Margie Abbott was wheeled out over the weekend to boost her husband's political ambitions ― but the issue is not women's attitude towards Tony Abbott, says Peter Wicks, the issue is Tony Abbott's attitude towards women.
OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, we have been forced to endure Margaret “Margie” Abbott front up in front of anything that vaguely resembles a camera or microphone, telling her nice guy Tony story to anyone who will listen.
After his mate Alan Jones really helped Tony Abbott and his image with women last week, we haven’t seen an act of this level of desperation since Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne tried to flee the parliament a few months back.
Still, we shouldn’t hold anything against Margaret Abbott, it must be hard to know that she is only worth a public showing in times of desperation. It must also be extremely tough to smile on camera while the whole country questions the way your husband deals with women. I guess in a way, Margaret may feel she has to defend herself for being married to Tony, as if all of this controversy shows here in a bad light.
However, whilst treating the public like idiots in such a transparent manner, there is something the Coalition have forgotten in all of this lunacy.
The issue is not are there women that support Tony Abbott? The issue is does Tony Abbott support women?
We have just been reminded that Tony has a wife and daughters, so proud is he, that we haven’t seen them since the last election campaign, but we will put that aside.
If Tony Abbott supports women, let’s see him support his sister for a good start. He tells us that family is important, let’s see him listen to his own advice.
Abbott's sister, Christine Forster, an advocate for same sex marriage, was there for Abbott last week for the photo opportunities
But where was he when it came to voting on same sex marriage? Voting against his sister, that’s where; not only that, making sure those in his own party could not make up their own mind by not allowing a conscience vote.
Abbott’s wife, in a blatant attempt to make her appearances seem as though they were not part of a Coalition spin cycle synchronised to the latest Newspoll, told interviewers on Channel 9’s weekend morning show that she was not a political person. This statement was totally disingenuous.
We really don’t need to know what type of woman supports Tony Abbott, we already have a pretty good idea. Every time we see Kelly O’Dwyer on Q&A, we are reminded of what the Abbott cheer squad sounds like.
We only need look at the type of women that Abbott shows support for, the lone two females on his front bench ― Julie Bishop, who is apparently only the part time deputy leader, if Tony Abbott is to be believed.
The only other female member of Abbott’s front bench is Sophie Mirabella. Sophie is a real charmer, just ask the children of the late Colin Howard QC; they’ll be happy to tell you what a class act Sophie is, or you can judge for yourself by her performance on Q&A.
If Abbott’s mates like Alan Jones and many of his Liberal Party colleagues weren’t so happy to portray an aggressive attitude towards women, then maybe Margaret wouldn’t have to venture out of wherever Abbott has had her hiding since the campaign.
Posing under “Bob Browns Bitch” signs doesn’t look good at any time. Having Mirabella and Bronwyn Bishop there with you does not fix it either.
When the Liberal party comes out with terms like “handbag hitsquad” to describe female MP’s who know how to debate policy, don’t think that it ingratiates you with female voters. They are not idiots.
After the reporting of Abbott thumping the walls on either side of a womans head brought forward credible witnesses, the damage control was laughable.
Having frontbenchers coming out with the “Tony I Know” stories was quite lame, with the laughable incident turning rapidly into a Twitter piss take, with the #TonyIKnow hashtag.
My advice to Tony is simple to get out of his pickle. Tony should leave the clutches of Catholicism and embrace Mormonism like Mitt Romney.
Maybe with 20 wives just like Margie, he’ll have a shot.
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