It is difficult to avoid the conclusion of a linear progression from the oppressive administration of a penal colony to the bully tactics common in the legislature.
Last weeks unedifying scene, with one angry member attempting to throttle another, is not all that unusual.
Frustration, taunting, and it seems excessive drinking during sessions almost guarantee these outbursts.
In fact, it is hardly surprising that the failure of one member to behave with parliamentary dignity promotes a ‘pissing competition’ rather than solutions.
The episodes are frequent enough that a set of informal ‘rules’ have developed, albeit, of playground logic.
It seems, if you are to attack another member, it is safe to attack one who has transgressed in the past. This apparently has to do with the likelihood of an apology being accepted by the ‘victim’ of the attack.
In this latest incident the ‘victim’, the taunting and bullying Joe Tripodi, has a seamy past himself. Like it or not, he was bound by his own misdeeds to accept an apology. End of story, more or less.
The hapless John Brogden (See previous blog) insulted a former Premier who was not tainted and who saw no reason to accept an apology. For him the results were more dire.
Of the rules allow buster and threat, but… “What was unusual about the Fraser incident was not that he acted disreputably or even that he threatened violence, but that he actually took hold of Tripodi.
“Incidents of politicians reportedly almost coming to blows are more common, including a 1996 confrontation between Tripodi and a fellow Labor MP, Tony Stewart, after a caucus meeting. According to reports, the men shouted at each other and had to be restrained.”
Federally, Tony Abbott, then employment services minister, was kicked out by the Speaker after moving menacingly towards Labor MPs who were insulting him on a fiery day in Federal Parliament in 2000.At the time, Mark Latham, then a backbench MP and newspaper columnist, wrote:
"The sight of a federal minister moving around the House of Representatives like Mike Tyson was a low point in our parliamentary history."
The ever affable Australian newspaper thinks it is all great sport. This conservative publication trumpeted: Bear-pit baiters deserve whatever biff they get. “BRING back the horsewhip and promote Andrew "Wild Bull" Fraser. It's about time we stopped pussyfooting around in politics and journalism and started calling a spade a spade again.”
Perhaps they are right, but surely it would be far better for everyone to lift their game, rather than simply escalate the violence.
My old mate, independent member for Port Macquarie Robert Oakeshott put the latest issue into perspective:
“It's a pretty emotive issue for all north coast ministers ... but nothing justifies physical assault and that's pretty much what happened.
“At best it (Mr Tripodi's comments) was something to trigger a point of order. But nothing justifies walking around the chamber in an unprecedented fashion and grabbing someone by the throat and basically trying to choke them."
The Shadow Leader of the House, Andrew Tink, took the ‘pissing completion’ route.
He raised a previous sexual misconduct allegation against Mr Tripodi involving a woman in Parliament and an apprehended violence order taken out against him.The Leader of the Opposition, Peter Debnam, who during question time referred to the Attorney-General, Bob Debus, as a "moron", told reporters that "the Government and the media should have a close look at the behaviour of government MPs".Perhaps it is time someone had a close look at the behaviour of all MPs. As my old Mum used top say as she gave all and sundry a clout, “I don’t know who started it, but you are all involved!”
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