In May 2018 Liberal Senator Jane Hume published a post on Facebook about the issues she faced as a single mother with 3 children while working as an MP and Liberal MP Michael Sukkar sent some misogynistic texts in a Liberal Party group attacking Senator Hume. The texts were leaked to Sixty Minutes and broadcast on their show a few weeks ago which led to the dynamite question where Labor’s Tanya Plibersek asked Michael Sukkar in parliament on Monday (22/11/21) to explain himself.
The background
Jane Hume wrote in 2018:
“The problem is, while I am a willing volunteer to this life on the front line, my kids are conscripts. They will always be passengers on my roller coaster,” she wrote. “There is no such thing as superwoman. We can’t do it all. Something’s got to give.” (Click here to read more)
The below texts were leaked to 60 Minutes and published on their show on the 7th of November 2021 as part of their story on Michael Sukkar which Mr Sukkar apologised a few days later to Senator Jane Hume. Mr Sukkar commented on Jane Hume’s post in a group text with some Victorian factional allies as per below.
Someone else responded back to Michael Sukkar as per below:
The above is the background to video below where Labor’s Tanya Plibersek asked Michael Sukkar in parliament on Monday (22/11/21) to explain his comments.
The reason I regard the question as dynamite is that it is almost certain that Tanya Plibersek had Jane Hume’s permission and endorsement to ask the question in parliament otherwise Plibersek would not have asked the question in case it backfired and Jane Hume complained the matter had already been dealt with.
But that didn’t happen so what occurred in parliament on Monday was that 2 women, and possibly others, from opposite sides of politics worked together to send a loud message to all federal politicians that sexist comments won’t be tolerated. It must have been hugely embarrassing for Michael Sukkar although he has been under a cloud of corruption for months in the media which would be just as embarrassing, so he is probably used to it.
Mr Sukkar did seem prepared for the question, and he was possibly tipped off it was going to be asked and it’s worth noting he didn’t directly apologise for what he said but instead said the texts were incorrect and he regretted they were made public.
I watched parliament live and my first reaction to the above video was who is the Senator Hume in the Labor Party that Tanya Plibersek is sticking up for. But a quick internet search told me the Senator Hume was a Liberal Party member which blew me away because why hadn’t the Liberal Party dealt with the matter.
When Michael Sukkar stood up to respond he should have been is a position to say the Prime Minister or the Liberal Party had dealt with the issue or something along those lines, but he didn’t which means they must have done nothing. And it was obvious to me that Jane Hume must not have been happy with the original response and apology from Michael Sukkar a few weeks ago.
How Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party have treated women will be an election issue with high profile females such as Brittany Higgins and Australian of The Year Grace Tame in recent times publicly criticising Scott Morrison. But for the Liberal Party to have one of their own members work with Labor’s Tanya Plibersek on the floor of parliament to shine a light on the Liberal’s poor treatment of women is a whole new ball game.
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