Latest news with #ex-Liberal
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
A rapist and bully but beloved by Boomers: The turbulent history of Gareth Ward
In the aftermath of the March 2023 state election, Berry business owner Kate Dezarnaulds posed a powerful question on social media. How could the voters of Kiama, in good conscience, return an MP to parliament with serious sexual assault charges hanging over his head? 'What is wrong with my community,' Dezarnaulds asked, 'when multiple victims of sexual assault are disbelieved by half our residents? What is wrong with my community when having a member who is unable to enter their place of work or cast a vote on our behalf is good enough for half of our residents?' Dezarnaulds was referring to the now convicted rapist and former MP Gareth Ward. Ward re-contested Kiama as an independent after being forced to quit the Liberal Party in 2021 and move to the crossbench while he awaited his trial for historical sexual assault charges. For almost two years, he was barred from parliament after a successful suspension motion, and while his margin in the once-safe seat was slashed in 2023, he was returned as the MP for Kiama. The response to Dezarnaulds' post was swift, but not from Kiama voters. Rather, Ward called in RMB Lawyers, his go-to firm on the South Coast when people dared to criticise him. Ward threatened to sue Dezarnaulds for defamation. Dezarnaulds printed the apology demanded from Ward's lawyers, insisting she did not intend to suggest he was guilty of anything. Dezarnaulds went on to contest the May federal election as a Climate 200-backed independent in the seat of Gilmore. Ward continued his attacks on her during the election campaign, including lodging a complaint with the Australian Electoral Commission about her how-to-vote cards. The commission took no action. RMB Lawyers, by all accounts, has done well thanks to Ward's litigious streak. Dezarnaulds estimates he has sent concerns notices, the first step in signalling defamation proceedings, to dozens of people across the South Coast. In one case, he threatened to sue former Greens candidate and academic Tonia Gray. Gray did not want to comment, preferring to never think about Ward again. But after his conviction for the indecent and sexual assault of two young men, and his subsequent refusal to resign from parliament, Gray posted on Facebook: 'I'm speechless about the audacity of this man. We know he is a bully, we have been on the receiving end of his attacks.' (The Herald also received a concerns notice from Ward via RMB Lawyers after writing that he had made calls supporting the preselection of his friend and ex-Liberal colleague Rory Amon ahead of the 2023 election. Amon's political career ended up being short-lived, and he has since quit parliament after being charged with child sexual assault, which he denies. Ward's legal threat against the Herald went nowhere.)
The Age
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
A rapist and bully but beloved by Boomers: The turbulent history of Gareth Ward
In the aftermath of the March 2023 state election, Berry business owner Kate Dezarnaulds posed a powerful question on social media. How could the voters of Kiama, in good conscience, return an MP to parliament with serious sexual assault charges hanging over his head? 'What is wrong with my community,' Dezarnaulds asked, 'when multiple victims of sexual assault are disbelieved by half our residents? What is wrong with my community when having a member who is unable to enter their place of work or cast a vote on our behalf is good enough for half of our residents?' Dezarnaulds was referring to the now convicted rapist and former MP Gareth Ward. Ward re-contested Kiama as an independent after being forced to quit the Liberal Party in 2021 and move to the crossbench while he awaited his trial for historical sexual assault charges. For almost two years, he was barred from parliament after a successful suspension motion, and while his margin in the once-safe seat was slashed in 2023, he was returned as the MP for Kiama. The response to Dezarnaulds' post was swift, but not from Kiama voters. Rather, Ward called in RMB Lawyers, his go-to firm on the South Coast when people dared to criticise him. Ward threatened to sue Dezarnaulds for defamation. Dezarnaulds printed the apology demanded from Ward's lawyers, insisting she did not intend to suggest he was guilty of anything. Dezarnaulds went on to contest the May federal election as a Climate 200-backed independent in the seat of Gilmore. Ward continued his attacks on her during the election campaign, including lodging a complaint with the Australian Electoral Commission about her how-to-vote cards. The commission took no action. RMB Lawyers, by all accounts, has done well thanks to Ward's litigious streak. Dezarnaulds estimates he has sent concerns notices, the first step in signalling defamation proceedings, to dozens of people across the South Coast. In one case, he threatened to sue former Greens candidate and academic Tonia Gray. Gray did not want to comment, preferring to never think about Ward again. But after his conviction for the indecent and sexual assault of two young men, and his subsequent refusal to resign from parliament, Gray posted on Facebook: 'I'm speechless about the audacity of this man. We know he is a bully, we have been on the receiving end of his attacks.' (The Herald also received a concerns notice from Ward via RMB Lawyers after writing that he had made calls supporting the preselection of his friend and ex-Liberal colleague Rory Amon ahead of the 2023 election. Amon's political career ended up being short-lived, and he has since quit parliament after being charged with child sexual assault, which he denies. Ward's legal threat against the Herald went nowhere.)
Perth Now
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Nats' claim after MP's shock exit
The NSW Nationals are staking their claim over the south coast seat of Kiama, as long-term MP Gareth Ward finally falls on his sword while awaiting sentencing for rape. Ward resigned in a letter to Speaker Greg Piper on Friday morning, less than two hours before a motion to expel him was expected to go before the Legislative Assembly. The motion came after a challenge by Ward's lawyers to the Court of Appeal on Thursday failed, with both Labor and the Coalition voicing support for Friday's motion. As the dust finally settled over what could have been the first lower house expulsion in more than 100 years, questions of the now requisite by-election quickly emerged. Ex-Kiama MP Gareth Ward was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia Nationals MLC Wes Fang was in Kiama as recently as last week, meeting with Kiama Business Network treasurer Greg Langford and spruiking the trip on social media. 'While Gareth Ward was distracted by his court proceedings and subsequent conviction and revocation on bail, I've made sure I've been in Kiama, providing a voice to the electorate and raising their issues in the NSW parliament,' Mr Fang told NewsWire hours after Ward's expulsion. 'It's the NSW Nationals who have been showing up and helping the people on the ground and if asked to do so, we'd love the opportunity to represent the electorate through a Nationals local member.' In social media posts, Mr Fang shared images of the bright Nationals-green trailer he took with him to Kiama and spoke of discussions about the local business environment and cost of living. Nationals MLC Wes Fang said he had been in Kiama 'providing a voice to the electorate'. NewsWire /Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia It comes amid reports a motion from independent MP Joe McGirr to repeal ex-Liberal deputy premier John Barilaro's controversial 'Brumby Bill' could drive a wedge between the Liberals and Nationals. High-level discussions between Coalition partners, the NSW Liberals and Nationals, are expected to take place regarding Kiama. Asked whether the Liberals intended to run a candidate for Kiama, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said it would be a decision for the party's management committee. 'Obviously, I will make a request and recommendation to the management committee which, in the ordinary course, I would be confident would be followed,' he said. 'But, that's a matter for those discussions, and then it's a matter to discuss … with the Nationals what will happen under our Coalition agreement. 'Where there is a seat vacated, we have that discussion first before either or both of us declares we're going to run.' Asked if he believed it was important the Liberals run a candidate, Mr Speakman said 'discussions will be happening very quickly' within both parties. Ward, who in July was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent, was first elected as member for Kiama in 2011 and served in former premier Gladys Berejiklian's cabinet from 2019-2021. He was suspended from parliament in March 2022 after charges were laid before being re-elected a year later in a tight contest with Labor's Katelin McInerney. Ward won that contest by 0.08 per cent on the two-party preferred vote. Premier Chris Minns confirmed discussions were under way as to Labor's candidate for Kiama. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia On Friday, Premier Chris Minns confirmed discussions were under way as to Labor's candidate for Kiama, with the by-election date expected to be set next week. Mr Minns would not confirm whether Ms McInerney would stand but admitted she was a likely frontrunner. Nonetheless, Mr Minns admitted the contest in Kiama would be tough, with Ward having been re-elected after charges were laid. 'They're independent minded down there, they'll make their own decisions,' he said. 'We would be going in with our eyes wide open, and this would be a very, very tough contest for Labor.'
The Advertiser
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Big girls do cry - and macho men, too
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Last week, the British treasurer was spotted bleary-eyed in the House of Commons, wiping away a tear (as well she might because the media onslaught against her had been ferocious), but it then sparked a debate about whether weeping was a sign of political weakness. It is not. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is allowed to cry - and, heartwarmingly, the markets fell on the thought that she might be pushed out by the lynch mob. Financial markets know what side their bread is buttered on, and they weren't having any of this crying denotes weakness nonsense. Even big men cry. They do. Even Peter Dutton (Google him). "Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has choked back tears after the father of one-punch victim Cole Miller called in to his 2GB radio interview to thank him for deporting a man involved in his son's death," Nine News reported in 2018. If ex-cop and ex-leader of the Liberals Peter Dutton can cry, we all can. Other macho-men politicians have also cried. Bob Hawke shed tears after the Tiananmen Square massacre: "His voice breaking with emotion, the Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, yesterday wept along with hundreds of Chinese students and other mourners at a memorial service at Parliament House for the slain of China," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The same paper revealed that ex-Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull blubbed: "Our tough-talking Prime Minister - buster of unions, lover of negative gearing, occasional shooter - is, by his own admission, a cry baby. Asked on morning radio whether he often shed a tear, Malcolm Turnbull acknowledged: 'Yes, I do, I do'." And yet, and yet. In our cynical times, the thought immediately pops up that macho politicians shedding a tear might just be good for the image - tough but sensitive, as it were. Moist eyes: good for the image; wailing out loud, not so good. But war leader Churchill was a weeper (though you might think he had a lot to cry about with the blitz and what once appeared like the imminent invasion of Britain - though he was also known to cry about a noble dog struggling through the snow to his master). And Churchill had seen friends killed in action. The historian Andrew Roberts wrote: "On 30 September 1897, after his great friend Lieutenant William Browne-Clayton was killed close to him on an expedition along India's Northwest Frontier, Churchill wrote to his mother, 'I rarely detect genuine emotion in myself,' and 'I must rank it as a rare instance the fact that I cried when I saw poor Browne-Clayton literally cut to pieces on a stretcher'." In 1940, Churchill wept in the House of Commons when MPs rose and applauded him for several minutes. "Sitting on the Treasury bench, the tension draining from his body, Churchill lowered his head and the tears ran down his cheeks," the Soviet ambassador to Britain wrote. "At last we have a real leader!" was the cry echoing through the lobbies. Real leaders cry. If Churchill can weep openly, so can the rest of us. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you hide your tears, perhaps leaving the room? How do you react when you spot a weepy colleague? Are you embarrassed when a leader cries? Send your thoughts to echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - The Reserve Bank of Australia decided to keep the rate of interest on which other rates of interest (like mortgage rates) depend unchanged. Many economists and the four major banks had predicted a cut to the cash rate. The RBA decision, which was not unanimous, indicated that it still wasn't sure that inflation had been squeezed out of the economy. It cited a strong labour market and a need to see confirmation in upcoming data that inflation was easing. - Aldi is trialling a new home delivery service for its groceries, and the supermarket chain. The German-based supermarket has partnered with delivery service DoorDash. Canberra is the first area for the trial from Tuesday this week. THEY SAID IT: "Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before -- more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle." Charles Dickens YOU SAID IT: I ranted - sorry, argued persuasively - against big inequalities of wealth. Murray didn't agree but disagreed thoughtfully: "One can envy the uber-rich, even despise them a little, but they are often huge employers with annual payrolls running into billions. I never despised my employer so much that I wasn't grateful for my pay packet. If the rich get richer, their lifestyles may be offensive, but they are the ones generating the wealth for governments to tax and the ones paying the wages." Helen (in her late 80s) said: "The answer is obviously taxing the rich at a much tougher rate. It will never happen, at least not in my lifetime." Neil urged us to the barricades: "The People, United Shall Never Be Defeated! Pitchforks and tumbrils peeps! Not tomorrow... NOW!!" Graham was not far behind him: "History saw four revolutions - the first two failed, but the French Revolution succeeded in the 18th century, followed by the Bolsheviks in 1917. Can I hear the scrape of whetstones on pitchforks and billhooks?" "Depressed Echidna reader, Sandra" wrote: "It really boils down to money, I believe that Australia is heading for a fall along with the environment." Chas said (and I'll keep his first sentence): "Good article Steve, and right on the money. History is littered with examples of societal collapse brought about by the excesses of the affluent exercised in the face of the vast majority of the underprivileged. In relatively later millennia, the Roman Empire comes to mind (think Nero and Caligula), the French Revolution, and in some measure, the USSR. In the historical mix, one can include the British Empire and the Spanish pillaging of foreign wealth." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Last week, the British treasurer was spotted bleary-eyed in the House of Commons, wiping away a tear (as well she might because the media onslaught against her had been ferocious), but it then sparked a debate about whether weeping was a sign of political weakness. It is not. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is allowed to cry - and, heartwarmingly, the markets fell on the thought that she might be pushed out by the lynch mob. Financial markets know what side their bread is buttered on, and they weren't having any of this crying denotes weakness nonsense. Even big men cry. They do. Even Peter Dutton (Google him). "Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has choked back tears after the father of one-punch victim Cole Miller called in to his 2GB radio interview to thank him for deporting a man involved in his son's death," Nine News reported in 2018. If ex-cop and ex-leader of the Liberals Peter Dutton can cry, we all can. Other macho-men politicians have also cried. Bob Hawke shed tears after the Tiananmen Square massacre: "His voice breaking with emotion, the Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, yesterday wept along with hundreds of Chinese students and other mourners at a memorial service at Parliament House for the slain of China," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The same paper revealed that ex-Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull blubbed: "Our tough-talking Prime Minister - buster of unions, lover of negative gearing, occasional shooter - is, by his own admission, a cry baby. Asked on morning radio whether he often shed a tear, Malcolm Turnbull acknowledged: 'Yes, I do, I do'." And yet, and yet. In our cynical times, the thought immediately pops up that macho politicians shedding a tear might just be good for the image - tough but sensitive, as it were. Moist eyes: good for the image; wailing out loud, not so good. But war leader Churchill was a weeper (though you might think he had a lot to cry about with the blitz and what once appeared like the imminent invasion of Britain - though he was also known to cry about a noble dog struggling through the snow to his master). And Churchill had seen friends killed in action. The historian Andrew Roberts wrote: "On 30 September 1897, after his great friend Lieutenant William Browne-Clayton was killed close to him on an expedition along India's Northwest Frontier, Churchill wrote to his mother, 'I rarely detect genuine emotion in myself,' and 'I must rank it as a rare instance the fact that I cried when I saw poor Browne-Clayton literally cut to pieces on a stretcher'." In 1940, Churchill wept in the House of Commons when MPs rose and applauded him for several minutes. "Sitting on the Treasury bench, the tension draining from his body, Churchill lowered his head and the tears ran down his cheeks," the Soviet ambassador to Britain wrote. "At last we have a real leader!" was the cry echoing through the lobbies. Real leaders cry. If Churchill can weep openly, so can the rest of us. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you hide your tears, perhaps leaving the room? How do you react when you spot a weepy colleague? Are you embarrassed when a leader cries? Send your thoughts to echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - The Reserve Bank of Australia decided to keep the rate of interest on which other rates of interest (like mortgage rates) depend unchanged. Many economists and the four major banks had predicted a cut to the cash rate. The RBA decision, which was not unanimous, indicated that it still wasn't sure that inflation had been squeezed out of the economy. It cited a strong labour market and a need to see confirmation in upcoming data that inflation was easing. - Aldi is trialling a new home delivery service for its groceries, and the supermarket chain. The German-based supermarket has partnered with delivery service DoorDash. Canberra is the first area for the trial from Tuesday this week. THEY SAID IT: "Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before -- more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle." Charles Dickens YOU SAID IT: I ranted - sorry, argued persuasively - against big inequalities of wealth. Murray didn't agree but disagreed thoughtfully: "One can envy the uber-rich, even despise them a little, but they are often huge employers with annual payrolls running into billions. I never despised my employer so much that I wasn't grateful for my pay packet. If the rich get richer, their lifestyles may be offensive, but they are the ones generating the wealth for governments to tax and the ones paying the wages." Helen (in her late 80s) said: "The answer is obviously taxing the rich at a much tougher rate. It will never happen, at least not in my lifetime." Neil urged us to the barricades: "The People, United Shall Never Be Defeated! Pitchforks and tumbrils peeps! Not tomorrow... NOW!!" Graham was not far behind him: "History saw four revolutions - the first two failed, but the French Revolution succeeded in the 18th century, followed by the Bolsheviks in 1917. Can I hear the scrape of whetstones on pitchforks and billhooks?" "Depressed Echidna reader, Sandra" wrote: "It really boils down to money, I believe that Australia is heading for a fall along with the environment." Chas said (and I'll keep his first sentence): "Good article Steve, and right on the money. History is littered with examples of societal collapse brought about by the excesses of the affluent exercised in the face of the vast majority of the underprivileged. In relatively later millennia, the Roman Empire comes to mind (think Nero and Caligula), the French Revolution, and in some measure, the USSR. In the historical mix, one can include the British Empire and the Spanish pillaging of foreign wealth." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Last week, the British treasurer was spotted bleary-eyed in the House of Commons, wiping away a tear (as well she might because the media onslaught against her had been ferocious), but it then sparked a debate about whether weeping was a sign of political weakness. It is not. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is allowed to cry - and, heartwarmingly, the markets fell on the thought that she might be pushed out by the lynch mob. Financial markets know what side their bread is buttered on, and they weren't having any of this crying denotes weakness nonsense. Even big men cry. They do. Even Peter Dutton (Google him). "Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has choked back tears after the father of one-punch victim Cole Miller called in to his 2GB radio interview to thank him for deporting a man involved in his son's death," Nine News reported in 2018. If ex-cop and ex-leader of the Liberals Peter Dutton can cry, we all can. Other macho-men politicians have also cried. Bob Hawke shed tears after the Tiananmen Square massacre: "His voice breaking with emotion, the Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, yesterday wept along with hundreds of Chinese students and other mourners at a memorial service at Parliament House for the slain of China," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The same paper revealed that ex-Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull blubbed: "Our tough-talking Prime Minister - buster of unions, lover of negative gearing, occasional shooter - is, by his own admission, a cry baby. Asked on morning radio whether he often shed a tear, Malcolm Turnbull acknowledged: 'Yes, I do, I do'." And yet, and yet. In our cynical times, the thought immediately pops up that macho politicians shedding a tear might just be good for the image - tough but sensitive, as it were. Moist eyes: good for the image; wailing out loud, not so good. But war leader Churchill was a weeper (though you might think he had a lot to cry about with the blitz and what once appeared like the imminent invasion of Britain - though he was also known to cry about a noble dog struggling through the snow to his master). And Churchill had seen friends killed in action. The historian Andrew Roberts wrote: "On 30 September 1897, after his great friend Lieutenant William Browne-Clayton was killed close to him on an expedition along India's Northwest Frontier, Churchill wrote to his mother, 'I rarely detect genuine emotion in myself,' and 'I must rank it as a rare instance the fact that I cried when I saw poor Browne-Clayton literally cut to pieces on a stretcher'." In 1940, Churchill wept in the House of Commons when MPs rose and applauded him for several minutes. "Sitting on the Treasury bench, the tension draining from his body, Churchill lowered his head and the tears ran down his cheeks," the Soviet ambassador to Britain wrote. "At last we have a real leader!" was the cry echoing through the lobbies. Real leaders cry. If Churchill can weep openly, so can the rest of us. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you hide your tears, perhaps leaving the room? How do you react when you spot a weepy colleague? Are you embarrassed when a leader cries? Send your thoughts to echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - The Reserve Bank of Australia decided to keep the rate of interest on which other rates of interest (like mortgage rates) depend unchanged. Many economists and the four major banks had predicted a cut to the cash rate. The RBA decision, which was not unanimous, indicated that it still wasn't sure that inflation had been squeezed out of the economy. It cited a strong labour market and a need to see confirmation in upcoming data that inflation was easing. - Aldi is trialling a new home delivery service for its groceries, and the supermarket chain. The German-based supermarket has partnered with delivery service DoorDash. Canberra is the first area for the trial from Tuesday this week. THEY SAID IT: "Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before -- more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle." Charles Dickens YOU SAID IT: I ranted - sorry, argued persuasively - against big inequalities of wealth. Murray didn't agree but disagreed thoughtfully: "One can envy the uber-rich, even despise them a little, but they are often huge employers with annual payrolls running into billions. I never despised my employer so much that I wasn't grateful for my pay packet. If the rich get richer, their lifestyles may be offensive, but they are the ones generating the wealth for governments to tax and the ones paying the wages." Helen (in her late 80s) said: "The answer is obviously taxing the rich at a much tougher rate. It will never happen, at least not in my lifetime." Neil urged us to the barricades: "The People, United Shall Never Be Defeated! Pitchforks and tumbrils peeps! Not tomorrow... NOW!!" Graham was not far behind him: "History saw four revolutions - the first two failed, but the French Revolution succeeded in the 18th century, followed by the Bolsheviks in 1917. Can I hear the scrape of whetstones on pitchforks and billhooks?" "Depressed Echidna reader, Sandra" wrote: "It really boils down to money, I believe that Australia is heading for a fall along with the environment." Chas said (and I'll keep his first sentence): "Good article Steve, and right on the money. History is littered with examples of societal collapse brought about by the excesses of the affluent exercised in the face of the vast majority of the underprivileged. In relatively later millennia, the Roman Empire comes to mind (think Nero and Caligula), the French Revolution, and in some measure, the USSR. In the historical mix, one can include the British Empire and the Spanish pillaging of foreign wealth." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Last week, the British treasurer was spotted bleary-eyed in the House of Commons, wiping away a tear (as well she might because the media onslaught against her had been ferocious), but it then sparked a debate about whether weeping was a sign of political weakness. It is not. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is allowed to cry - and, heartwarmingly, the markets fell on the thought that she might be pushed out by the lynch mob. Financial markets know what side their bread is buttered on, and they weren't having any of this crying denotes weakness nonsense. Even big men cry. They do. Even Peter Dutton (Google him). "Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has choked back tears after the father of one-punch victim Cole Miller called in to his 2GB radio interview to thank him for deporting a man involved in his son's death," Nine News reported in 2018. If ex-cop and ex-leader of the Liberals Peter Dutton can cry, we all can. Other macho-men politicians have also cried. Bob Hawke shed tears after the Tiananmen Square massacre: "His voice breaking with emotion, the Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, yesterday wept along with hundreds of Chinese students and other mourners at a memorial service at Parliament House for the slain of China," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The same paper revealed that ex-Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull blubbed: "Our tough-talking Prime Minister - buster of unions, lover of negative gearing, occasional shooter - is, by his own admission, a cry baby. Asked on morning radio whether he often shed a tear, Malcolm Turnbull acknowledged: 'Yes, I do, I do'." And yet, and yet. In our cynical times, the thought immediately pops up that macho politicians shedding a tear might just be good for the image - tough but sensitive, as it were. Moist eyes: good for the image; wailing out loud, not so good. But war leader Churchill was a weeper (though you might think he had a lot to cry about with the blitz and what once appeared like the imminent invasion of Britain - though he was also known to cry about a noble dog struggling through the snow to his master). And Churchill had seen friends killed in action. The historian Andrew Roberts wrote: "On 30 September 1897, after his great friend Lieutenant William Browne-Clayton was killed close to him on an expedition along India's Northwest Frontier, Churchill wrote to his mother, 'I rarely detect genuine emotion in myself,' and 'I must rank it as a rare instance the fact that I cried when I saw poor Browne-Clayton literally cut to pieces on a stretcher'." In 1940, Churchill wept in the House of Commons when MPs rose and applauded him for several minutes. "Sitting on the Treasury bench, the tension draining from his body, Churchill lowered his head and the tears ran down his cheeks," the Soviet ambassador to Britain wrote. "At last we have a real leader!" was the cry echoing through the lobbies. Real leaders cry. If Churchill can weep openly, so can the rest of us. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you hide your tears, perhaps leaving the room? How do you react when you spot a weepy colleague? Are you embarrassed when a leader cries? Send your thoughts to echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - The Reserve Bank of Australia decided to keep the rate of interest on which other rates of interest (like mortgage rates) depend unchanged. Many economists and the four major banks had predicted a cut to the cash rate. The RBA decision, which was not unanimous, indicated that it still wasn't sure that inflation had been squeezed out of the economy. It cited a strong labour market and a need to see confirmation in upcoming data that inflation was easing. - Aldi is trialling a new home delivery service for its groceries, and the supermarket chain. The German-based supermarket has partnered with delivery service DoorDash. Canberra is the first area for the trial from Tuesday this week. THEY SAID IT: "Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before -- more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle." Charles Dickens YOU SAID IT: I ranted - sorry, argued persuasively - against big inequalities of wealth. Murray didn't agree but disagreed thoughtfully: "One can envy the uber-rich, even despise them a little, but they are often huge employers with annual payrolls running into billions. I never despised my employer so much that I wasn't grateful for my pay packet. If the rich get richer, their lifestyles may be offensive, but they are the ones generating the wealth for governments to tax and the ones paying the wages." Helen (in her late 80s) said: "The answer is obviously taxing the rich at a much tougher rate. It will never happen, at least not in my lifetime." Neil urged us to the barricades: "The People, United Shall Never Be Defeated! Pitchforks and tumbrils peeps! Not tomorrow... NOW!!" Graham was not far behind him: "History saw four revolutions - the first two failed, but the French Revolution succeeded in the 18th century, followed by the Bolsheviks in 1917. Can I hear the scrape of whetstones on pitchforks and billhooks?" "Depressed Echidna reader, Sandra" wrote: "It really boils down to money, I believe that Australia is heading for a fall along with the environment." Chas said (and I'll keep his first sentence): "Good article Steve, and right on the money. History is littered with examples of societal collapse brought about by the excesses of the affluent exercised in the face of the vast majority of the underprivileged. In relatively later millennia, the Roman Empire comes to mind (think Nero and Caligula), the French Revolution, and in some measure, the USSR. In the historical mix, one can include the British Empire and the Spanish pillaging of foreign wealth."
West Australian
06-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Stephen Jones: Former Labor assistant treasurer named Australia's ambassador to the OECD
Former Labor assistant treasurer Stephen Jones has been appointed Australia's next ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. Just two months after retiring from Federal politics, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced the appointment on Sunday. Mr Jones will take up the post in September, replacing ex-Liberal PM Scott Morrison's trade and investment adviser Brendan Pearson, who was appointed in 2021. Senator Wong and Dr Chalmers said their former colleague would bring a 'wealth of experience' to advancing Australia's interests after he served in Federal Parliament from 2010 until this year. During his stint, Mr Jones spent almost six years in the Treasury portfolio and nearly half that time as Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services. 'In Government, Mr Jones delivered reforms to strengthen Australia's superannuation and financial systems, modernise markets, and improve the integrity of our tax system,' the joint statement said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has appointed several former Labor Federal parliament members to prominent international diplomatic positions. Notably, former Labor PM Kevin Rudd as Australia's Ambassador to the United States and former Defence Minister Stephen Smith as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Nationals MP Keith Pitt was also recently appointed as Australia's ambassador to the Holy See. Mr Jones had been a prominent and longtime supporter of Mr Albanese, and thanked him for his 'friendship and support over many decades' when announcing his retirement. Dr Chalmers had acknowledged him as a 'terrific colleague' who will leave behind a 'proud legacy.' Former WA senator Mathias Cormann, who is the current Secretary-General of the OECD, is originally from Belgium but served as a long-time Coalition finance minister before the role.
