Stop bullying Julia, Aussie PM’s boyfriend says
AUSTRALIA: The boyfriend of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard
has hit out at people bullying his partner, saying women are among the
worst culprits.
Gillard is Australia’s first female leader and is under huge pressure
with her ratings in opinion polls at record lows.
In some recent protests she has been called a “bitch” and a “witch”
and Tim Mathieson, a former hairdresser who is known as Australia’s
‘First Bloke’, said he could not understand why women were among
Gillard’s biggest critics.
“Being a woman, I think she’s gets targeted quite a bit by the big
boys in town,” he told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
“I also think she gets as big a hard time from women as well. I just
think they should probably think, would they like it to happen to them?
“Would they like being called some nasty names? Bullying women just
doesn’t work for me... calling females names does not get you anywhere,”
he added. But Mathieson, who has been promoting women’s health
awareness, said Gillard “bursts straight through” the constant
criticism.
“She’s pretty tough and resilient, she just gets up and goes about
it,” he said. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott told Channel Nine he does
not think Gillard is singled out for tough treatment because she is a
woman.
“I don’t think anyone watching the prime minister in the parliament
would think that she’s a shrinking violet or a blushing wallflower,” he
said.
“She’s a very tough politician and in the parliament it’s a take no
prisoners, give no quarter business.” AFP |