Has anyone noticed a particular pattern in the speech of Troy Buswell, Leader of the WA Liberal Party?
ABC News: “Walker-Buswell meeting set for today” quotes Buswell as saying:
“I always have and will continue to respect Sue’s right to have a view and I certainly look forward to discussing those matters,” he said. “I’ll be putting to Sue my view and that is that she has performed, well, extremely well in the role of shadow Attorney General and I would like her to continue doing so.”
News.com.au: “Bad boy Buswell: Honestly, I’ve changed”, about Troy Buswell having made sexual remarks to colleague Katie Hodson-Thomas, who called the WA Libs a “boys’ club”, an evaluation that Sue Walker has endorsed:
When asked about the details of what happened, Mr Buswell said: “I’m not sure. I thought she was talking about an incident in Parliament. I can’t recall. I have to check. But I can tell you this, at that time, upon realising that Katie had been offended by what I said, I offered an immediate apology.”
PerthNow: “Troy Buswell turns up heat on Jim McGinty”
“There is now very strong evidence to suggest that Mr McGinty must have known about the Opposition’s FOI process prior to the 21st of June and if that is the case then Mr McGinty has a case to answer for misleading the Parliament.”
The Australian: “Tragedy darkens leader’s first day”:
“I want to put Alan Carpenter on notice that as we move forward we will be pursuing them on the issues that matter to the households of Western Australia.”
[…]
“I’m filled with a deep sense of loss at the passing of Trevor Sprigg,” Mr Buswell said.
ABC News: “Buswell wants leadership issue dealt with quickly” has an audio press interview. It includes these quotes:
“I intend to spend the next couple of days consulting with my colleagues; Mr Omodei, and with others” […] “I’ll be consulting with Paul Omodei”
[…]
“I’ll speak to all of my colleagues today, and I’ll be speaking to Katie too”
No doubt there are counter-examples floating around, but I didn’t come across them in my Google News search. The trend is certainly striking.
~~~
And as an aside, today Sue Walker stood down from her position as Shadow Attorney-General, citing her lack of trust in Troy Buswell as a reason.
She is also reported to have confirmed that she didn’t answer newly-minted and scandal-fresh Buswell’s calls while she was on holiday (I’m guessing they were frantic “Are you with me or against me?” calls), because she didn’t want to interrupt her holiday. I can’t help but want to shake her hand on this one.
Walker is now poised to contest her blue-ribbon-Liberal seat of Nedlands as an independent at the next election. As Liz Constable showed us, she could be in with a very good chance to win.
Categories: gender & feminism, language, Politics
About #ditchthewitch 
Feminism – we’re doin it rong #1568454876 
Hoyden About Town 
Posting on behalf of Frank Calabrese:
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It seems Party Troy’s election has actually increased the Carpenter Govt’s re-election at the next election. 🙂
I predict that there will not be a reshuffle of the shadow cabinet until after the By-Election, so Party Troy can parachute Christian Porter into the vacant Shadow Attorney-General position as he would be the only qualified lib in the lower house with legal experience.
I also think Julie Bishop may be “encouraged” to run against Sue at the next State Election.
You may be right, Frank.
Sorry Lauredhel, I’ve missed the pattern. Is it a liking for the future progressive tense?
My wife’s assessment of Mr B is pretty simple: ‘looks like a thug, talks like a thug, acts like a thug’. I look forward to seeing his approval rating among women.
I noticed on the ABC News tonight that one of Sue Walker’s supporters is Rob Johnson. I’m pretty sure he’s behind hger because he is in the Omodei camp.
And the poor West being reduced to reporting Shelly Archer’s whinging about the selective hearing processes of the CCC.
I don’t see the striking pattern/trend either ??? What is it?
I’m not sure you’re being fair when you say “Sue Walker stood down from her position as Shadow Attorney-General, citing her lack of trust in Troy Buswell as a reason.”
The ABC first reported Sue as “saying she has no trust in Mr Buswell to stop the forces in the Liberal Party which have been undermining her….I don’t believe that Troy can deliver to me or prevent the forces that have sought to undermine my role as Shadow Attorney General in the past two years, I don’t believe that he can control those forces within the party …. and actually Troy was very good and said he actually knew the exent of the undermining that’s been going on since I’ve been a Member” So she wasn’t saying Troy is an untrustworthy person but that she couldn’t trust/rely on him to overcome those forces in the party out to get her.
Boris – Troy doesn’t talk like a thug – watch him in Parliament on the internet and you’ll see a charming, entertaining speaker. Still photos make him look piggish and thugish, but he’s actually quite charismatic – and more cuddly than thugish. It’ll be a fascinating contest with Carpenter – they’re just opposites.
And the Liberal Blame Game Commences.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/04/2154301.htm
[Ms Blain says the only person working against Ms Walker is Ms Walker.
“I was frankly quite astounded, disappointed, and also a little hurt that I should personally be singled out in this way,” she said.
“As the State President of the Party and the first female state President for the past four and a half years I have done my absolute utmost to be there for all volunteers and for all members of Parliament.”]
Boris and Russell, the post tags were a clue. Have a look at the way he refers to his colleagues by name.
Lauredhel’s last blog post..Boom-tish
Are you claiming he’s treating the women differently by referring to them by their first names?
I think you’re drawing too long a bow – he’s making friendly overtures to Sue and Katie, hence on a first name basis, and attacking McGinty and Carpenter, hence the non-friendly full name or surname. Ditto with Trevor Sprigg – it’s more formal to use his full name to express condolence.
I was just reading the Perth Now site and that report does support your post:
“Ms Walker today said she thought Mr Buswell was a decent, competent man but did not trust him.
“I haven’t, with Troy, over the time he’s been in parliament, developed a lot of trust in him as a person.”
Mr Buswell refused to criticise her.”
Of course, one might ask if there is anyone in the party Sue does trust …..
Russell, Katie Hodson-Thomas and Sue Walker have accused Buswell of disrespect for women, inappropriate familiarity, and running a parliamentary Boys’ Club.
For him to then turn around and refer to them in press conferences only by their first name is a trivialising, infantilising linguistic practice. It is an expression of dominance.
He tends to treat his male colleagues, friend and foe, with the customary public respect by referring to them in third person by their surname, surname and honorific, or full name. To reserve the first-name treatment for women gives a very unflattering insight into his psyche.
If it is an attempt by him to publicly cosy up to his accusers, it is a badly misguided attempt, and he needs a new publicist right fucking now.
Lauredhel’s last blog post..Baggy vaginas are Out for 2008: stiletto-therapy agenda science
[If it is an attempt by him to publicly cosy up to his accusers, it is a badly misguided attempt, and he needs a new publicist right fucking now.]
Well his current Media Adviser Frank Walker hasn’t helped by Gatecrashing Sue walker’s Community Meeting and basically being a prick 🙂
Ooohh, A Liberal Bitchfight 🙂
Tiara’s at 30 paces 🙂
[PARLIAMENT is no place for a “princess”, the West Australian Opposition women’s affairs spokeswoman said, amid continued infighting in the Liberal Party.
Helen Morton was speaking after her disaffected senior Liberal colleague, Sue Walker, quit the opposition frontbench, saying she did not trust party leader Troy Buswell.
Ms Walker yesterday also attacked other Liberal members, claiming the party was a boys’ club and that she had been continually undermined and refused resources while in the shadow attorney-general’s portfolio.
While he was decent and competent, Ms Walker said of new leader Mr Buswell: “I haven’t, with Troy, over the time he’s been in parliament, developed a lot of trust in him as a person.”
Ms Morton today hit back at her Liberal colleague, saying she did not think the party was a boys’ club.
“The parliament’s no place for a princess,” Ms Morton said.
“People have to have strength of character and be incredibly willing to withstand the competition and challenges that come to them.
“If people are too precious to deal with those issues then the parliament is not the way for them to try and meet their objectives.” ]
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23164039-2761,00.html
Frank: while I appreciate your participation in these threads, I’d also appreciate it if you wouldn’t use gendered insults aimed at women. Cheers.
Lauredhel’s last blog post..Baggy vaginas are Out for 2008: stiletto-therapy agenda science
Apologies for the terminology, but I do find it rather ironic that the “Princess” Tag is coming from the Women’s Affairs Spokesperson – now that’s a nice quaint title – that alone implies how low in the pecking order the WA Libs treat the issue.
Thanks for the apology. I totally agree – the “princess” and “precious” comments are absolute doozies.
And the implications that objecting to institutional sexism is a weakness, a personal failing to rise to challenges? Followed by the “suck it up”?
The Libs are working their very very hardest to keep themselves in this gutter, aren’t they?
Lauredhel’s last blog post..Baggy vaginas are Out for 2008: stiletto-therapy agenda science
[The Libs are working their very very hardest to keep themselves in this gutter, aren’t they?]
Exactly, as it seems the Libs want their women to be like the “Ab Fab” types, ie appear at A list parties and generally being subservant to their rich husbands.
Frank – that’s a bit insulting to the Lib women that are there: Helen Morton, Robyn McSweeney et al. are not Ab Fab types.
“Princess” is, I think, practically Sue’s nickname in parliament, and used as much by Labor women as anyone else.
I wonder what sort of game Sue is playing? you can’t say to the media that your leader can’t be trusted, and then say you’ll think about whether to stay in the team! Just how often will we hear from Labor in parliament “and even your shadow attorney-general said you can’t be trusted”? Helen Morton is resonding with frustration to how much damage Sue is causing the rest of the party, hence the princess put-down.
It’s interesting to look at the reactions when an MP is speaking in parliament – when Janet Woollard speaks most everyone leaves the chamber or carries on with other work. That doesn’t happen when Elizabeth Constable speaks – people listen with interest and respect.
Buswell’s words betray his attitude – check out this exchange from hansard (March 11):
Mr T. BUSWELL:The facts are, Madam Acting Speaker —
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Deputy Speaker.
Mr T. BUSWELL: That as well. If the Treasurer had been able to effectively….
I wonder if the dismissive ‘That as well” comment would have been used if the Deputy Speaker were a man!