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| Australian PM calls for candidate's deselection over sexist menu | Australian PM calls for candidate's deselection over sexist menu |
| (4 months later) | |
| The Australian prime minister has again been forced to confront sexism in the country's politics after it emerged that the menu at an opposition fundraising dinner offered "Julia Gillard quail … with small breasts, huge thighs and a big red box." | The Australian prime minister has again been forced to confront sexism in the country's politics after it emerged that the menu at an opposition fundraising dinner offered "Julia Gillard quail … with small breasts, huge thighs and a big red box." |
| Gillard, who has repeated attacked misogyny among her political rivals, called on the Liberal National party to drop Mal Brough, the candidate responsible for organising the dinner. | Gillard, who has repeated attacked misogyny among her political rivals, called on the Liberal National party to drop Mal Brough, the candidate responsible for organising the dinner. |
| She implicated opposition leader Tony Abbott in a pattern of behaviour culminating in a "grossly offensive and sexist menu" being produced for the fundraiser in Brisbane in late March. | She implicated opposition leader Tony Abbott in a pattern of behaviour culminating in a "grossly offensive and sexist menu" being produced for the fundraiser in Brisbane in late March. |
| "Mr Brough should be disendorsed, that's what should happen here," Gillard told reporters in Perth on Wednesday afternoon. | "Mr Brough should be disendorsed, that's what should happen here," Gillard told reporters in Perth on Wednesday afternoon. |
| Abbott, the Liberal leader, said the menu was "tacky and scatological" but confirmed that Brough's candidacy was safe. | Abbott, the Liberal leader, said the menu was "tacky and scatological" but confirmed that Brough's candidacy was safe. |
| "I condemn it," he said. "I think we should all be bigger and better than that." | "I condemn it," he said. "I think we should all be bigger and better than that." |
| Asked if the incident would damage Brough's prospects, he replied: "Absolutely not." | Asked if the incident would damage Brough's prospects, he replied: "Absolutely not." |
| Brough has apologised for the menu, which began circulating on social media websites before it was confirmed as authentic. | Brough has apologised for the menu, which began circulating on social media websites before it was confirmed as authentic. |
| On Wednesday night the owner of the restaurant that held the fundraiser said the offending menu had not been displayed publicly. Joe Richards emailed an apology to Brough, which was released by the leader of the opposition's office. | On Wednesday night the owner of the restaurant that held the fundraiser said the offending menu had not been displayed publicly. Joe Richards emailed an apology to Brough, which was released by the leader of the opposition's office. |
| "I created a mock menu myself as a light-hearted joke, however as I said I never produced them for public distribution," Richards said. | "I created a mock menu myself as a light-hearted joke, however as I said I never produced them for public distribution," Richards said. |
| "Unfortunately a staff member saw the mock menu, and unbeknownst to myself, posted it on their Facebook. It now appears that a third party for political reasons has distributed it, yet I can reassure you that no such menu was distributed on the night." | "Unfortunately a staff member saw the mock menu, and unbeknownst to myself, posted it on their Facebook. It now appears that a third party for political reasons has distributed it, yet I can reassure you that no such menu was distributed on the night." |
| Former prime minister Kevin Rudd called on Brough to donate the money raised to an animal charity. | Former prime minister Kevin Rudd called on Brough to donate the money raised to an animal charity. |
| "It's snide, dirty and, I think, a sexist trick," he said. | "It's snide, dirty and, I think, a sexist trick," he said. |
| "It's wrong, inappropriate and he [Brough] should donate every dollar raised to the RSPCA." | "It's wrong, inappropriate and he [Brough] should donate every dollar raised to the RSPCA." |
| Rudd said: "Can I just say this about Mr Brough: number one, he's a former minister of the Howard government. Number two, he's a highly experienced politician. Number three, he organised the fundraiser which used all these menus. Four, it wasn't a mistake, he knew the menu was being used. Five, he's apologised because he's been found out." | Rudd said: "Can I just say this about Mr Brough: number one, he's a former minister of the Howard government. Number two, he's a highly experienced politician. Number three, he organised the fundraiser which used all these menus. Four, it wasn't a mistake, he knew the menu was being used. Five, he's apologised because he's been found out." |
| The menu also included "Rudd's a Goose Foie Gras" and instructed guests to eat up all their greens "before they take over". | The menu also included "Rudd's a Goose Foie Gras" and instructed guests to eat up all their greens "before they take over". |
| The shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, who was at the fundraiser, described the menu at "offensive and inappropriate", but suggested Gillard had over-reacted. He queried whether it was "the biggest event in Australia today. Come on, seriously?" | The shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, who was at the fundraiser, described the menu at "offensive and inappropriate", but suggested Gillard had over-reacted. He queried whether it was "the biggest event in Australia today. Come on, seriously?" |
| Hockey said he wasn't interested in "sanctimonious lectures" from a prime minister who had "called me a fat man in parliament" and who had on Tuesday branded him and his colleagues "effectively, misogynist pigs". | Hockey said he wasn't interested in "sanctimonious lectures" from a prime minister who had "called me a fat man in parliament" and who had on Tuesday branded him and his colleagues "effectively, misogynist pigs". |
| The new phase of the gender wars was kicked off initially by the prime minister late on Tuesday with a speech to a women's event declaring: "We don't want to live in an Australia where abortion again becomes the political plaything of men who think they know better." | The new phase of the gender wars was kicked off initially by the prime minister late on Tuesday with a speech to a women's event declaring: "We don't want to live in an Australia where abortion again becomes the political plaything of men who think they know better." |
| Under sustained pressure over her leadership, and in her strongest public intervention since her now famous speech when she accused Abbott of misogyny, Gillard moved to reframe the September election contest as a referendum on women's participation in politics and public life. | Under sustained pressure over her leadership, and in her strongest public intervention since her now famous speech when she accused Abbott of misogyny, Gillard moved to reframe the September election contest as a referendum on women's participation in politics and public life. |
| "On that day, 14 September, we are going to make a big decision as a nation. It's a decision about whether, once again, we will banish women's voices from our political life," Gillard declared. | "On that day, 14 September, we are going to make a big decision as a nation. It's a decision about whether, once again, we will banish women's voices from our political life," Gillard declared. |
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