IS THEIR PAST ALL WE HAVE LEFT?
I have a confession to make. I’m not quite sure of the actual indiscretion, but in the supremely unlikely event I ever find myself in contention for high office, I am bound to be reminded of it.
Modern political discourse rejoices ever more of such ‘character tests’, perhaps because it has grown so bereft of content in the present that all we’re left to rake over are the participants’ pasts.
Julia Gillard & Tony Abbott in younger days.
It plays to the strength of journalists, too, who revel in the gaffes, embarrassments and petty hypocrisies of others, but who approach actual policies as though they are interchangeable blocks of wood.
It’s nothing on American Swiftboating and Birtherism yet, but the assumptions are broadly similar: that character is immutable, and that former behaviour offers an infallible indicator to future actions, that the stains of formerly bad company are indelible, that the aberrations of an instant can reverberate through an entire life.
But character and actions are not indistinguishable – that’s why we have the expression ‘out-of-character’.
Indeed, it is very often the ‘out-of-character’ actions that help us in retrospect establish what our character actually is. There can also be an incredibly fine line between what we very seriously contemplate then reluctantly decide against, and what we do and immediately regret.
Sometimes our behaviour results from a leaning against our personality traits – we express anger because we think we’re sometimes too passive; we enter relationships impetuously because we feel we’re too shy; we shrink from risk because we’re sometimes impulsive; we exaggerate our youthful excesses because we fear seeming dull; we say things we don’t really believe, and resist saying things we think, for the sake of harmony.
Put like this, it seems the plainest common sense. So how have we somehow come to believe in a set of behavioural norms against which no flesh and blood could measure up?
Trouble is that politicians collude in a kind of parallel fantasy, using their autobiographical tales as exhibits of prolier-than-thou authenticity.
They’ve always done this to a degree: thus Robert Menzies gloriously unselfconscious comment on succeeding Joe Lyons that he was ‘not of the purple’.
But politics has now become a bastion of the nouveau pauvre, with the Romneys and the Obamas (right) going head-to-head at their recent conventions, the $250-million Romneys waxing nostalgic about their days when all they could afford was healthy food (tuna and pasta, poor dears), and the Obamas recalling their courtship in a car with holes in the floor (borrowed from the Flintstones presumably).
It’s arguable that in touting their lives as exhibits of their purported values, they have made them fair game, and encouraged their scrutiny.
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27 Responses to this article
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Sarah September 13, 2012
Great article Gideon. I was only reflecting on the Robbie Farah “noose” tweet incident of yesterday, and how certainly one must be so careful of what one does or says online in these many platforms where every skerrick can be electronically retrieved, even if deleted, but also if we are all going to dig up dirt on each other, shouldn’t our own lives be squeeky clean too?
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Monica September 13, 2012
Gideon Haigh on The Hoopla…am I impressed, or what!!!!!
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Julie September 13, 2012
Agree with Chris. I’m deeply concerned by the example that is set by Tony Abbott for our kids. Arguing that this happened too many years ago to matter is rubbish. Peter Fitzsimons is not the only one who remembers. The physical violence may not still be there but it has morphed into vicious bullying and relentless negativity, forcing opponents into defending themselves equally. And people wonder why ‘trolling’ is such an issue now. What on earth are impressionable kids supposed to learn from these tactics? If this is what defines a ‘good performer’ in parliament then what hope is there for a decent, cooperative, productive society in Australia.
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Stan September 14, 2012
I understand and have some sympathy with the general thrust of the article Gideon. But I also recognise the truth in Chris’ account of life at Sydney University in Abbot’s time. I’ve witnessed such actions from time to time by others. So though the article makes sense, it does not mean that all who have learned control over their behaviour have actually changed in their thinking. In Abbot, I am confident his thinking about such issues has not changed much. If ever in power, he would not need physical violence as he would have the power of the state.
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Sue September 14, 2012
Yes. Let’s have more of Gideon Haigh on Hoopla. He’s one of my favourite writers.
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jane September 14, 2012
Having observed student politics not too long ago the test of character in the next generation is the sense of self entitlement
watch a rich,white inner city gen y go into a swanky restaurant and then go into those backwater country pubs
If they have attitude then they shouldnt be in politics
smirk
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June September 14, 2012
I am not that concerned how either of them behaved in their University days but something struck me about these two photos and in my opinion they both look very similar in B/W almost could be brother and sister. Is it just me or can others see this? That would be where the similarity ends of course
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jane September 14, 2012
Some people never grow out of their university days and sadly become emotionally stunted adults
seen this in 50 year old men
its hilarious and sad!!
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Kerry C September 14, 2012
The hypocrisy of Tony Abbott is breathtaking to watch.
I’ve just been waiting for some “bull-boy” examples from his past to emerge. He is a bully now. There had to be something similar in his background.
He is so quick to point the finger at others and demand full explanations, but so different when it’s himself involved.
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Lindy September 14, 2012
I do have a problem with Mr. Abbott and the example that he sets with his bullying tactics that he uses in question time. I also so him trying to intimidate the reporter who was covering the infamous 17 days of deliberation, he wanted her to remove a part of the story. I also find him thinking that he has a right to dictate to women about their reproductive processes repugnant I could go on but I have no interest in his student days as I think that “he who is without sin…”
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Kaz September 14, 2012
Exactly, Lindy. I don’t care what he did in the past so much as his repugnant policies now…
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mandy September 14, 2012
My 6 year old daughter doesnt understand all the subtleties of what goes on in federal politics, but her views are sometimes quite enlightening.
She announced a little while back “Tony Abart (as she calls him) is not nice to ladies, he should go and have a think, and change his behaviour. “.
We didnt tell her this, this is her view of the behaviour she sees in the snippets of TV news or updates she encounters. She hasnt heard about the punching the wall on either side of someone’s head, again perhaps not a coincident that this was also a woman, and we wont be telling her about it, but i imagine she would be horrified, and suggest a significant stint in the corridor to think about that behaviour, a ban on playing with friends, or even the ultimate resolution she’s described to playground disputes ‘if you have asked them nicely to change their behaviour and they dont, then you just dont have to play with them mummy, walk away and just dont listen to them’. I think many men and women alike are ready to walk away from Mr Abbott. and like my 6 year old, i think most people see through the talk about ‘Margie and the girls’, it doesnt match the demeanor we see
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VRog September 14, 2012
@mandy: I hope your daughter goes into politics one day – she’s brilliant! We may be voting for her for PM in the future
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Carole September 14, 2012
When questioned once on the evening news regarding the abuse of Julia Gillard , he actually said that she had brought in upon herself, you know the old ” she made me do it”. excuse.
I believe he has an abusive personality.
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Susan September 14, 2012
Having watched closely both said “scandals” emerge of our leaders in the last couple of weeks I can’t help but ask why are we going back this far in History?
Then- there was Tony Abbott’s complete denial this morning.. It made me wonder “Would I ever forget someone punching the wall on either side of my head?”
Probably not-especially a lady as well respected as she is. That said -I don’t have to go too far back in my memory to remember the hand that Tony Abbott had in bringing up charges against a politically naive Pauline Hansen. She spent time in gaol because of his ruthless investigations…and allowed his party to go on to take on all of her Xenophobic ideas. Does no one else remember this? He has used these relentlessly in his “Stop the Boats!” mantra. Does anyone really think that Larry Pickering and his hysterical,defaming and mysogynist website would have ever got up if Liberal Party members were not at it’s heart. I’m afraid I have seen too many people (particularly women ) say they just don’t trust him . Sometimes women’s intuition can be……right…. -
jane September 14, 2012
Dont forget what Tony Abbot said to Nicola Roxon when he turned up late at the national press club
Many that know Tony Abbot say that his real persona is friendly unlike that in which the public perceive him to be
Thats a problem in politics
Obama doesn’t have that at all
I wonder why??
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jane September 14, 2012
The ALP dirt unit is repugnant in doing this nasty tactic
Lost all respect for them!!
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Annie from Faulco September 14, 2012
Not sure what you mean, jane.
It appears that you have “Lost all respect ” for “The ALP dirt unit”.
If so, what caused you to respect this supposed entity in the first place, please?
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Carole September 14, 2012
Surely Jane, your not that naive to think that the ” holier than thou ” LNP don’t do the same things.
I remember when Paul Keating was PM. the Liberals had a shadowy figure following him around trying to get something on him.
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Lindy September 15, 2012
this was not the ALP “dirt unit”, it was due to the quarterly essay and picked up by the media, read the essay before you pass judgement. The media for once has decided to question Mr. Abbott and he doesn’t seem to like it. I just wish that the media would do a few sums when he is out there claiming that the carbon price will increase a bill by sixty thousand dollars etc. then we may see a bit more realism in politics.
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Matt September 15, 2012
I find this hilarious. The whining and moaning about big bad Tony Abbott on this site is as predictable as it is hysterical.
If I ever go into politics you can quote me on here; at University I did in fact drink copious amounts of beer, I sometimes turned up to lectures ‘under the weather’ and once I even lied to a girl just so I could sleep with her but I never phoned her afterwards.
Of course all that was dumb, stupid and if I did those things today I would be an awful example of a 40 year old parent. But I was 18 at the time and completely clueless about most things in life. Let’s get some perspective.
I often wonder why the left seem to always trot out the line that Abbott hates women yet those women that know him, work with him and socialise with him actually adore him. -
Robyn September 15, 2012
Matt, this article is defending Abbott, so perhaps you should read it again?
Anyone who is totally squeaky clean shouldn’t be in politics as they have no life experience!
However, where do we draw the line? Would a murder conviction or child molestation conviction from 35 years ago be acceptable?
I am no Abbott fan and I long for a party spill. The wall incident has done nothing more than confirm for me the behaviours I see TODAY!
The video of his behaviour in QT when he was dobbed in for saying the only thing he wouldn’t do to form government was sell his arse was very telling. Not a man I would trust or buy a used car off.
Had he been caught doing any number of young stupid things, I would not mind. In my view, violence is unacceptable. In my view, the man hasn’t changed.
I don’t buy the orchestrated Marge and the girls rhetoric either.
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Matt September 16, 2012
I was referring to the responses above, not the article itself. Sorry for the confusion.
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