Wink, Wink, Here Comes the Budget

Oh, the fateful wink.

As if Tony Abbott didn’t have enough to worry about, he’s landed himself in it again with trademark crass.  As a pensioner told him about her financial struggles, and the desperate measures she’s undertaken to make ends meet Tony Abbott smiled and winked at the radio interviewer, finding the fact she was forced to work as a phone sex worker amusing. First things first, I don’t think this is Tony Abbott being sexist. A lot of the commentary around this seems to be revisiting the various accusations of Tony Abbott’s infamous accused sexism. Not mine.

Abbott here is showing himself up, but for a very different reason. If he had been confronted by a male sexaphonist I am certain he would react in a similarly childish fashion, the fact she was a woman has little bearing on his reaction and the subsequent disapproval he now faces. The real reason that the wink is disturbing is because it signals a general disregard for the plight of this pensioner.  Tony Abbott thinks that the most important matter about her complaints is that she must work on a sex line, the fact that he has released a budget that will make it even harder for this Aussie battler isn’t jarring enough to kill the immature humour he finds in the situation.

This is what is scary. We have a prime minister who thinks the degradation and suffering that has forced this woman into the phone sex trade is a matter that can be casually thought of as humorous. If people really want to seize this moment to attack Abbott they should use it as just another in the litany of incidents where he has shown complete disregard for the Australian’s who have it tough. It's this lack of compassion that should concern all Australian's, because it's these people who should be at the forefront of his mind.