which is a testimony to his previous occupation more than it is to his commitment to helping women and families.

The need to fund frontline and legal services that help women, instead of punishing men for unrelated crimes, is wilfully ignored by the former police officer.

Reproductive rights

As further proof that women’s needs are not a priority or even visible to Dutton, the Liberal Leader said using abortion as a key issue in the upcoming election would be both "cheap" and "crass". He argued that abortion laws were not a federal but a state government issue.

In light of the fear some women felt following the U.S. Government’s landmark decision to overturn Roe v Wade and wondering whether Australia would follow suit, Dutton’s reluctance to put the minds of Australian women at ease is a strong indication that a non-issue for Dutton will be a non-issue for the rest of the country.

Dutton’s historical record when it comes to women’s health has been terrible. As health minister under the Abbott Government, Dutton was responsible for some of the billions cut from Medicare, which impacted health payments, health programs and research that many women relied on. In 2022, after the Coalition Government pledged $58 million toward endometriosis treatment, not one dedicated clinic had been built by the time the Coalition lost government.

Despite the fact that Dutton remains either quiet on women’s health or tone-deaf when he attempts to speak on it, he did open a men’s healthcare clinic, citing that men had a lower life expectancy in Australia than women.

Under a Dutton government, life for most Australians, both men and women, will not improve.

Zayda Dollie is an IA assistant editor who believes in the power of stories and in having female voices heard. You can follow her on Instagram @zayda_dollie_hendricks, X @ZaydaD or Bluesky @zaydadollie.