Time to resign

The NSW Liberal Opposition Leader, John Brogden, has been caught sprouting a racist obscenity. Again. During an “alcohol fuelled night” – according to the Sydney Morning Herald that placed the story across its front page – Brogden pinched a journalist’s behind and called former NSW Premier Bob Carr’s wife, Helena, a “mail-order bride”. On July 29, soon after Carr’s resignation, Brogden says he was “very happy with the change and events in NSW.”

Brogden should resign immediately.

This is not the first time Brodgen has displayed racist tendencies. In 2004, during the Orange Grove controversy, he said this in relation to Frank Lowy: “Bob Carr is a Judas to the people of Western Sydney. He has taken his 30 pieces of silver from Westfield and they get a good deal.”

The Australian Jewish News rightly condemned the comments as alluding to anti-Jewish stereotypes.

It is amazing, however, that Brogden comes under heavy fire – deservedly, to be sure – and yet any number of Federal Liberal MPs rave on about “Australian values” and banning Muslims headscarves and it’s considered an acceptable part of civilised debate.

UPDATE: Good riddance, John.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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